[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S4433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FIFTY CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, militaries around the world use .50 caliber 
sniper rifles which are noted for their powerful and destructive 
capabilities. In the hands of a terrorist, these weapons could inflict 
devastating results. The fact that terrorists can legally obtain 
weapons in the United States with such destructive capabilities puts us 
all at great risk.
  In 1985, a previously classified National War College strategic study 
report, written by a former Deputy Assistant Director of the U.S. 
Secret Service, warned of the growing threat from large caliber sniper 
rifles, specifically .50 caliber rifles. These ``long range weapons 
pose a significant threat for U.S. National Command Authority figures 
if used by terrorists or other assailants,'' the Secret Service warned. 
``These weapons are more accurate than shoulder fired antitank rockets 
and, if used against aircraft, [are] immune to electronic counter 
measures.''
  Ten years later the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit global policy think 
tank, issued a report identifying .50 caliber sniper rifles as a 
serious threat to the security of U.S. Air Force bases. After noting 
the success of Barrett sniper rifles against light armored vehicles in 
the 1991 gulf war, the report noted, ``Such weapons also give light 
forces a portable and quite deadly option against parked aircraft. 
These rifles are effective against man-sized targets up to 1,600 meters 
away and could hit aircraft sized targets at even greater ranges.'' It 
further states that, ``it seems only a matter of time before these or 
similar weapons find their way into the arsenals of potential 
adversaries, if they have not already done so.''
  The August 2003 U.S. Army Intelligence training handbook, ``A 
Military Guide to Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century,'' specifically 
identified large caliber sniper rifles as an attractive weapon for 
terrorists to use for an assassination. It noted that .50 caliber 
sniper rifles are of particular interest because they can engage 
attacks on ``targets that are difficult to get close enough for other 
weapons,'' yet ``can also effectively engage light armored vehicles.''
  A 2004 report on security at Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, 
specifically warned of snipers using .50 caliber rifles to fire at 
parked or taxiing aircraft among a list of potential terrorist attack 
tactics. The RAND Corporation compiled this list by considering 
information gathered by intelligence organizations based on the 
historical tendencies and capabilities of terrorist organizations. The 
analysis however was not able to identify ``any truly satisfactory'' 
security improvement options to protect against such sniper attacks.
  In November 2004, the Homeland Security Center at the University of 
Southern California, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security, identified .50 caliber sniper rifles as an imminent threat to 
civil aviation. A risk analysis prepared by the center stated that the 
range and power of .50 caliber sniper rifles enable them to ``target 
fuel tanks, passengers, pilots, and down aircraft in the worst case.'' 
It also noted that al Qaida has acquired and used these rifles against 
coalition forces in Iraq.
  These destructive weapons are currently subject to only minimal 
Federal regulation. Buyers need to only be 18 years old, rather than 
the 21 years of age which is required for handgun purchases. There is 
no minimum age requirement for the possession of a .50 caliber weapon 
and no regulation on second hand sales. Congress must do more to help 
keep military style firearms out of the hands of terrorists.

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