WASHINGTON, Aug 3: President George Bush signed legislation on Friday that intensifies the anti-terrorism effort in the United States, shifting money to high-risk states and cities and expanding scrutiny of air and sea cargo.
“This legislation builds upon the considerable progress we have made in strengthening our defences and protecting Americans since the attacks of Sept 11,” Mr Bush said in a statement.
Among its provisions, the bill requires the president to confirm that Pakistan is making progress in combating Al Qaeda and Taliban elements within its borders before the United States provides aid to the country.The bill requires screening of all cargo on passenger planes within three years and sets a five-year goal of scanning all container ships for nuclear devices before they leave foreign ports.
It also elevates the importance of risk factors in determining which states and cities get federal security funds. That would mean more money for such cities as New York and Washington. It also puts money into a new program to ensure that security officials at every level can communicate with each other.
While lauding Congress for passing the bill, Mr Bush said he would continue to work with lawmakers to ensure the cargo screening provisions are workable and do not impede commerce. And he said Congress should strive to better target grant dollars to cities and states based on their vulnerability to a terrorist attack.
“This legislation makes some progress, but it also authorises billions of dollars for grants and other programs that are unnecessary or should not be funded at such excessive levels,” Mr Bush said in a statement. “I will not request this excessive funding in my 2009 budget request.”
President Bush signed the bill before heading to the FBI to have lunch with counterterrorism advisers and then talk with members of his homeland security team. “We've done a lot of work since September the 11th to make this country safe, and it is safer but it’s not completely safe,” he said at FBI.
The measure carries out unfulfilled recommendations that the Sept 11 commission made three years ago in the wake of the attacks in 2001. It was passed in the House on a 371-40 vote and 85-8 in the Senate. Republicans generally backed the bill while stressing their own administration’s success in preventing another major terrorist attack.
“I continue to believe that Congress should act on the outstanding Sept 11 commission recommendations to reform the legislative branch’s oversight of intelligence and counterterrorism activities, which the commission described as dysfunctional,” he said.—AP
