Frank Rudolph Wolf

“ It is imperative that the United States assess the most effective ways of combating terrorism and that policymakers have the full spectrum of options at their disposal. This is what the National Commission on Terrorism will do. And it must do so quickly. The American people deserve to be fully informed on this issue in the face of a powerful and vicious adversary. ”

“ The Obama administration has backed away from overt
expressions of support for human rights and democracy in favor of a
more subtle approach, worrying advocates who say that the issues are
being given short shrift as President Obama seeks to rebuild relations
with allies and reach out to adversaries. ”

“ Unfortunately, there are other groups are also known to be active in the area of terrorism.
As the world's leader, America and its people are natural terrorist targets. Our military, industrial and commercial presence around the globe attracts frustration from many terrorist groups.
But the problem is not limited to America alone. In Israel, Algeria, Egypt, and many other countries, terrorism has become an awful fact of life. ”

“ The proposed bipartisan national commission will consist of 15 distinguished members, five each appointed by the President, and by the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate in consultation with the Minority Leaders of the House and Senate. I believe that President George H.W. Bush, who is not only a former president and vice president, but also a former director of the CIA, would be an ideal chairman for the commission. The commissioners will include three Members of Congress and three Senators. ”

“ A May 7 Washington Post editorial described the Obama administration
as rushing to "embrace Egypt's 81-year-old strongman," in reference
to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The editorial went on to say that
the administration is retreating from raising human rights abuses and
that "the pullback is not only rhetorical." Funding for democracy
promotion in Egypt, reportedly at the request of the U.S. ambassador to
Egypt, was initially cut from $50 million to $20 million this year. ”

“ But in this new, young administration, even the rhetoric
is absent.
Reports of the President's trip to Russia quote a top National
Security Council adviser as saying the Obama administration "came to
the conclusion that us waving our fingers around the world is a
strategy that hasn't worked very well in the past." This same adviser
later conceded to Politico that human rights were never raised in
Obama's meeting with Russian President Putin.
It seems this administration could learn a lesson from history . . . ”

“ America, and the world, must be prepared for new and more deadly kinds of terrorism--nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass destruction. The danger is growing as weapons of mass destruction become more accessible.
The world watched in horror in March 1995, when the news came that members of a small religious sect had set off a nerve gas called sarin in the Tokyo subway. ”

“ Enclosed is a letter I recently
received from Ben Bernanke about our nation's fiscal
imbalance, reiterating. ". . . if early and meaningful
action is not taken, the U.S. economy could be seriously
weakened, with future generations bearing much of the cost." ”

“ June 25 pointed out that in both the Bush and Clinton administrations,
NED awardees were given either an audience with the president or a
statement of support. Not so this year.
According to the Post, the White House issued a "hastily drafted
statement" only after the paper inquired about the president's
silence. These brave Cuban democracy activists are, in the words of the
Post's editorial page, "hoping that the American president will focus
his policy on supporting them. Yet for now, Mr. Obama's diplomacy is
clearly centered on their oppressors." ”

“ Clinton is doing a
disservice to her own department--and sending the wrong message to
rulers around the world that their abuses won't be taken seriously by
this U.S. administration."
Against this backdrop, President Obama in April moved to lift
restrictions on travel and remittances for Cuban Americans absent any
commitment by the Castro brothers to release even one of the hundreds
of political prisoners who languish in jails. ”

“ Since 1983, more Americans have been killed by attacks perpetrated by terrorists either based in or connected to the Middle East than any other region of the world. In fact, the largest number of American lives lost to politically motivated violence since the end of the Vietnam War has been connected to Middle Eastern terrorism. ”

“ Speaking truth to power will always place America on the right
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side of history. Speaking out for those who have no voice will always
be a source of hope for people in the darkest corners of the globe. ”

“ It is
like comparing a mouse to an elephant.
Our SAFE Commission bill represents all that the
Administration says it cares about, including more than 50
bipartisan cosponsors (see list) .
Failing to address this issue is like driving a car toward
the edge of a cliff with no brake pedal.
Best wishes.
Sincerely,
Frank R. Wolf,
Member of Congress.
____
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, November 1, 2007. ”

“ Members and personnel for the commission may travel on aircraft, vehicles, or other conveyances of the Armed Forces of the United States when travel is necessary in the performance of a duty of the commission except when the cost of commercial transportation is less expensive. ”

“ I join the ranks of those who are deeply troubled by the trajectory
of this administration on human rights.
In a February visit to Asia, Secretary of State Clinton plainly
indicated that human rights would not be a priority in her engagement
with China. She said, "We pretty much know what they [the Chinese
government] are going to say" on human rights issues.
With that logic, the administration will rarely find it advisable to
raise human rights concerns with any country, particularly the worst
offenders.
Clinton went on, "We have to continue to press them. ”

“ Upon the request of the chairman of the commission, the head of any department or agency of the Federal Government may detail, without reimbursement, any personnel of the department or agency to the commission to assist in carrying out its duties. The detail of an employee shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. ”

“ In the president's much anticipated Cairo speech, he only made
fleeting reference to Egypt's Coptic Christians, saying that
"religious diversity must be upheld." But far more than diversity is
at stake. ”

“ A recent study in the Journal of Counterterrorism and Security International of all fatalities in international terrorist incidents in 1993-96 showed that three-quarters of the deaths from those attacks could be laid at the feet of the militant, fundamentalist groups. ”

“ Outstanding incidents are many. One of the most deadly years for terrorist violence was 1983, with bombing of the Beirut embassy in April and the Marine barracks in October. Five years later, Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed in flight over Scotland by a bomb, killing 259 persons on board, including 189 Americans, and 11 others on the ground. ”