May 5, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6223

NOTICE OF HEARING

SUBCOMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL

SERVICE

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I would

like to announce that the Subcommittee on Post Office and Civil Service, of

the Committee on Governmental Affairs, will hold hearings on May 15 and

May 22, 1995, on Federal pension reform.

The hearings are scheduled for 2 p.m.

in room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information,

please contact Dale Cabaniss, chief

counsel, or John Roots at 224–2254.

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL

RESOURCES

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I

would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public

that a hearing has been scheduled before the full Committee on Energy and

Natural Resources to receive testimony on administration of timber contracts in the Tongass National Forest,

and administration of the Tongass

Timber Reform Act of 1990.

The hearing will take place Thursday, May 18, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD 366

of the Dirksen Senate Office Building

in Washington, DC.

Those wishing to testify or who wish

to submit written statements should

write to the Committee on Energy and

Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510. For further information, please call Mark Rey at (202) 224–

2878.

AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO

fMEET

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ACQUISITION AND

TECHNOLOGY

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee

on Acquisition and Technology of the

Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet at 9 a.m. on Friday,

May 5, 1995, in open session, to receive

testimony on the implications of the

revolution in military affairs in review

of S. 727, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1996, and the

future years defense program.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

fTERRORISM IN AMERICA

∑ Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, in light of

the recent bombing in Oklahoma City,

I rise today to speak about a related,

but equally serious problem confronting both the world community and the

United States. This problem is international terrorism.

As a world superpower, the United

States has an obligation to help maintain peace and stability and to promote

democracy throughout the globe. By

doing this we create and strengthen

many international friendships. At the

same time, however, we encounter

those who disagree with our goals and

actions. Most of this criticism comes

peacefully; some of it, unfortunately,

comes violently.

The culmination of this violence results in such incidents as the bombing

of Pan Am flight 109—where 189 Americans died over Locherbie, Scotland—or

the bombing of the World Trade Center, where 6 Americans were killed and

more than 1,000 were injured by a terrorist act on our own soil. Fortunately,

these large scale anti-American incidents are more the exception than the

rule.

However, American citizens are often

the victims of many smaller international terrorist incidents. Of course,

this does not mean that the average

American citizen should fear a terrorist attack while walking to the local

grocery store. In fact, between 1988 and

1994 there were only 10 terrorist attacks throughout all of North America,

compared with the 973 attacks in Latin

America, 906 in Western Europe, and

628 in the Middle East. Relatively

speaking, Americans are still quite

safe in their own country.

The problem occurs when U.S. citizens are working, living, and traveling

abroad. In fact, in 1994 approximately

21 percent of all terrorist attacks were

directed at American targets. This, Mr.

President, is a relatively large percentage. Since Americans can be found in

every corner of the Earth, it would be

near impossible for the U.S. Government to ensure the safety of all of its

nationals. What, then, can be done to

help protect American nationals and

their property from the threat of terrorism?

The answer: We must strike at the

roots of international terrorist organizations. This, Mr. President, is the goal

of the Omnibus Counter-Terrorism Act

of 1995, which I introduced along with

Senators BIDEN, SPECTER, and others.

This legislation will make it a crime to

raise funds within the United States

for terrorist organizations while simultaneously enhancing the Government’s

ability to expel those aliens who are, or

have been, engaged in terrorist activities.

Mr. President, the sad truth is that

fundraising for international terrorism

now has its roots in America—and has

even reached the Midwest. In fact, in

1993 a group of Palestinian immigrants,

linked to the infamous Abu Nidal terrorist organization, actively raised

money here for terrorism abroad. Surprisingly, this terrorist cell extended

from St. Louis to Dayton to Racine,

WI. After their arrest, three of the men

were accused of plotting to kill American Jews and to blow up the Israeli

Embassy in Washington on behalf of

the Abu Nidal. They admitted to smuggling money and information, buying

weapons, and planning terrorist activities. In July 1994, they pleaded guilty

to Federal racketeering charges.

How can we work as hard to fight terrorism abroad, but allow foreign terrorism to flourish within our own borders? The Omnibus Counter-Terrorism

Act will put an end to this ironic situation.

Mr. President, our legislation is simple, effective and straightforward. This

bill will create a comprehensive Federal criminal statue to be used against

international terrorists, while expanding current U.S. antiterrorism laws to

apply to any terrorist attack on a U.S.

citizen, regardless of location. By clarifying and elaborating on our current

laws, this bill takes a firm and stand

against terrorism both in the United

States and abroad.

Mr. President, our Nation has the responsibility to promote stability and

to protect our citizens throughout the

world. International terrorists, however, undermine these goals and sabotage American interests. The Omnibus

Counter-Terrorism Act of 1995 is not a

perfect piece of legislation—we do need

to make changes so that we do not circumscribe civil liberties. Nevertheless,

this bill does take a step toward combating international terrorism. By preventing terrorist fundraising and enhancing antiterrorist laws, this act

will strike at the roots of terrorism.

Not only will it help to make the world

safe for Americans, it will help to

make the world safe for all.

f∑

MONTANA MEAN TIME

∑ Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, Senator

MAX BAUCUS and I were elected to the

House of Representatives the same

year, 1974, and through the years, I

have been impressed by MAX BAUCUS’

consistent and thoughtful leadership.

His stand and statement in behalf of

the balanced budget amendment this

year, in my opinion, was one of the

high points of our debate.

But no action he has taken has

shown more courage and more common

sense than his op-ed piece in the New

York Times titled, ‘‘Montana Mean

Time.’’

It is a candid discussion of what is

happening in his State.

It is easy for those of us in public life

to duck these things. To MAX BAUCUS

credit, he has not ducked.

I am proud to have him as a colleague, and I ask that his statement be

printed in the RECORD.

The statement follows:

[From the New York Times, May 1, 1995]

MONTANA MEAN TIME

(By Max Baucus)

Since the Oklahoma City bombing, public

attention has focused on private militias. I

claim no great expertise on the movement as

a whole, but I have watched it grow in my

state. And as an example of the national phenomenon, the Montana militias deserve a

close look.

We Montanans take pride in our low crime

rate, and believe honest people can disagree

without being disagreeable. Maybe extremist

groups believe they can find a home in Montana because of our easygoing ways. The socalled Militia of Montana is one such group.

At least one of its founders is associated

with the neo-Nazi Aryan Nations. It says it

exists so that ‘‘if the Government uses its