Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 99 Part 1.djvu/782

 99 STAT. 760

PUBLIC LAW 99-145—NOV. 8, 1985 PART E—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS SEC. 1451. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON INTRODUCTION OF ARMED FORCES INTO NICARAGUA FOR COMBAT

It is the sense of Congress that United States Armed Forces should not be introduced into or over Nicaragua for combat. However, nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the authority and responsibility of the President or Congress under the Constitution, statutes, or treaties of the United States in force. SEC. 1452. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING PROTECTION OF UNITED STATES MILITARY PERSONNEL AGAINST TERRORISM

(a) FINDING.—The Congress finds that the protection of members of the Armed Forces against terrorist activity is among the highest national security concerns of the United States. (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—Therefore, it is the sense of Congress that— (1) the President should be supported in the vigorous exercise of his powers as Commander-in-Chief to protect members of the Armed Forces against terrorist activity; and (2) such exercise of power should include the use of such measures as may be appropriate and consistent with law. SEC. 1453. READINESS OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES

(a) CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— (1) the first duty of the Government is to provide for the common defense, including safeguarding the peace, safety, and security of the citizens of the United States; (2) the incidence of terrorist, guerilla, and other violent threats to citizens and property of the United States has rapidly increased; (3) the special operations forces of the Armed Forces provide the United States with immediate and primary capability to respond to terrorism; and (4) the special operations forces are the military mainstay of the United States for the purposes of nation-building and training friendly foreign forces in order to preclude deployment or combat involving the conventional or strategic forces of the United States. (b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—In view of the findings in subsection (a), it is the sense of the Congress that— (1) the revitalization of the capability of the special operations forces of the Armed Forces should be pursued as a matter of the highest priority; (2) personnel and other resource allocations should reflect the priority referred to in paragraph (1); (3) the political and military sensitivity and the importance to national security of the special operations forces require that the Office of the Secretary of Defense should improve its management supervision of such forces in all aspects of the special operations mission area; (4) the joint command and control of the special operations forces must permit direct and immediate access by the President and Secretary of Defense; and (5) the commanders-in-chief of the unified commands should have available, within their operational areas of responsibility, sufficient special operations assets to execute the operations

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