[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 105 (Wednesday, September 8, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 7, 2004

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, combating terrorism has emerged 
as one of the most important U.S. foreign policy and national security 
priorities. The number of terrorist groups is reportedly growing and 
the technology to inflict mass casualties is becoming more readily 
available. The United States and other cooperating nations are 
confronted with four major tasks, namely, (1) deterring and identifying 
terrorists and their sponsors and supporters (2) weakening terrorist 
financial ability and infrastructure (3) making potential targets 
extremely difficult to be accomplished, and (4) containing damage in 
the aftermath of terrorist attacks. Given these priorities Congress and 
the administration should accept the recommendations of the 9/11 
Commission Report as a guidance document toward effectively combating 
terrorism without diminishing the people's civil liberties and rights.
  Combating terrorism requires government activity designed to gather 
information on, and restrict the activities of individual terrorists 
and groups seeking to engage in direct or indirect terrorist activity. 
This is a challenge facing the Congress as to how--in a growing age of 
globalization, deregulation, democracy and individual freedom--to 
institute effective communication between various intelligence 
agencies, information sharing across Federal, State and local 
governments and private sectors and the method of implementing 
regulatory and monitoring systems which will help deter, identify, and 
track terrorists and stop their activities.

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