A SENIOR FELLOW AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION NOTES THAT THE PRESS OFTEN ROMANTICIZES TERRORISTS, AND CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF AMERICAN SOCIETY ARE WILLING TO BELIEVE THE WORST ABOUT THEIR GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVITIES OVERSEAS, THAT TERRORISM IS A THREAT TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE, AND THAT ITS MENACE IS EXACERHATED BY CERTAIN TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS (I.E., LETTER BOMBS, THE ACCESSIBILITY OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS). SOME INFLUENTIAL AMERICANS WERE DUPED INTO BELIEVING THE ANTI-AMERICAN MARXIST DIATRIBE IN SUCH FILMS AS COSTA-GAVRAS' 'STATE OF SIEGE,' WHICH LED TO FUNDING CUTBACKS IN AN INFLUENTIAL AND EFFECTIVE AMERICAN AID PROGRAM INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL CIVIL POLICE TRAINING. THE ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT'S PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM CAN MAKE ITS SINGLE GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO COMBATING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM BY ASSISTING THE CIVIL POLICE OF FRIENDLY COUNTRIES. IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE BEST WAY TO CURB TERRORISM IS FOR THE PARTIES INVOLVED TO SHOW RESTRAINT. U.S. PUBLIC SAFETY ASSISTANCE COULD ALSO INCREASE THESE NATIONS' ABILITY TO HANDLE ARAB TERRORISTS AND CURB ISRAELI COUNTERTERRORISM. FINALLY, THE PRESS SHOULD EXHIBIT MORE RESPONSIBILITY IN ITS PORTRAYAL OF TERRORISTS BY STRIPPING TERRORISTS OF THEIR ROMANTIC AURA AND BY SHOWING THEM IN AN OBJECTIVE LIGHT. (WJR)