NCJ Number
138789
Date Published
1986
Length
40 pages
Annotation
Fourteen senior government officials, with major responsibilities for U.S. counterterrorism programs, comprising the Vice President's Task Force on Combatting Terrorism, spent the last 6 months of 1985 reviewing and evaluating U.S. policy and programs.
Abstract
The Task Force report discussed the threat of terrorism in 1985, U.S. policy and response to terrorism, the role Congress played in combatting terrorism, public attitudes toward terrorism and U.S. policy, and terrorism coverage in the media. On the basis of its findings, the Task Force recommended the development of a National Programming Document which would identify agencies responsible for dealing with particular aspects of terrorism and their available resources. The Interdepartmental Group on Terrorism would prepare policy criteria for deciding when and how to use force to preempt, react to, and retaliate against terrorist attacks. The proposals urged improved coordination among government agencies, the creation of a full-time terrorist position on the National Security Council, and the development of a consolidated terrorism intelligence center. The Task Force recommended the passage of legislation requiring the death penalty for terrorists convicted of killing American hostages and emphasized the necessity for enhanced international law enforcement cooperation. 2 appendixes