e
information and technology and outlines appropriate steps to preclude
terrorists from obtaining and exploiting them.

_Objective: Eliminate terrorist sanctuaries and havens_. Terrorism
cannot have a place of refuge. It must be rooted out and destroyed. The
United States and the international community must develop procedures
and mechanisms that will eradicate terrorism wherever it exists. An
essential part of this campaign will be the promotion of international
standards of behavior and national legal systems to eliminate terrorist
refuges.

The United States will work in concert with our international and
regional partners to ensure effective governance over ungoverned
territory, which could provide sanctuary to terrorists. Where there is
a clear indication of terrorist activity in these areas, the United
States, in conjunction with our friends and allies, will work to
eliminate these terrorist sanctuaries and preclude any future access to
these areas by terrorist organizations.

The Intelligence Community, in conjunction with the Department of
Defense, the Department of State, and others, will conduct an annual
review and assessment of international terrorist sanctuaries and
subsequently develop plans that address the denial of these areas.

+_Goal_: Diminish the Underlying Conditions that Terrorists Seek to
Exploit+

The third component of the 4D strategy is made up of the collective
efforts to diminish conditions that terrorists can exploit. While we
recognize that there are many countries and people living with poverty,
deprivation, social disenfranchisement, and unresolved political and
regional disputes, those conditions do not justify the use of terror.
However, many terrorist organizations that have little in common with
the poor and destitute masses exploit these conditions to their
advantage. The September 11 terrorists, for instance, came
predominantly from the ranks of the educated and middle-class and
served in an organization led by a millionaire murderer.

These efforts to diminish underlying conditions have material as well
as intangible dimensions. Ongoing U.S. efforts to resolve regional
disputes, foster economic, social, and political development,
market-based economies, good governance, and the rule of law, while not
necessarily focused on combating terrorism, contribute to the campaign
by addressing underlying conditions that terrorists often seek to
manipulate for their own advantage.