VICE PRESIDENT'S OPENING STATEMENT TO THE TASK FORCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R000301210005-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 2009
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: MISC

Approved For Release 2009/12/15: CIA-RDP88B00443R000301210005-3
VICE PRESIDENT'S OPENING STATEMENT TO THE TASK FORCE
(Press will a present
I want to welcome you all to the first meeting of the Task
Force on Combatting Terrorism. The main purpose of this session
is to get the project underway, and to cover certain organiza-
tional aspects of the Task Force.
I want you to know the President is dead serious about ensuring
that our capabilities to combat terrorism are the best that this
country's resources can provide. We have to be committed in the
fight against terrorism. I, like all Americans, was profoundly
affected by the brutal murder of Robert Stethem. Sadly, his death
during the TWA hijacking was not an isolated incident. Several
days later, our marines in El Salvador were murdered by other
terrorists. The United States has become the prime target of
terrorists throughout the world. Americans have been the victim
of a terrorist onslaught for over a decade, and this onslaught is
continuing. I am fed up with terrorist violence; indeed all
Americans are outraged at this modern scourge. Terrorism must
have a consequence. International terrorism requires an inter-
national response.
In the past several years, we have made great progress in
combatting terrorism. People in every Department represented
here have done an outstanding job. But, we want to be sure that
what we have today makes best use of national assets available to
combat terrorism.
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The President has directed me to chair a government-wide
Task Force on Combatting Terrorism. The particulars of this Task
Force are contained in a Presidential Directive, which you have
before you. The objective of this Task Force is to review and
evaluate the effectiveness of US policy and programs to combat
terrorism and to make recommendations to the President for action.
The review and evaluation will include an assessment of national
priorities, the assignment of responsibility and accountability
for ensuring interagency cooperation and coordination before,
during and after a terrorist incident, the review and evaluation
of present laws, the adequacy of public awareness, provisions for
funding and personnel, and the evaluation of current levels of
programs of international cooperation and coordination.
There are a whole host of issues embedded in these key areas.
Those agencies responsible need to ferret out and debate the issues,
brainstorm new ideas, prepare options, and make recommendations
on how we should proceed.
That is our mandate for the next several months. I envision
the final report of this Task Force to be a set of recommendations
for the President, which will include policy, procedures and
resources with a clear definition of the agency responsibilities
within the government for each element of the program, and a long-
range plan of legislative and budget actions required to accomplish
and sustain our objectives in the fight against terrorism.
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I do not envision this Task Force as becoming involved in
the operational aspects of any terrorist incident that might occur
during our tenure. The Task Force may not have an answer for the
next terrorist incident. We are not a crisis management group.
Of course, we will follow the developments in any such incidents
closely but for the main purpose of using the experience to assist
us in the development of current, long-range comprehensive plans
for dealing with the problem.
I have appointed Admiral James L. Holloway to be the Executive
Director of this Task Force.
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