Shultz Asks U.S. Firms to Help Stop Terrorism

Secretary of State George P. Shultz called on the U.S. business community Monday to join in a worldwide effort to frustrate terrorists by improving security at business facilities abroad and supplying information that could pinpoint terrorist organizations for retaliation or preemptive strikes.

“We can share information on terrorist activities and on the new technologies for enhancing security,” Shultz said in a speech to the American Society for Industrial Security in suburban Arlington, Va. “In short, we can meet the threat together.”

Shultz gave no specific examples of attacks on U.S. business installations.

In response to a question after his speech, Shultz said that the government must have accurate information if it hopes to retaliate against terrorist attacks.

“To be effective, of course, we have to have very good intelligence and of course we want to have conditions that will allow us to single out those who have attacked us, whether they are particular individuals or institutions,” he declared.

Shultz announced the creation of an organization called the Overseas Security Advisory Council with members drawn from the State Department, U.S. law enforcement agencies and American businesses operating abroad to permit regular exchanges of ideas and information between public and private security programs.

“We must summon all our resources, all our knowledge and all our will to find ways to protect ourselves, our installations and the people, both in government and in the private sector, who represent America abroad,” he said.

“When terrorist intimidation succeeds in changing our policies, when it forces businesses to close down overseas, we hand them a victory. This only opens the door to more terrorism,” Shultz said. “It shows that terrorism works, it emboldens those who resort to it and it encourages others to join their ranks.”

Terrorism has been one of Shultz’s major speech topics in recent months. He has called repeatedly for the United States and other Western nations to adopt much tougher policies for dealing with terrorist attacks.

“Experience has taught us over the years that one of the best deterrents to terrorism is the certainty that swift and sure measures will be taken against those who engage in it,” he said.

“Sanctions, when exercised in concert with other nations, can help to isolate, weaken or punish states that sponsor terrorism against us,” he said. “Too often, countries are inhibited by fear of losing commercial opportunities or fear of provoking the bully.

“Some countries are clearly more vulnerable to extortion than others--but surely this is an argument for banding together in mutual support, not an argument for appeasement,” he added.

Shultz detailed measures that the government has taken in recent months to combat terrorism.

“We have expanded our data facilities to keep on record biographical information on individual terrorists and terrorist groups, the kinds of weapons they use and their modus operandi ,” he said. “And we have developed better and faster procedures for our posts in the field to gather and report information on terrorist activities.”

He said that security improvements have been made at 23 “high-threat” diplomatic posts and that more than 400 new security personnel will be added at posts worldwide.