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November 9, 2009

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Editorial: Terrorism, safety and public access

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1998 | 10:12 a.m.

There is no way to ensure that every embassy is immune from attack, but every reasonable safeguard should be taken. The New York Times noted Saturday that the U.S. embassies bombed Friday in Kenya and Tanzania didn't meet tougher security standards recommended in 1985.

The recommendations, made after deadly terrorist attacks against the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, in the 1980s were not followed for all U.S. embassies. The Times reported that the costs, and a feeling that tougher security standards were at odds with the public diplomatic missions of the U.S. embassies, led the White House and Congress to not fully provide for a worldwide conversion.

Hindsight is always 20-20. Yet the United States has enough experience with terrorist attacks to warrant these safeguards. President Clinton and Congress should re-examine the stricter security standards recommended in 1985 and see that they are implemented everywhere as soon as possible.

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