When I testified before the foreign affairs committee of both houses, our recommendations received considerable sympathy. But as yet I have seen no sign of the Administration rethinking its position. If adequate funds are to be made available, I am convinced the initiative will have to come from the Congress. In closing, I would like to express both a warning and a plea. The Board concluded early in their deliberations that the appearance of large bomb attacks and the emergence of sophisticated and global terrorist networks aimed at US interests abroad have dramatically changed the threat environment.
Old assumptions are no longer valid.
We must acknowledge this fact of life and bend every effort to continually remind Congress, and our citizenry of this reality. Service abroad can never be completely safe, but we can reduce some of the risks to the survival and security of our men and women who conduct the nation s business far from home. This will require a much greater effort in terms of national commitment, resources and procedures than in the past. Otherwise, we will continue to see our embassies blown away, our people killed and the foreign reputation of the United States eroded. I think there are going to be more attacks, and we are going to lose more lives.