May 12, 1998
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON INTERNATIONAL CRIME ENFORCEMENT
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release May 12, 1998
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON INTERNATIONAL CRIME ENFORCEMENT
Room 450 Old Executive Office Building
10:22 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mary, for your
remarks and your work. Thank you, Mr. Vice President, Members of the
Cabinet and Congress, Mayor Barry, Members of the City Council and to
all the law enforcement officials who are here. We are here to talk
about building a safer world for the 21st Century.
So before I begin my remarks about the subject of the
day, I want to make it very, very clear that I am deeply disturbed by
the nuclear tests which India has conducted, and I do not believe it
contributes to building a safer 21st Century. The United States
strongly opposes any new nuclear testing. This action by India not
only threatens the stability of the region, it directly challenges
the firm international consensus to stop the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction. I call on India to announce that it will
conduct no further tests and that it will sign the Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty now and without conditions. I also urge India's neighbors
not to follow suit, not to follow down the path of a dangerous arms
race. As most of you know, our laws have very stringent provisions,
signed into law by me in 1994, in response to nuclear tests by
non-nuclear weapons states, and I intend to implement them fully.
Now, in a few hours I will be leaving to travel to
Europe, to meet with the leaders of other industrial democracies in a
time of great hope -- because of what is happening in Bosnia and
Ireland. It is clear that if we work together, the 21st Century can
be a time of unprecedented democracy, prosperity and peace.
But it is equally clear that there are threats to our common future
that -- across national lines. Today, I want to announce new plans
to address the growing problem of international crime.
We all know the globe is shrinking every day with global
TV networks, instantaneous communications over the Internet,
increasing world travel. European nations have adopted completely
opened borders and many of them have already voted to create a common
currency.
The American people, in general, benefit greatly from
the process of globalization -- with more economic opportunities and
more opportunities to become enriched through contact with different
cultures. Our values -- democracy, human rights, the rule of law
--will ultimately prevail when there is free trade in ideas.
But more porous borders, more affordable travel, more
powerful communications, increasingly also give criminals the
opportunity to reach across borders -- physically and electronically
-- to commit crimes and then retreat before they can be caught and
punished. Many Americans really don't realize the extent to which
international crime affects their daily lives, which is why we were
so pleased to have Agent Riley with us today.
Con artists, operating overseas, mail phony financial
offers and then disappear with investor dollars -- hundreds of
millions of dollars' worth. Sometimes they lure citizens abroad and
use violence to get what they want.
Car theft rings move stolen vehicles across the
border -- 200,000 a year, worth about $1 billion -- resulting in
higher insurance costs for all Americans.
As Agent Riley's remarks suggest, cyber-criminals can
use computers to raid our banks, run up charges on our credit cards,
extort money by threats to unleash computer viruses.
Smugglers engage in port running -- speeding vehicles
past our border points -- putting people in danger and aiding the
thriving trade in gangs, drugs and guns. Others smuggle people
across our border for prostitution and jobs in illegal sweatshops.
Two-thirds of counterfeit U.S. money -- two-thirds, is
printed overseas. Illegal copying of our products costs us jobs and
tens of billions in revenue. Spies seek important industrial secrets
-- and worse, materials to make nuclear, chemical and biological
weapons. Up to $500 billion in criminal proceeds every single
year -- more than the GNP of most nations -- is laundered, disguised
as legitimate revenue, and much of it moves across our borders.
International crime rings intimidate weak governments and threaten
democracy. They murder judges, journalists, witnesses, and
kidnappers and terrorists have attacked Americans abroad, and even at
home with brutal acts like the World Trade Center bombing.
Wrongdoing flows two ways. U.S. criminals also operate
across borders, victimizing people in other nations. All these
activities threaten our common safety and prosperity. To combat
them, we must act broadly, decisively, consistent with our
constitutional values to leave criminals no place to run, no place to
hide.
The job of law enforcement officials behind me -- from
12 different agencies -- is to protect the American people from
crime. But the job of our Congress -- and my job -- is to give these
officers the tools they need to do the job.
Therefore, today, I announce for the first time a
comprehensive international crime control strategy for America. At
its core is a simple but compelling truth: International crime
requires an international response. America is prepared to act alone
when it must, but no nation can control crime by itself anymore. We
must create a global community of crime-fighters, dedicated to
protecting the innocent, and to bringing to justice the offenders.
This week, nations at the G-8 summit will announce
significant new joint anticrime activities. But let me tell you what
I plan to do already -- by taking better advantage of existing laws
and asking Congress for new legislation.
First, we will work with other nations to create a
worldwide dragnet capability to promptly arrest and extradite
fugitives from justice. Our bill asks for wider authority so America
can extradite more suspected criminals. We will also press for
international cooperations so criminals will forfeit their ill-gotten
gains.
Second, because none of us is safe if criminals find
safe havens abroad, we will work to ensure other nations are also
ready to fight international crime -- with global standards and
goals, training and technical aid, and programs to modernize criminal
laws elsewhere.
Third, we will work with our allies to share information
on growing crime syndicates, to better derail their schemes. And we
will work with industries to protect against computer crime.
Fourth, we will put more law enforcement personnel
abroad, to aid our embassies in identifying criminals before they
attack Americans. And I'm seeking new authority to prosecute more
violent offenses against Americans overseas.
Fifth, we will strengthen border security -- with 1000
new Border Patrol agents, new technologies, and stiffer penalties
--to put more smuggling rings out of business. I also want tough new
sentences for port runners and for smugglers who refuse to stop for
our Coast Guard.
Sixth, I will ask Congress to enact strict provisions to
bar drug and arms traffickers and fugitives from justice from
entering our country -- and to expel them if they do come here.
Finally, I will seek new authority to fight
money-laundering and freeze the U.S. assets of people arrested
abroad. And we'll improve enforcement of existing laws against
counterfeiting and industrial espionage.
To focus our efforts, we will complete within six months
a comprehensive analysis of the threat Americans face from
international crime. I've asked Vice President Gore to organize a
global meeting to set a common agenda for fighting corruption and
strengthening the rule of law. Some of the criminals have
sophisticated tools, so ours must be also. They can form temporary
cross-border alliances, based on greed and self-interest. So we must
strengthen the community of nations based on a community of values.
They care about no one but themselves, while we care so
deeply about our children and their future. It is our most profound
strength -- the strength that will allow us to prevail. For we
cannot, we must not, we will not, accept a world in which American
children and children abroad grow up paralyzed by crime, fear and
violence.
Together, America and our allies can attack this scourge
and build a secure and prosperous future for all our people. Again,
let me say to all of you -- especially to law enforcement officers
here -- I thank you very, very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
END 10:30 A.M. EDT