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Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100330001-5 12 May 1984 Pg. 7 SPECIAL EDITION -- TERRORISM -- 26 JUNE 1984 SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Hard Line Urged on Global Terrorism By Kevin Leary Robert M. Sayre, the man in charge of President Reagan’s get-tough policy against international terror- ism, said in San Francisco yes- terday that the United States must act more aggressively against terrorists or the prob- lem will get even worse. “What has become particularly disturbing in the past year is the extent to which states themselves have bégun to use their intelligence services and other agencies of gov- ernment to engage in terrorist activ- ity,” he told a Commonwealth Club Junchieon. Sayre cited the Soviet Union, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Libya and Cuba as nations that use terrorism as an instrument of international policy. He said those countries provide training, arms and other direct and indirect support to “a variety of na- tional.and insurgent and separatist groups.” The soft-spoken, 60-year-old ca- reer diplomat apologized to his audi- ence of about 300 for talking about the “down side of American foreign affairs” but said the problem is get- ting worse. He blamed Syria and Iran for three major bombings in the Middle East last year, including the bomb- ing of the Marine barracks in Beirut and the destruction of the U.S. em- bassies in Beirut and Kuwait. “We have also been witness in the past weeks to the practice of terrorism by Libya against the peo- ple of London,” he said, referring to the shooting at the Libyan Embassy in ‘which 2 police officer was slain on. April 17. Sayre said the United States is- the target of 40 percent of terrorist attacks. Last year, such violence claimed the lives-of 269-Americans, including the 241 Marines in Beirut, which he said was more than in all the 15 preceding years. Sayre said 52 percent of. the at- tacks against Americans were aimed at diplomats, 6.5 percent at other government officials, 22.5 per- cent at military personne! and 16.9 percent at private businessmen. He did not account for the remaining attacks. “There are other reasons why the events of 1983 were disturbing,” Sayre said. “The accent was on kill- ing people. Such imprecise weapons as vehicle bombs were used to pro- duce large casualties.” Sayre was ambassador to Brazil before 1982, when Reagan assigned him the job of developing a count- er-terrorist policy and of providing security for U.S. personnel at 257 overseas posts. Sayre manages a $100 million annual budget in his job as director of the State Depart- U.S. ACTS...Continued claim they now have the support and authority they need. In an effort to reduce the risk of international terrorism, to protect American citizens and property and ensure that the perpetrators of terrorist attacks are brought to jus- tice, the Inter-Agency Group on Counter-Terrorism has proposed a package of five bills that the White House plans to submit to Congress. The proposals are: | 1. The Act for the Prevention and Punishment of Hostage Tak- ing. To amend the federal kidnap- ping law to provide federal jurisdiction over any kidnapping in which a. threat is made to kill, injure or detain a victim to compel third parties to do or abstain from doing something. 2. The Act to Prohibit the Training or Support of Terrorists. To improve the ability of the Jus- tice Department to prosecute indi- viduals © supporting, recruiting, soliciting or training terrorists. 3: The Aircraft Sabotage Act. This would tighten present law con- cerning criminal acts relating to aircraft sabotage or hijacking, to, coincide with the International Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation.’ | 4. The Terrorist Control Act. To make it a violation of U.S. law to conspire in the United States to commit acts of terror abroad. This would help the United States to prevent the international terrorist network from planning in. the United States to conduct oper- ations in other countries. ment’s Office for Combatting Ter- rorism. Sayre urged his listeners to sup- port the Reagan administration’s anti-terrorist proposals, which in- clude pre-emptive attacks and retal- iatory action against foreign terror- ists and $500,000 rewards for information on acts of terrorism. He said the hard line is neces- sary because “we must demonstrate that terrorism is not an effective way to conduct relations and that the price for such conduct is too high.” 5. The Act to Provide Rewards for Information Concerning Ter- rorism. To authorize payment of. rewards for information concern- ing acts of terrorism either in the United States or abroad. There is general agreement that these proposals do not go far enough, and that the greatest need is for improved intelligence, espe- cially haman_ intelligence, and effective law enforcement coordi- nation. Yet the critics have few specific practical proposals. The suggested legislation is at least a move in the right direction. More important is to give the nation’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies the high- level support and encouragement they need to carry out their often thankless duties effectively. Also, the military services must be encouraged to pay greater atten- tion to the worldwide terrorist threat and to recognize it as a new form of. warfare to be guarded against and combatted on‘a con- tinuing basis. The White House can increase its support for this effort by issuing guidance that makes ‘unequivocal the president’s commitment to pro- tect the American people from the threat of terrorism and by direct- ing federal agencies to take all legal steps toward that end. Con- gress can support the effort by. promptly considering and acting favorably upon the White House legislative proposals, while assuring that proposal No. 4 does not make it illegal to provide assis- tance to the Afghan freedom fighters or any other anti- communist groups operating abroad. ; Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100330001-5