taken to reduce the risk of this kind og tragedy from happening to other American families.

But I have to tell you, Mr. Chairman, that I am frustrated at having to make this vow. I'm frustrated at having to say never again, over and over again. Because while we are here with these three families, and on behalf of the families of all 259 passengers and crew of Pan Am 103 and the 17 Scottish residents of Lockerbie, we can still remember the Navy diver Robert Stetham and the Greek Demetra Stylianopoulos, Maria Klug and granddaughter family lost over the Aegean. And we must demand that this Government, across all agencies and departments, has a sustained interest in security from terrorism, not just when there has been a recent attack. I want to acknowledge the representatives from the Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants. Over the years there has been account after account of heroism on the part of pilots and flight attendants in the face of terrorism. It is not enough that we ask them to fly the public safely. We ask them also to be the front line of counter terrorism.

Senator D'Amato, the Nation could not ignore how the Pan Am tragedy touched residents of your State with the loss of so many fine young students from Syracuse University. But there were also seven Marylanders aboard Pan Am 103, among them Lt. George Williams who grew up in Jappatowne, Lindsay Otenasek who went to Western Maryland College, Michael Bernstein who left behind his wife and two children, and Karen Noonan who was a high school student in Montgomery County. Mr. Chairman, if I may, I would like to make a personal note.

My father passed away a few days before the attack on Pan Am 103, and in the midst of my own mourning, I heard about the tragedy in Scotland. Soon afterward, I called the seven Maryland families as a fellow mourner. My father lived to be 79. He died of Alzheimer's. His life was not cut short by terrorism. Still, because of my loss I felt close to the Pan Am victims' families. One of those families, Rosemary and Larry Mild, are the parents of Miriam Wolfe who died in the attack.

The Milds, with great courage, have reflected upon their loss and written a proposal that has six suggestions that might help to prevent future acts of terror. I have forwarded copies of their proposal to Secretary of State Baker and to the FAA. Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit their proposal, as printed in the Baltimore Sun, for the record. I would like to return to its specific points later whan there is time for questions. But now I would just like to read an excerpt from their proposal. "With the loss of our beloved Miriam, our thoughts on terrorist atrocity gain urgency not only for us who loved her, but for the thousands of other lives that will be no more if we do nothing."

Mr. Chairman, we must have better detection of explosives, better methods to check baggage and better intelligence on terrorist activities. And to echo the words of the Senator from New York, there should be no double standard on the release of security bulletins. And now, I'm anxious to hear what steps are being taken.

Senator MIKULSKI. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for holding this hearing. As the Senator from Maryland now, I have been to the funerals of seven victims of terrorists.

I have been at Arlington with Navy diver Stetham's family, and we said, never again.

I was at a Greek Orthodox church in Baltimore for a family whose loss came when the door was blown out of a flight to Athens in which a grandmother, her daughter, pregnant, also was blown to bits, and I stood there with her son, the widower, and said, never again.

And then seven Marylanders died on Pan Am 103, and I called their families, family after family. I did not know them, but gosh, I would have wanted to after hearing their backgrounds.

But I was at the Israeli Embassy when they gave one of my Pan Am 103 victims a medal, Mike Bernstein, who was a Nazi hunter working for the Justice Department. And again we said, never again.

So, Mr. Chairman, I would hope that now our terrorism policy is not event-based, but that we have a clear, sustained, reliable, nononsense policy on antiterrorism because I think that we cannot

continue to say never again only to have it happen again and again, and I look forward to working with you on such a national policy.

Senator LAUTENBERG. Thank you, Senator Mikulski.

Senator Grassley, with the same thing in mind. If you have a summary statement, we would welcome it now.

STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, U.S. SENATOR FROM IOWA Senator GRASSLEY. Mr. Chairman, in my thoughts on this I feel very confident that something can be worked out because terrorism is an act against all humanity, against any nation, and I think that we not only through our leadership can get international cooperation, but international cooperation is a must. And it seems to me like the desire of nations to work with us in this war, a litmus test of friendship ought to be a willingness to work internationally to accomplish this goal because it will not be accomplished any other

way.

And surely any nation that does not want to work in an international effort to accomplish this is not putting its actions where its mouth is if it is not willing to do that. And so I look forward to that approach, Mr. Chairman.

Senator LAUTENBERG. Thank you very much, Senator Grassley. Now, Mr. Skinner, we welcome you to this hearing and look forward to working with you on these problems and await your testimony in as brief a form as you can give it and still cover the points you want to make.

STATEMENT OF SECRETARY SKINNER

Secretary SKINNER. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would ask that my full statement be incorporated and made a part of the record, and I would summarize a few observations.

First of all, let me say that as I indicated a few minutes ago to others, there is no higher priority in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation than in dealing with the problem of terrorism in the air.

I attended the International Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO] Conference in Montreal as one of my first acts as Secretary of Transportation. Not a day goes by, even in these times of other crises, that I have not devoted a portion of my day to dealing with the problem and what our response is going to be.

There is no question that it is a formidable task. It is a complicated task. It is a task that we must achieve, and we must do it as soon as we practically can.

I believe that in a number of areas we have already taken steps and have in place a program that is effective and responsive to combat terrorist acts.

For instance, we have increased this year and in our next year's budget the civil aviation security work force employment by over 35 percent. In addition, those people are working overtime now to make sure that we are doing everything we can within the civil aviation security branch to deal with this problem.

In addition, we are spending millions of dollars and have increased our budget to educate and train people from throughout

the world to deal with this problem. We can enlist the resources of the many nations of the world to help us deal with this global problem.

It is not a problem that we can solve ourselves. We must have the cooperation of foreign governments, foreign government personnel, and foreign commerce personnel in aviation. We are in the process of enlisting that support every chance we have.

THERMAL NEUTRON ANALYSIS SYSTEMS

We are, in addition to investing human resources, continuing as a top priority research into new technology in the area of aviation security.

You and I had a chance yesterday to review the progress of that effort and in particular we reviewed the progress of the thermal neutron analysis [TNA] units that we have been working on. We have ordered six of these units on an accelerated delivery schedule with plans to install the first unit at JFK Airport in June of this year. We will be increasing by 6 months the delivery schedule on the remaining units so we can place them in strategic places throughout the country.

VAPOR DETECTION SYSTEM

Research continues on the vapor detection system for explosives, and we are continuing to look at other possible solutions and technologies available. We have increased our budget for research and development for fiscal 1989, and I would remind the committee that over $60 million has been spent since 1980 on research and development. I believe that the FAA Technical Center is clearly the leading source in the world of research information on the subject of terrorism technology.

ICAO SESSION IN MONTREAL

Last month I attended, as one of my first acts as Secretary of Transportation, the International Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO] Conference. It was called at my request along with the Transport Minister of Great Britain to deal strictly with what can be done in the international aviation community to increase security measures throughout the world.

And, as a result of that 2-day meeting, the 33-member ICAO conference unanimously adopted a resolution setting out a plan of action which I am confident will lead to strengthened security procedures throughout the world. It is a concern not only of government and those who have lost loved ones, but of the American people and the traveler throughout the world. It is a matter of top priority, and I suggest that we must do everything we can.

AMENDMENT OF FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATION 129.25

Today I have announced the decision to amend Federal Aviation Rule [FAR] 129.25 which from now on requires foreign carriers to submit their security plans to the FAA for approval.

I think this sends a strong message to carriers throughout the world that the Department of Transportation in very quick fashion

will deal with these problems and take whatever steps are neces

sary.

I might add that the timing of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and the implementation of the rule is one of the fastest in recent history in the Department.

There is nothing we can do to replace the loved ones who have been lost, but I think we can learn from them. We must do everything we can to ensure not only that this doesn't happen again, but that we are doing everything we can to deal with this problem. And I have pledged to them as I pledged to you, that there is no matter of higher priority within the Department or the Federal Aviation Administration.

PREPARED STATEMENT

I will be glad to take any questions. I might add that I have Mr. Ray Salazar from the FAA, one of the world's leading experts on this technology with me today to answer any technical questions that I am not comfortable answering.

[The statement follows:]

STATEMENT OF SAMUEL K. SKINNER

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Subcommittee today to describe the Department's efforts to combat terrorist threats against civil aviation.

As the recent destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 tragically reminds all of us, despite worldwide efforts to strengthen security, civil aviation continues to be a target for, and vulnerable to, criminal and terrorist acts. The international aviation community-my Department, the State Department, foreign civil aviation authorities, the airlines and airports, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and the dedicated men and women who are on the front lines screening passengers, checking baggage, and handling cargo-has taken tremendous strides to make the system safe and secure. Yet, we can and must do more to thwart the cowardly and despicable acts of terrorists.

The challenge we face is a formidable one, for we live in a dynamic world where, as technology and political agendas change, so also do the threats against civil aviation. Where hijacking was once the preferred form of terrorist activity, today's terrorist has all too frequently turned to sabotage-wantonly aimed at the total destruction of aircraft and their precious human cargo. Through the 1970s and into the 1980s, concerted action by the world aviation community stemmed the hijacking menace: there were only two attempted hijackings of U.S.-registered aircraft last year; and the number of attempted hijackings of foreign airlines was half of what it was earlier in the decade.

In the past several years, though, the world has been witness to four horrific acts of sabotage: Air India Flight 182, TWA Flight 840, Korean Air Flight 858, and most recently Pan Am Flight 103. The primary lesson to be learned from these far flung and diverse acts of terrorism is that we must continue to build on the solid foundation of security measures built over the last decade and a half. We must continue to evolve strong yet flexible approaches that will bring our best technology, and our best people to bear on this problem. The process of reviewing, refining, and redirecting aviation security must be continuous.

A number of effective and responsible approaches are being pursued. They include:

-the Federal Air Marshal Program;

-effective passenger and baggage screening techniques;

-imposition of extraordinary security measures in special circumstances; -worldwide use of x-ray and metal detecting equipment;

-in-depth assessments of U.S. and foreign airport security;

-tightened control of access to aircraft and security sensitive areas; and

—research and development of new security techniques and technologies; -analysis of intelligence on terrorist activities;

-technical assistance and training.

Whenever necessary, we have sought additional resources to strengthen our security-related activities. This fiscal year, we are increasing the FAA's civil aviation security work force by an additional 56 personnel, and have requested 120 more security positions in our fiscal year 1990 budget, which will bring the total security force to almost 700. These additional employees will help significantly in responding to international threats and to continue to improve security here in the United States.

In addition to investing in human resources, we believe that continued investment in new technologies will reap great returns for aviation security.

We are accelerating the delivery schedule of the thermal neutron analysis (TNA) units we have ordered for explosives detection. This remarkable system is the result of 3 years of FAA-directed research on ways to detect all commercial and military explosives that might be concealed in checked baggage and air cargo, including otherwise hard to detect plastic explosives. Prototype TNA systems were tested at the Los Angeles and San Francisco Airports during June 1987-March 1988.

Six TNA units will be delivered and in operation during the June 1989 to January 1990 time frame, six months ahead of schedule. This equipment shows great promise for effectively screening passenger luggage. Our experience examining over 30,000 bags using thermal neutron analysis demonstrated that it could screen baggage with a high success rate (95 percent) and a low false alarm rate (4 percent). I should add that the high success rate was attained in finding minimal quantities of explosives, and would be even higher with larger amounts of explosive material.

Research is also underway on a vapor detection system for checking people for explosives. Last October at Boston Logan Airport, we tested a prototype walk-up explosive detection booth designed to detect the entire spectrum of explosives that may be carried by saboteurs. The false alarm rate was exceptionally low-less than 1 percent-but the time to screen each passenger was about 30 seconds. The manufacturer is working now reducing that time frame to about 6 seconds per passenger and on increasing the sensitivity of the device. We hope to have the improved device available for testing late this year.

We also are continuing work to develop improved weapons detection capabilities, including efforts for the detection of plastic weapons, and are conducting an evaluation of state-of-the-art detection equipment now available commercially. Further, we continue to solicit new ideas from the scientific and academic communities with a view toward identifying and developing additional tools to enhance security.

Overall, in fiscal year 1989 the FAA's R&D budget for these new technologies is $8.6 million. In fiscal year 1990 we have requested $9.1 million, an amount that I believe is adequate to advance these programs at an expeditious pace.

While we continue to pursue these domestic initiatives, we are also working in the international arena to develop uniform approaches to combat terrorism in the skies. As you are aware, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) already has in place a set of security standards and recommended practices, incorporated into Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention. One hundred fifty-nine countries have acceded to that convention. We believe the measures set out in Annex 17 are fundamentally sound, but, like our own security measures, they must periodically be reviewed and updated.

Last month, as one of my first official acts as Secretary of Transportation, I attended a Council Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization called specifically to address the sabotage of Pan Am Flight 103. Reflecting the seriousness with which such criminal acts are viewed, I was joined at that session by nine other ministers responsible for civil aviation as well as 23 additional countries' permanent ICAO representatives. I had the opportunity to speak with each of those ministers in the course of the two-day ICAO meeting and with many of the other senior government officials present, and can assure you that they are willing to join us to do all that is necessary to make international civil aviation secure from terrorist acts. As a result of that meeting, the 33-member ICAO Council unanimously adopted a resolution setting out a plan of action that, I am confident, will lead to strengthened security procedures throughout the world. Specifically, as a matter of highest priority, ICAO will review existing international standards applicable to all operations to determine what changes are necessary in light of recent events. It will also consider developing a set of extraordinary measures to put in place when increased threat levels exist. Further, we agreed to expedite research and development on detection of explosives and to explore the possibility of establishing an international regime for the marking of explosives. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be devoting a great deal of attention to ICAO and its security-related work.

Aviation security is a matter that concerns not just us public policy makers, but air travelers as well. The proposal has been made that the government should let