II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3637 

To provide for an annual comprehensive report on the status of United 

States efforts and the level of progress achieved to counter and defeat 

Al Qaeda and its related affiliates and undermine long-term support 

for the violent extremism that helps sustain Al Qaeda’s recruitment 

efforts, as carried out under a broad counterterrorism strategy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 26 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. HAGEL) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To provide for an annual comprehensive report on the status 

of United States efforts and the level of progress 

achieved to counter and defeat Al Qaeda and its related 

affiliates and undermine long-term support for the violent extremism that helps sustain Al Qaeda’s recruitment 

efforts, as carried out under a broad counterterrorism 

strategy. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Success in Countering 

5 Al Qaeda Reporting Requirements Act of 2008’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) Al Qaeda and its related affiliates attacked 

4 the United States on September 11, 2001 in New 

5 York, New York, Arlington, Virginia, and 

6 Shanksville, Pennsylvania, murdering almost 3000 

7 innocent civilians. 

8 (2) Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al9 Zawahiri remain at large. 

10 (3) In testimony to the Select Committee on In11 telligence of the Senate on February 5, 2008, Direc12 tor of National Intelligence J. Michael McConnell 

13 stated, ‘‘Al-Qa’ida has been able to retain a 

14 safehaven in Pakistan’s Federally Administered 

15 Tribal Areas (FATA) that provides the organization 

16 many of the advantages it once derived from its base 

17 across the border in Afghanistan’’. 

18 (4) The July 2007 National Intelligence Esti19 mate states, ‘‘Al Qaeda is and will remain the most 

20 serious terrorist threat to the Homeland’’. 

21 (5) In testimony to the Permanent Select Com22 mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representa23 tives on February 7, 2008, Director of National In24 telligence Michael McConnell stated, ‘‘Al-Qa’ida and 

25 its terrorist affiliates continue to pose significant 

26 threats to the United States at home and abroad, 


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1 and al-Qa’ida’s central leadership based in the bor2 der area of Pakistan is its most dangerous compo3 nent.’’. 

4 (6) The ‘‘National Strategy for Combating Ter5 rorism’’, issued in September 2006, affirmed that 

6 long-term efforts are needed to win the battle of 

7 ideas against the root causes of the violent extremist 

8 ideology that sustains Al Qaeda and its affiliates. 

9 The United States has obligated resources to sup10 port democratic reforms and human development to 

11 undercut support for violent extremism, including in 

12 the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan 

13 and the Sahel region of Africa. However, 2 reports 

14 released by the Government Accountability Office in 

15 2008 (‘‘Combating Terrorism: The United States 

16 Lacks Comprehensive Plan to Destroy the Terrorist 

17 Threat and Close the Safe Haven in Pakistan’s Fed18 erally Administered Tribal Areas’’ (GAO–08–622, 

19 April 17, 2008) and ‘‘Combating Terrorism: Actions 

20 Needed to Enhance Implementation of Trans-Sahara 

21 Counterterrorism Partnership’’ (GAO–08–860, July 

22 31, 2008)) found that ‘‘no comprehensive plan for 

23 meeting U.S. national security goals in the FATA 

24 have been developed,’’ and ‘‘no comprehensive inteVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:04 Sep 29, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3637.IS S3637

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1 grated strategy has been developed to guide the 

2 [Sahel] program’s implementation’’. 

3 (7) Such efforts to combat violent extremism 

4 and radicalism must be undertaken using all ele5 ments of national power, including military tools, in6 telligence assets, law enforcement resources, diplo7 macy, paramilitary activities, financial measures, de8 velopment assistance, strategic communications, and 

9 public diplomacy. 

10 (8) In the report entitled ‘‘Suggested Areas for 

11 Oversight for the 110th Congress’’ (GAO–08–235R, 

12 November 17, 2006), the Government Accountability 

13 Office urged greater congressional oversight in as14 sessing the effectiveness and coordination of United 

15 States international programs focused on combating 

16 and preventing the growth of terrorism and its un17 derlying causes. 

18 (9) Section 140(a) of the Foreign Relations Au19 thorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 

20 U.S.C. 2656f(a)) requires that the Secretary of 

21 State submit annual reports to Congress that detail 

22 key developments on terrorism on a country-by-coun23 try basis. These Country Reports on Terrorism pro24 vide information on acts of terrorism in countries, 

25 major developments in bilateral and multilateral 


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1 counterterrorism cooperation, and the extent of 

2 State support for terrorist groups responsible for the 

3 death, kidnaping, or injury of Americans, but do not 

4 assess the scope and efficacy of United States 

5 counterterrorism efforts against Al Qaeda and its re6 lated affiliates. 

7 (10) The Executive Branch submits regular re8 ports to Congress that detail the status of United 

9 States combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, 

10 including a breakdown of budgetary allocations, key 

11 milestones achieved, and measures of political, eco12 nomic, and military progress. 

13 (11) The Department of Defense compiles a re14 port of the monthly and cumulative incremental obli15 gations incurred to support the Global War on Ter16 rorism in a monthly Supplemental and Cost of War 

17 Execution Report. 

18 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

19 It is the sense of Congress that— 

20 (1) 7 years after the attacks on September 11, 

21 2001, Al Qaeda and its related affiliates remain the 

22 most serious national security threat to the United 

23 States, with alarming signs that Al Qaeda and its 

24 related affiliates recently reconstituted their strength 


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1 and ability to generate new attacks throughout the 

2 world, including against the United States; 

3 (2) there remains insufficient information on 

4 current counterterrorism efforts undertaken by the 

5 Federal Government and the level of success 

6 achieved by specific initiatives; 

7 (3) Congress and the American people can ben8 efit from more specific data and metrics that can 

9 provide the basis for objective external assessments 

10 of the progress being made in the overall war being 

11 waged against violent extremism; 

12 (4) the absence of a comparable timely assess13 ment of the ongoing status and progress of United 

14 States counterterrorism efforts against Al Qaeda 

15 and its related affiliates in the overall Global War on 

16 Terrorism hampers the ability of Congress and the 

17 American people to independently determine whether 

18 the United States is making significant progress in 

19 this defining struggle of our time; and 

20 (5) the Executive Branch should submit a com21 prehensive report to Congress, updated on an annual 

22 basis, which provides a more strategic perspective 

23 regarding— 

24 (A) the United States’ highest global 

25 counterterrorism priorities; 


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1 (B) the United States’ efforts to combat 

2 and defeat Al Qaeda and its related affiliates; 

3 (C) the United States’ efforts to undercut 

4 long-term support for the violent extremism 

5 that sustains Al Qaeda and its related affiliates; 

6 (D) the progress made by the United 

7 States as a result of such efforts; 

8 (E) the efficacy and efficiency of the 

9 United States resource allocations; and 

10 (F) whether the existing activities and op11 erations of the United States are actually di12 minishing the national security threat posed by 

13 Al Qaeda and its related affiliates. 

14 SEC. 4. ANNUAL COUNTERTERRORISM STATUS REPORTS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than July 31, 2009, and 

16 every July 31 thereafter, the President shall submit a re17 port, to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen18 ate, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 

19 Representatives, the Committee on Armed Services of the 

20 Senate, the Committee on Armed Services of the House 

21 of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations of 

22 the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the House 

23 of Representatives, the Select Committee on Intelligence 

24 of the Senate, and the Permanent Select Committee on 

25 Intelligence of the House of Representatives, which conVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:04 Sep 29, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3637.IS S3637

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1 tains, for the most recent 12-month period, a review of 

2 the counterterrorism strategy of the United States Gov3 ernment, including— 

4 (1) a detailed assessment of the scope, status, 

5 and progress of United States counterterrorism ef6 forts in fighting Al Qaeda and its related affiliates 

7 and undermining long-term support for violent extre8 mism; 

9 (2) a judgment on the geographical region in 

10 which Al Qaeda and its related affiliates pose the 

11 greatest threat to the national security of the United 

12 States; 

13 (3) an evaluation of the extent to which the 

14 counterterrorism efforts of the United States cor15 respond to the plans developed by the National 

16 Counterterrorism Center and the goals established in 

17 overarching public statements of strategy issued by 

18 the executive branch; 

19 (4) a description of the efforts of the United 

20 States Government to combat Al Qaeda and its re21 lated affiliates and undermine violent extremist ide22 ology, which shall include— 

23 (A) a specific list of the President’s highest 

24 global counterterrorism priorities; 


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1 (B) the degree of success achieved by the 

2 United States, and remaining areas for 

3 progress, in meeting the priorities described in 

4 subparagraph (A); and 

5 (C) efforts in those countries in which the 

6 President determines that— 

7 (i) Al Qaeda and its related affiliates 

8 have a presence; or 

9 (ii) acts of international terrorism 

10 have been perpetrated by Al Qaeda and its 

11 related affiliates; 

12 (5) the specific status and achievements of 

13 United States counterterrorism efforts, through mili14 tary, financial, political, intelligence, and para15 military elements, relating to— 

16 (A) bilateral security and training pro17 grams; 

18 (B) law enforcement and border security; 

19 (C) the disruption of terrorist networks; 

20 and 

21 (D) the denial of terrorist safe havens and 

22 sanctuaries; 

23 (6) a description of United States Government 

24 activities to counter terrorist recruitment and 

25 radicalization, including— 


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1 (A) strategic communications; 

2 (B) public diplomacy; 

3 (C) support for economic development and 

4 political reform; and 

5 (D) other efforts aimed at influencing pub6 lic opinion; 

7 (7) United States Government initiatives to 

8 eliminate direct and indirect international financial 

9 support for the activities of terrorist groups; 

10 (8) a cross-cutting analysis of the budgets of all 

11 Federal Government agencies as they relate to 

12 counterterrorism funding to battle Al Qaeda and its 

13 related affiliates abroad, including— 

14 (A) the source of such funds; and 

15 (B) the allocation and use of such funds; 

16 (9) an analysis of the extent to which specific 

17 Federal appropriations— 

18 (A) have produced tangible, calculable re19 sults in efforts to combat and defeat Al Qaeda, 

20 its related affiliates, and its violent ideology; or 

21 (B) contribute to investments that have ex22 pected payoffs in the medium- to long-term; 

23 (10) statistical assessments, including those de24 veloped by the National Counterterrorism Center, on 

25 the number of individuals belonging to Al Qaeda and 


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1 its related affiliates that have been killed, injured, or 

2 taken into custody as a result of United States 

3 counterterrorism efforts; and 

4 (11) a concise summary of the methods used by 

5 National Counterterrorism Center and other ele6 ments of the United States Government to assess 

7 and evaluate progress in its overall counterterrorism 

8 efforts, including the use of specific measures, 

9 metrics, and indices. 

10 (b) INTERAGENCY COOPERATION.—In preparing a 

11 report under this section, the President shall include rel12 evant information maintained by— 

13 (1) the National Counterterrorism Center and 

14 the National Counterproliferation Center; 

15 (2) Department of Justice, including the Fed16 eral Bureau of Investigation; 

17 (3) the Department of State; 

18 (4) the Department of Defense; 

19 (5) the Department of Homeland Security; 

20 (6) the Department of the Treasury; 

21 (7) the Office of the Director of National Intel22 ligence, 

23 (8) the Central Intelligence Agency; 

24 (9) the Office of Management and Budget; 


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1 (10) the United States Agency for International 

2 Development; and 

3 (11) any other Federal department that main4 tains relevant information. 

5 (c) REPORT CLASSIFICATION.—Each report required 

6 under this section shall be— 

7 (1) submitted in an unclassified form, to the 

8 maximum extent practicable; and 

9 (2) accompanied by a classified appendix, as 

10 appropriate. 

Æ 


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