The Anniversary of 9/11

THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 08, 2004)

SPEECH OF 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.