Terror is not a legitimate form of political expression or a manifestation of religious faith. It is murder. And those who perpetrate it, finance it or otherwise support it must be opposed. Organized terrorist groups have become a major threat to our security. As President Clinton has said, the same forces of technology that offer new economic and social opportunities also create new dangers.
Terrorists are now more mobile, their weapons more powerful, their methods more sophisticated.
To counter and defeat them, we must employ every foreign-policy tool we have. We have simply not had the time or the money to bring more than a fraction of four embassies up to optimal security standards. But the safety of our people depends on more than security professionals and infrastructure. It also depends on the success of our efforts to promote democracy, sound economic practices and respect for the rule of law. If we make headway with these efforts, terrorists will have a narrower base of material support, fewer places to hide and more difficulty in persuading the gullible and desperate to join their cause.