THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 28, 1994
CRIME ASSISTANCE PACKAGE FOR THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States has
recognized the importance of assisting Russia and the other New
Independent States (NIS). A substantial portion of our assistance
program has been devoted to helping Russia develop a system based on
market principles and the rule of law. However, with the rise of
organized crime and other criminal activities, many Russians have begun
to equate a free market and democratic society with chaos and a
breakdown in law and order. In addition to undermining the transition
to democracy in Russia and our assistance efforts there, the rise of
crime and corruption in Russia carries potentially dangerous
international consequences.
In recognition of this problem, the U.S. Congress recently
recommended expenditure of up to $30 million in FREEDOM Support Act and
SEED funds to help eastern Europe and the NIS fight crime and corruption.
New programs in support of assisting law enforcement activities in Russia
will receive approximately $12 million. These programs will supplement
our ongoing efforts to reform civil procedures, develop legal curricula
and bar associations, and draft a new commercial code. In all, U.S.
assistance to support a new legal infrastructure in Russia will total
some $30 million in fiscal year 1995.
Various U.S. government agencies, with expertise in the reform of the
criminal justice system and law enforcement activities, are responsible
for implementing the new programs to help the Russian Federation cope
with the rise of criminal activities. The package will include programs
to develop skills to combat organized crime, strengthen export and other
financial controls, train judges and prosecutors, and reform the criminal
code.
U.S. law enforcement agencies that will participate in the Russia
program include the Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the
Department of Treasury's Internal Revenue Service, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Customs Service, U.S. Secret Service, and the
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Under contracts with the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID), a number of U.S. legal
organizations, including the American Bar Association, will assist in the
reform of the criminal justice system and the reintroduction of jury
trials in selected regions of the Russian Federation. In addition, the
Department of Justice's Criminal Division will provide training to
prosecutors.
With funding from the FREEDOM Support Act, these agencies intend to
provide training and technical assistance in consultation with Russian
law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. These partnerships are
designed to aid Russian counterparts in planning and executing a strategy
to subdue Russian organized crime and other criminal activities. The
major components of this program include:
Criminal Justice Reform
The FREEDOM Support-funded rule-of-law initiative will include more
activities to support enabling legislation and the reform of the criminal
justice system to help fight the rise of crime. Specific programs
planned include:
- expansion of the program under the Russia jury
trial initiative to incorporate the training of
prosecutors (thirteen regions in the Russian
Federation have reintroduced trials-by-jury);
- technical assistance to the procuracy in Russia;
- expanded training programs in the U.S. for
parliamentarians and executive branch officials
involved in the fight against crime in Russia.
Combating Organized Crime
Department of Justice agencies, with the assistance of Department of
Treasury personnel, will assist Russian law enforcement agencies to
combat activities of international organized criminal groups by
providing:
- the management tools and skills to law enforcement
executives and supervisors so they can discharge
their responsibilities under the rule of law;
- specialized skills and knowledge used by the FBI
and other U.S. law enforcement agencies to combat
organized crime, including its involvement in drug
trafficking and financial crimes;
- investigative and forensics training for trainers
and specialists.
The Fight Against Financial Crimes
Department of Treasury agencies, with the assistance of Department of
Justice officials, plan to provide mutual assistance to federal agencies
in Russia through the development of a regional training program
featuring financial investigative techniques, industry oversight
measures, and criminal analysis methods. The program will provide expert
guidance to:
- prevent, detect, analyze and investigate civil and
criminal abuse within the financial and commercial
sectors;
- enhance Customs and inland revenue administration,
compliance, and recordkeeping laws and regulations;
- develop executives, investigators, and trainers;
- provide liaison and technical assistance programs
relating to the investigation of financial crimes
internationally.
Interdicting the Flow of Narcotics
The Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs Service will
provide training to law enforcement, judicial, and legislative officials
to develop the capabilities of drug control agencies in Russia. The
program concentrates on providing:
- law enforcement training for agencies responsible
controlling narcotics trafficking and
production in Russia, as well as anti-corruption
and internal controls training. The training
includes seminars in Russia and on-site visits for
officials in the United States.
- demand reduction training at a facility in the
Federal Republic of Germany, to be provided jointly
with the European Union (EU) and the German
government, for Russian government officials
responsible for drug treatment and prevention
programs.
Nuclear Smuggling
U.S. government strategy to address the danger of nuclear smuggling
from Russia embodies two distinct but complementary approaches: 1)
initiatives to improve the safety and security of Russian fissile
materials and warheads as the long-term key to reducing the potential for
theft of fissile material; and 2) greater sharing of intelligence and
coordination of law enforcement efforts, both to stem the tide of
smuggling in the short-term and provide a safety net once improved
accounting/control measures are in place.
The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Energy play
leading roles in the first area, through our bilateral efforts to improve
the Russian chain of custody of fissile material. Ongoing activity
funded by Nunn-Lugar includes:
Our two governments are implementing a plan to
permit expeditious construction of a new, long-term
storage facility for fissile materials from
dismantled nuclear weapons. Up to $90 million in
Nunn-Lugar funds will be provided for this project.
The U.S. has an agreement with Russia on nuclear
material, protection, control and accountability
(MPC&A), providing up to $10 million in assistance.
We are prepared to provide an additional $20
million for nuclear materials security and
accounting system upgrades.
The U.S. nuclear laboratories, funded by the
Department of Energy, are working directly with
their Russian counterparts in a lab-to-lab effort
to improve MPC&A. This effort is funded at $2
million in FY94, and DOE plans to provide over $50
million in FY95-FY96.
Additionally, we are negotiating an export control
agreement with the Russians, similar to the program
currently in place in Belarus, which would make up
to $2.26 million available for export control
assistance.
DOD also lends support to increased bilateral interaction between
U.S. and foreign (especially German and Russian) intelligence and law
enforcement services. The U.S. is working to establish cooperation with
Russia to share intelligence and enhance law enforcement capabilities.
We also encourage international cooperative efforts that complement our
bilateral approaches.
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