[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 169 (Friday, December 7, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS IN HONORING THE CREW AND PASSENGERS OF 
                       UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 5, 2001

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 
232, which formally expresses the sentiment of Congress in honoring the 
crew and passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93.
  On September 11, 2001, four aircraft were hijacked and then 
simultaneously used as weapons of mass destruction against the United 
States. Through the selfless acts of the crew and passengers, one of 
those aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, fell far short of its 
intended target--Washington, D.C. I have no doubt that it is because of 
the heroic actions taken by the crew and passengers of Flight 93, that 
the Washington D.C. area did not sustain more damage. We owe them our 
eternal gratitude.
  Like the Pan Am 103 terrorist attack in December 1988, the events of 
September 11th have challenged us as a nation, and have forced this 
Congress and this Administration to re-evaluate the state of security 
for domestic and international commercial air service.
  On November 19, 2001, President Bush signed into law the Aviation and 
Transportation Security Act (P.L. 107-71). This Act completely 
overhauls our nation's aviation security system. In addition to 
integrating all security functions within a new Transportation Security 
Administration, the Act also federalizes the screening workforce to 
greatly improve the quality of the screening process. Further, the Act 
mandates 100 percent checked-baggage screening, strengthens cockpit 
security, expands the Federal Air Marshal program, and ensures that all 
crewmembers receive proper training to deal with terrorist attacks. 
These changes will go far to close loopholes in aviation security. 
Equally important, however, is to ensure that our intelligence 
gathering keeps pace with these new threats. Credible, potential threat 
information must be readily synthesized and disseminated to prevent a 
future tragedy such as that befalling Flight 93.
  Eleven years ago, the President's Commission on Aviation Security and 
Terrorism, on which I served as a Commissioner, recommended that we 
become more aggressive in our intelligence gathering, evaluation, and 
dissemination. Quoting from the report,
  The Commission also recommends greater emphasis within the 
intelligence community on developing a specific union whose principle 
function will be long-term strategic thinking and planning on 
terrorism. The objective is to be better able to anticipate future 
terrorist strategies and tactics, rather than simply to react to 
incidents as they occur.
  This is the most challenging aspect of our aviation security network. 
It is difficult to penetrate these highly-secretive organizations that 
operate on a war-like footing. The Aviation and Transportation Security 
Act requires the coordination and sharing and dissemination of 
intelligence information among federal agencies, including the new 
Transportation Security Administration. Counter-terrorism also requires 
renewed higher-level coordination through Interpol, with our allies, 
and with other nations like Russia and China, as the PanAm Commission 
recommended eleven years ago. The skills of terrorists have stepped up 
several levels since the Commission's 1990 report. We must ensure that 
our counter-intelligence rises to meet that threat.
  With the appropriate counter-intelligence efforts and security 
implemented to the fullest extent, we can ensure that the legacy of the 
crew and passengers of Flight 93 is world-class aviation and inter-
modal security system. Our citizens can forever enjoy the freedom of 
travel that this great nation provides to the envy of the rest of the 
world.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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