Congress established the panel in April 1999. This year's report, with 50 recommendations, is the second of three annual reports required of the panel. The Panel agrees that a terrorist attack on some level inside our borders is inevitable and the United States must be ready. We are not, as some suggest, totally unprepared to meet the threat of terrorism in our own front yard. But we can be better prepared.
Fear is the first weapon of terrorists.
We need new public and private partnerships. Every state and community has capabilities, resources and assets. They can be made even stronger, and they should be included in the national strategy. The report also recommended the establishment of the National Office for Combating Terrorism in the Office of the President. The office would be the senior authority in charge of overall planning and preparation in the Executive Branch for domestic preparedness programs, intelligence, health and medical programs, research and development and national standards, and management and budget.