CONGRESS HAS TOUGH ANSWERS TO STOPPING TERRORISTS' ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201670063-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 19, 2010
• Sequence Number: 63
• Publication Date: July 2, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/19: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201670063-8
ARTIrV ".".77A RED
OPT ,? 7 WASHINGTON TIMES
2 Jt'1y 1985
Congress has tough
answers to stopping
terrorists' activities
By Thomas D. Brandt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Members of Congress are
praising President Reagan's han-
dling of the hostage crisis, while
suggesting a range of responses to
the incident from closing Beirut air-
port by force to "targeted retali-
ation" against the terrorists.
Lon er-ran a responses
pro a include new investments
inta Ii... r
in
id secu-
rity, new international accords
against terrorists and legal prosecu-
tion of terrorists in their own coun-
tries.
Late yesterday, the White House
said the two weekly flights between
the United States and Beirut would
be canceled,and asked other nations
to cancel service to Beirut - which
they actually did years ago - as part
of a voluntary, international sanc-
tion.
"The airport must be closed
either by international agreement or
by military means:' said Rep. Wil-
liam Broomfield, R-Mich., senior
Republican on the House Foreign
Affairs Committee.
"I agree with Secretary of State
(George PI Shultz that Beirut is a
city without law and order, and Bei-
rut airport has become a haven for
international terrorists," he added,
in reference to comments made by
the Mr. Shultz on Sunday after the
hostages had been released.
At that White House press confer-
ence, Mr. Shultz said, "It's not a ques-
tion of sort of economic sanctions or
something like that. It's a question of
trying to close the usefulness of that
airport"
Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., said he
supports "targeted use of American
force" against terrorists, while Sen.
Gordon Humphrey, R-N.H., said the
United States is going to have to get
tough with terrorists and start "rub-
bing out some people:'
"I think we are going to have to get
very much involved in undercover
operations to infiltrate these terror-
ist organizations, not lust in the Mid-
dle East but ever where," Sen.
Humphrey sal .
"Frankly, we're going to have to
get involved in rubbing out some
people. You have to take off the
gloves and deal with this kind of
scum in their own terms eventually
or face more and more hijackings,"
he said.
Sen. Hart also called for ungrad
ing U.S. intelligence capabilities to
improve the chances for success in
rescue operations in future hostage
inci ents.
"However, when terrorists violate
international law by abducting and
murdering innocent Americans, the
targeted use of American force,
aimed carefjlly against those
directly responsible, is fully appro-
priate," he said in a statement from
Geneva.
"The president must determine
how our nation will respond to this
latest round of terrorism;' Sen. Hart
said.
"This can only be done if we sig-
nificantly upgrade our intelligen-
cecapabilities. Rather than mining
Nicaraguan harbors, this adminis-
tration should use its resources to
infiltrate terrorist groups and
develop information sources about
their activities," he said.
Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., a mem-
ber of the House Armed Services
Committee, contended that "we
should never rule out retaliation
when we can identify guilty terrorist
groups:'
"We Americans must realize that
we are at war with terrorism. 'lb
fight it, we must have better intel-
ligence, require safer airports and
provide protection on overseas
flights:' Rep. Skelton said.
Sen. John Glenn. D-Ohio. said the
United States should pursue a policy
involving "increased inte igence,
better security, multinational sanc-
tiomand. to any country with which
we maintain normal relations
agreeing to apprehend and pros-
ecute terrorists, not coddle them"
Rep. James Courter, R-N.J., a
member of the Armed Services
Committee, said the United States
should move against the gunmen
who beat and murdered Navy Petty
Officer Robert Stethem now that the
39 other hijack victims are free.
"A robber who murders a bank
teller and later surrenders the
money he stole, still has jail time to
do," Rep. Courser said.
"Appropriate Shi'ite and Lebanese
officials should be called upon to
bring the original two gunmen to
trial, at the least. If they refuse, as is
likely, the administration must con-
sider its other options," he added.
The president's national security
adviser, Robert McFarlane, said, "I
think ... what has emerged from
this experience in the United States
has been a very widespread, popular
support for more firmness in deal-
ing with terrorism." He safd that
until now, such sentiment "has been
missing."
Beyond that, Mr. McFarlane said
the hostage ordeal would translate
into support for "additional author.
ity from the Congress - a new law
- to enable us to better deal with
this problem, and that is a benefit of
this, as tragic as it has been" He did
not elaborate.
Sen. Claiborne Pell, D-R.I., the
senior Democrat on the Foreign
Relations Committee, said, "I also
congratulate the administration for
its handling of this matter.
"The war against terrorism is not
over, and we must give top priority to
measures such as improving airport
security to minimize the possibility
of another hijacking," he said in a
statement released by his Washing-
ton office. The senator is in Geneva.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the
Senate Intelligence Committee said
his panel already has underway a
full review of U.S. intelligence agen-
cies' ability to deal with terrorism.
Chairman David Durenberger
R-Minn., said his panel "is currently
con ucting a u 1 review of th rol
of U.S. intelligence agencies in iden-
tifying_and monitoring suspected
terrorists."
"As happy and relieved as we are
today, we have to remember that we
are likely to see more of these abhor-
rent terrorist acts in a continuing
holy war against Americans and oth-
ers:' Sen. Durenberger said.
STAT
Contint'e,
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