[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[July 29, 1996]
[Pages 1219-1220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Terrorism and an Exchange With Reporters
July 29, 1996

    The President. Good afternoon. Ladies and gentlemen, first let me 
thank the Members of the congressional leadership who are here to 
discuss this very important issue. I think when the bomb went off in the 
Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, that park literally became our 
national common ground, a symbol of our common determination to stand 
against terrorism, domestic or foreign, and to do everything we can to 
combat it.
    We have followed a three-part strategy consistently. First of all, 
we have worked with our friends around the world to try to increase 
international cooperation against terrorists and to isolate the states 
that support terrorism. Just today in Paris, the G-7 conference on 
terrorism is opening, and I believe after this meeting the Attorney 
General is going to Paris to represent the United States there.
    We have intensified our antiterrorism efforts here at home. And I 
want to again thank the congressional leadership and the Members of 
Congress from both parties that strongly supported the antiterrorism 
bill and other efforts that we have made to strengthen our hand here at 
home. And we've had some results, preventing terrorism actions, catching 
people who commit terrorist acts. We intend to do more.
    The third thing we have done is to increase airport security. And we 
will be looking at what else we can do through the commission that I've 
asked the Vice President to head to intensify airport security in the 
weeks and months ahead.
    Again, let me say, if you look around this room--the Speaker, 
Senator Lott, Senator Daschle, Mr. Gephardt, Senators Hatch and Biden, 
Congressman Hyde and Congressman Conyers, the Secretary of State, the 
Attorney General, the representatives of our law enforcement and 
intelligence agencies--you can see that when we are attacked, whether 
it's from within or without, we come together. And that's what we're 
doing here.
    I hope we'll be able to discuss some specific things that we might 
be able to do to strengthen our hand against terrorism, some things that 
we proposed before, maybe some other new ideas

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people have, including some very specific and limited use of wiretaps, 
perhaps discussion of the taggants issue again and some other issues 
that will come before us. The main thing is we need to get the very best 
ideas we can, and we need to move as quickly as we can to do everything 
we can to try to strengthen this country's hand against terrorism.
    And the Speaker made a point the other day which I think is very 
important, which is that the people who do this thing are always trying 
to stay ahead of the curve. Whatever we do, they'll try to find some 
other way to get around it. That means that this has got to be a long, 
disciplined, concerted, united effort by the United States. And I think 
we ought to take every tool we can and take every possible advantage we 
can because this is not going to be easy. But we have shown that we can 
get results when we work together and do the right thing and the smart 
thing.
    So I'm glad that the leaders are here. I'm looking forward to the 
conversation. And I'd like to give the Speaker a chance to say a word 
and Senator Lott and perhaps the minority leaders.

[At this point, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senate majority 
leader Trent Lott, House minority leader Richard A. Gephardt, and Senate 
minority leader Thomas A. Daschle made brief remarks.]

    Q. Mr. President, what more do you need in the way of wiretaps? What 
about those constitutional bounds?
    The President. Well, first of all, we shouldn't do anything that 
violates the Constitution. I think the question is whether--if you have 
someone that you have a strong suspicion and strong evidence is involved 
in terrorism who is moving around all the time and the traditional laws 
governing wiretaps which tie to residence and place of business don't 
operate. We'll discuss that, and we'll be able to talk more about it 
later.
    I think we need to start our meeting now.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 2:22 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White 
House, prior to a meeting with congressional leaders.