It makes our job difficult, but it's something that we are striving to deter. State has moved toward that objective at every post. Ambassador Michael Sheehan, the Department's special coordinator for counter-terrorism, said Osama bin Laden and 16 associates involved in the bombings have been charged by the Department of Justice. Five of the subjects are in U.S. custody and three more are in custody in the United Kingdom pending extradition to the United States. Mr. bin Laden, the exiled Saudi dissident charged with directing the attacks, has received safe haven in Afghanistan from the Taliban.
International cooperation appears to be paying off.
As a result of our efforts, terrorists often find it harder to operate and to move their resources and people, to get the support and sanctuary they need and to secure the public support they need for their attacks. Despite a decrease in state-sponsored terrorism during the past 20 years, seven countries still sponsor terrorism, and some terrorist organizations have started financing their activities through narcotics trafficking or other criminal activity. But we will not be deterred from doing the business that we're charged to do.