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U.S. Action on the 25 Recommendations From the Paris Terrorism Ministerial

Updated October 15, 1998

A. Improving Cooperation and Capabilities

1. Strengthen internal cooperation among government agencies that deal with different aspects of counterterrorism.

Action taken: The U.S. has strengthened its team approach to counterterrorism, which combines diplomacy, law enforcement, intelligence, and other U.S. assets. This team approach was successfully employed in the aftermath of the Embassy bombings in East Africa when a number of suspects were arrested.

2. Expand training of counterterrorism personnel.

Action taken: After the bombings in East Africa, the Administration requested, in an emergency supplemental spending bill, an additional $12 million for counter- and anti-terrorism training programs worldwide. The October budget agreement with the Congress will provide these funds for these additional activities and programs.

3. Intensify consultations to improve the capability of governments to respond to terrorist attacks against public transport.

Action taken: The U.S. hosted a major symposium on security for ground transportation in Atlanta in April 1998. The meeting included delegates from several countries, as well as representatives from many U.S. jurisdictions and organizations.

4. Accelerate research, development, and consultation on methods for detecting explosives and for tracing their origins.

Action taken: The U.S. hosted a two-day symposium on explosives detection and chemical/biological terrorism in December 1997. The U.S. continues to study in detail the advisability and feasibility of using taggants for explosives. This study will be presented to the Congress when completed. Marking with a detection agent has been required for plastic and sheet explosives since April 1997.

B. Deterrence, Prosecution, and Punishment of Terrorists

5. Act against terrorist front organizations.

Action taken: The Secretary of State designated 30 groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations on October 8, 1997 under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Under this law, U.S. persons are prohibited from providing material support or resources to such organizations, their assets in U.S. financial institutions are blocked, and their representatives and members are excludable from the U.S. In addition, by Presidential Executive order, the U.S. prohibits transfers of funds from American sources to designated Middle Eastern terrorist organizations and persons, even if such organizations or their affiliates also conduct charitable activities. The President expanded this Executive order on August 20, 1998 to include Usama bin Ladin and named associates as specially designated terrorists.

6. Prevent terrorist use of electronic or wire communications.

Action taken: On October 13, 1997, a Presidential commission recommended means of preventing terrorist and criminal acts against public and private electronic and digital communications and infrastructure in the United States. Following those recommendations, the Administration 1998 created the National Infrastructure Protection Center, an interagency institution housed at the FBI. The Center focuses on the means to protect the integrity of the nation's public and private electronic and digital infrastructure in finance, communications, transportation, defense, etc.

7. Adopt effective legal controls over terrorist devices.

Action taken: Extensive U.S. laws and regulations restrict the export of munitions and dual-use items to terrorist states. Through the Eight and other channels we are encouraging other countries to adopt similar measures

8. Strengthen punishments for terrorist acts.

Action taken: The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, signed by the President in April 1996, increased the sentencing levels applicable to terrorist crimes and enhanced U.S. authority to penalize funding for terrorist groups.

9. Prosecute terrorists and their supporters.

Action taken: Timothy McVeigh was convicted in June 1997 of the Oklahoma City bombing and sentenced to death. Ramzi Yousef was convicted in November 1997 of masterminding the World Trade Center bombing. In the same month Mir Aimal Kansi was convicted and sentenced to death for the slaying of two CIA employees. Terry Nichols was convicted in December 1997 for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. Tsuomu Shirosaki was convicted in November 1997 for terrorist crimes committed in 1986, including the attempted murder of American diplomats in Jakarta. In September 1998 several suspects were charged in New York for their roles in the August 7 terrorist bombings in East Africa.

10. Refrain from supporting terrorists.

Action taken: Executive orders and federal statutes bar financial assistance to designated terrorist organizations. The U.S. continues to encourage other countries to adopt similar measures.

In a civil forfeiture case brought in 1998, the U.S. seized approximately $1.4 million in assets held in the names of Mohammed Salah, his wife, and the Quranic Literary Institute, all based in Chicago. The United States brought that action based on evidence that the funds actually belonged to the Middle Eastern terrorist group, HAMAS. Those funds had been blocked since February 1995 under an Executive order that prohibits transfer of funds from American sources to designated Middle Eastern terrorist organizations, and conversion or other disposal of the money was thereby precluded. That Executive order was expanded in August 1998 to include Osama bin Ladin and named associates as specially designated terrorists.

11. Accelerate consultations on law enforcement access to encrypted data.

Action taken: The U.S. has actively participated in the development of OECD's Cryptography Policy Guidelines, which were promulgated in March 1998 and which provide guidance to governments regarding encryption policy and law enforcement access. The U.S. remains engaged in bilateral and multilateral discussions with its partners in the Eight as well as with other governments over the difficulties and benefits of encryption, and on methods of ensuring law enforcement access--with legal authorization--to criminally-related encrypted data and communications.

C. Asylum, Borders, and Travel Documents

12. Improve travel barriers to terrorists.

Action taken: The U.S. has implemented an improved technology to manufacture and print counterfeit-proof passports. All U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide are now linked electronically to a comprehensive database in Washington that contains the names of suspected criminals, terrorists, and other wrongdoers. Use of this database has reduced the chance that terrorists will obtain U.S. visas. U.S. consular officers work closely with host governments and third country diplomats to share this information, as appropriate.

13. Prevent terrorist abuse of asylum.

Action taken: A comprehensive revision of the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1996 strengthened the ability of U.S. immigration officials to exclude and deport individuals suspected of terrorist activities. The revised law reduces the chance for terrorists to abuse the right of asylum.

D. International Treaties and Other Arrangements

14. Ratify international conventions.

Action taken: The U.S. has ratified the all ten counterterrorism conventions in force at the end of 1997. It signed the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing on January 12, 1998--the day it opened for signature--and is in the process of ratifying it. The U.S. has spearheaded diplomatic efforts within the Eight and the UN to persuade other governments to become party to all eleven conventions by the year 2000.

15. Develop and enhance mutual legal assistance procedures.

Action taken: Since the July 1996 Paris Ministerial, the U.S. has negotiated mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) with a number of governments as a basis for faster and more effective legal cooperation. In that time frame, five MLATs entered into force and seventeen new MLATs were signed.

16. Expand extradition arrangements.

Action taken: The U.S. has extradition treaties with over 100 nations. New or updated extradition treaties continue to be negotiated with a number of countries.

17. Promote an international terrorist bombing convention. Seek ICAO action to establish international bomb detection standards and to heighten airport security.

Action taken:

The International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing opened for signature on January 12, 1998. A number of governments--including the U.S.--have signed the convention, and diplomatic efforts continue to secure additional signatures.

ICAO has made important progress in improving airport security since the Paris Ministerial. Following an American proposal at Paris, aviation security experts from ICAO devised uniform and strict international standards for bomb detection. ICAO is now considering ways of obtaining more universal acceptance of these enhanced standards around the world.

18. Implement biological weapons controls.

Action taken:

At the request of the U.S. and in response to the recommendation of the Eight, the Biological Weapons Convention signatories reaffirmed, at their Review Conference in November 1997, their commitment to prohibit the development, possession or use of biological toxins for terrorist or criminal activity. The U.S. has increased controls over potentially dangerous biological agents. The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act expanded the definition of biological substances controlled under earlier laws. It also mandated stringent regulations governing the security and transfer of biological substances used for research purposes.

E. Terrorist Fundraising

19. Prevent terrorist fundraising.

Action taken: By Executive orders as well as the 1996 Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, the U.S. bars financial assistance to designated terrorist organizations, including those which conduct charitable work in addition to terrorist activities. The Executive orders and the 1996 Act also enable the U.S. Treasury Department to block assets and prohibit transfers to designated terrorist organizations. The U.S is encouraging similar standards internationally.

20. Intensify information exchange on the international movement of funds for terrorist purposes.

Action taken: U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies actively exchange information with our partners in the Eight and with other nations concerning terrorist fundraising. Representatives from the FBI and the State, Justice, and Treasury Departments will attend the Austrian-sponsored seminar on terrorist fund-raising in Vienna October 21-22. We are currently studying the French draft of a proposed international convention against terrorist fundraising.

21. Adopt regulatory measures to impede the movement of terrorists' funds.

Action taken: U.S. regulatory measures administered by the Treasury Department are already in place, and the U.S. is encouraging other nations to adopt similar policies.

F. Improve Information Exchange on Terrorism

22. Facilitate information exchange via central authorities.

Action taken: The U.S. is actively negotiating new mutual legal assistance treaties to expand the scope and quality of counterterrorism information exchanged with cooperating law enforcement agencies in the Eight and elsewhere.

23. Intensify exchange of basic information on persons and groups suspected of terrorist-linked activities.

Action taken: Following the Paris Ministerial, the U.S. Coordinator for Counterterrorism, together with colleagues from U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies, conducted intensive consultations with dozens of counterparts from the Eight and other countries. In these consultations, terrorist organizations, activities, and other modes of operating and communications systems were discussed. Such exchanges also occur on a daily basis among U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies and their foreign counterparts.

24. Intensify the exchanges of operational information on suspect persons and groups.

Action taken: The U.S. is leading efforts to protect major events, such as the Sydney Olympic Games, against terrorist attacks. We invited counterterrorism experts from the Eight and other countries planning to host major international events to a conference in Honolulu September 3-5, 1997. The U.S. has also provided significant contributions to the Eight's Directorate of Competences on counterterrorism capabilities.

25. Accelerate exchanges of information.

Action taken: The U.S. is exploring ways to accelerate information exchanges, and has established an FBI database for forensic information on terrorism. The FBI is offering our partners in the Eight the opportunity to participate in the database project.

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