THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
May 17, 2000
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT THE U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY'S 119th
COMMENCEMENT
Cadet Memorial Field
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
New London, Connecticut
11:40 A.M. EDT
http://www.fas.org/irp/news/2000/05/000517-terror-usia1.htmTHE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Secretary Slater, Admiral Loy,
Rear Admiral Teeson, Captain Dillon, Senator Dodd, distinguished
members of the Diplomatic Corps, Dr. Haas, members of the faculty and
staff and honored guests; the friends, family and members of the Class of 2000.
(snip)
First, international terrorism is not new, but it is becoming
increasingly sophisticated. Terrorist networks communicate on the
worldwide web, too. Available weapons are becoming more destructive
and more miniaturized, just as the size of cell phones and computers
is shrinking -- shrinking to the point where a lot of you with large
hands like mine wonder if you'll be able to work the things before
long. You should understand that the same process of miniaturization
will find its way into the development of biological and chemical, and maybe even nuclear weapons. And it is something we have to be ready for.
As borders fade and old regimes struggle through transitions, the
chance for free agents looking to make a profit on weapons of
destruction and personal chaos is greater. In this sort of
environment, cooperation is profoundly important -- more vital than
ever. We learned that in the days leading up to the millennium.
We are joined today by the Ambassador from Jordan to the United
States, Dr. Warwan Muasher. He's sitting here behind me; he's an
excellent representative of his country. And I want to tell you a
story that, unfortunately, will not be the last example you will have
to face.
Last December, working with Jordan, we shut down a plot to place large bombs at locations where Americans might gather on New Year's Eve. We learned this plot was linked to terrorist camps in Afghanistan, and the organization created by Osama bin Ladin, the man responsible for the 1998 bombings of our embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, which cost the lives of Americans and hundreds of Africans.
A short time later, a customs agent in Seattle discovered bomb
materials being smuggled in to the U.S. -- the same materials used by
bin Ladin in other places. Thankfully, and thanks to Jordan, New
Year's passed without an attack. But the threat was real, and we had
to cooperate with them, with the Canadians, with others throughout the world.
So the first point I wish to make is, in a globalized world, we must
have more security cooperation, not less. In responding to terrorist
threats, our own strategy should be identical to your motto: semper
paratus, always ready.
Today, I'm adding over $300 million to fund critical programs to
protect our citizens from terrorist threats; to expand our
intelligence efforts; to improve our ability to use forensic evidence, to track terrorists; to enhance our coordination with state and local officials, as we did over New Year's, to protect our nation against possible attacks. I have requested now some $9 billion for counter-terrorism funding in the 2001 budget; that's 40 percent more than three years ago, and this $300 million will go on top of that. It sounds like a lot of money. When you see the evidence of what we're up against, I think you will support it, and I hope you will.
...more...
Broader perspective here:
http://truthout.org/docs_03/101303A.shtml
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