THE U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM PROGRAM IS REPRESENTED BY A FORCE OF BETWEEN 180 AND 211 PERSONNEL CALLED 'GROUP DELTA,' THE SUCCESSOR TO AN EARLIER GROUP CALLED PROJECT BLUE LIGHT. HOWEVER, THE QUALITY AND TYPE OF TRAINING RECEIVED BY THE GROUP IS QUESTIONABLE. ORGANIZATIONALLY, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM PROGRAM IS VESTED IN THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR COMBATING TERRORISM, AND IN THE WORKING GROUP TO COMBAT TERRORISM BOTH OF WHICH ARE UNDER THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. ALTHOUGH TROOPS IN 18 HIGHLY-TRAINED UNITS HAD PURPORTEDLY BEEN PREPARED FOR COUNTER TERRORISM OPERATIONS, ONLY 2 UNITS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED TO HAVE COUNTERTERRORIST POTENTIAL: GROUP DELTA AND THE ARMY'S 'BLACK BERETS.' THE LATTER GROUP, HOWEVER, IS NOT FULLY EQUIPPED AND TOO MUCH OF ITS TRAINING HAS BEEN ALONG TRADITIONAL MILITARY LINES. INTENSE URBAN TRAINING OR SIEGE TRAINING HAS NOT BEEN EMPHASIZED, DESPITE THE FACT THAT ONE OF THE UNIT'S KNOWN MISSION RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE HOSTAGE RESCUE IN THE EVENT A U.S. EMBASSY IS CAPTURED BY TERRORISTS. A DESCRIPTION OF GROUP DELTA REVEALS THAT, UNTIL RECENTLY, IT TOO HAD PREDOMINANTLY RECEIVED STANDARD INFANTRY TRAINING. CURRENT TACTICS AND TRAINING OF GROUP DELTA APPARENTLY EMULATE THE TRAINING OF CRACK EUROPEAN AND ISRAELI UNITS. HOWEVER, SUCH SHIFTS IN TRAINING TAKE TIME TO ACCOMPLISH; AND OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE AGAINST REAL TERRORISTS IS NEEDED TO DEVELOP EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL AND TO SUSTAIN MORALE--AN ABIDING PROBLEM IN ELITE UNITS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY BEING TRAINED TO A RAZOR'S EDGE. (DEG)