During these important meetings, the cochairman of our delegation, our distinguished colleague from New York, Mr. Gilman, presented papers on terrorism and the international narcotics problem. Few of our colleagues are as well-qualified as Ben Gilman to deal with these difficult and complex topics, Mr. Speaker. Congressman Gilman has a long and distinguished career in this body. He is the ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East and for the last several Congresses he served as the ranking minority member of the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. The topic of our discussion, however, continues to be a source of mutual anguish and frustration.
International terrorism continues unabated.
Rooted in the Mediterranean basin, and inspired by a raging tide of Islamic fundamentalism, Middle Eastern terrorists continue to operate in Europe with western targets as their prey. The acts terrorists perpetrate today are acts of violence directed at the innocent. Men, women, the elderly, the young, rich or poor, there are no segments of society safe from bullets, explosives and hijackings. Not too long ago, many usually responsible nations granted terrorists dispensation for their crimes, as well as a safe haven from prosecution. In some circles, terrorists were perceived as romantic adventurers whose actions must be indulged.