International Crime Control Strategy

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

                            THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       May 12, 1998



                  INTERNATIONAL CRIME CONTROL STRATEGY


BACKGROUND

International crime is a serious and potent threat to the American
people at home and abroad.  Drug and firearms trafficking, terrorism,
money laundering, counterfeiting, illegal alien smuggling, trafficking
in women and children, advanced fee scams, credit card fraud, auto
theft, economic espionage, intellectual property theft, computer
hacking, and public corruption are all linked to international criminal
activity and all have a direct impact on the security and prosperity of
the American people.

Americans spend billions of dollars annually on cocaine and heroin, all
of which originates abroad; in 1997, there were 123 terrorist attacks
against U.S. targets worldwide, including 108 bombings and eight
kidnappings; each year, approximately one billion dollars worth of
stolen cars are smuggled out of this country; annually, U.S. companies
lose up to $23 billion from the illegal duplication and piracy of films,
compact discs, computer software, pharmaceutical and textile products,
while U.S. credit card companies suffer losses of hundreds of millions
of dollars from international fraud; and several hundred U.S. companies
and other organizations have already suffered computer attacks in 1998,
resulting in millions of dollars of losses and significant threats to
our safety and security.

PURPOSE

The International Crime Control Strategy (ICCS) addresses this
increasing threat by providing a framework for integrating all facets of
the federal government response to international crime.  This first-ever
strategy reflects the high priority accorded international crime by this
Administration and builds on such existing strategies as the National
Drug Control Strategy and the Presidential Directives on alien
smuggling, counter-terrorism and nuclear materials safety and security.

The ICCS is also an important initiative in terms of enhancing the
ability of U.S. law enforcement officials to cooperate effectively with
their overseas counterparts in investigating and prosecuting
international crime cases.  At the upcoming Birmingham Summit, G-8
leaders will discuss international crime as one of the most pressing
issues related to increasing globalization and rapid technological and
economic change.  President Clinton will highlight the new ICCS in
underscoring the U.S. commitment to close cooperation with all nations
who are mobilizing to confront this increasing threat.

OVERVIEW

The ICCS is a plan of action containing eight broad goals with thirty
implementing objectives.  The ICCS expresses President Clinton's resolve
to combat international crime aggressively and substantially reduce its
impact on the daily lives of the American people.

The Strategy's eight goals and related objectives are:

1.   Extend the First Line of Defense Beyond U.S. Borders by 
     (a) preventing acts of international crime planned abroad before 

     they occur, (b) using all available laws to prosecute select 
     criminal acts committed abroad, and (c) intensifying activities 
     of law enforcement, diplomatic and consular personnel abroad.

2.   Protect U.S. Borders by (a) enhancing our land border inspection,
     detection and monitoring capabilities, (b) improving the 
     effectiveness of maritime and air smuggling interdiction efforts, 
     (c) seeking new, stiffer criminal penalties for smuggling 
     activities, and (d) targeting enforcement and prosecutorial 
     resources more effectively against smuggling crimes and 
     organizations.

3.   Deny Safe Haven to International Criminals by (a) negotiating new
     international agreements to create a seamless web for the prompt
     location, arrest and extradition of international fugitives, 
     (b) implementing strengthened immigration laws that prevent 
     international criminals from entering the United States and 
     provide for their prompt expulsion when appropriate, and 
     (c) promoting increased cooperation with foreign law enforcement 
     authorities.

4.   Counter International Financial Crime by (a) combating money
     laundering and strengthening enforcement efforts to reduce inbound 
     and outbound movement of criminal proceeds, (b) seizing the assets 
     of international criminals, (c) enhancing bilateral and 
     multilateral cooperation against all financial crime, and 
     (d) targeting offshore centers of international fraud, 
     counterfeiting, electronic access device schemes and other 
     financial crimes.

5.   Prevent Criminal Exploitation of International Trade by (a)
     interdicting illegal technology exports, (b) preventing unfair and
     predatory trade practices in violation of U.S. criminal law, (c)
     protecting intellectual property rights, (d) countering industrial
     theft and economic espionage of U.S. trade secrets, and (e) 
     enforcing import restrictions on certain harmful substances, 
     dangerous organisms and protected species.

6.   Respond to Emerging International Crime Threats by (a) disrupting 
     new activities of international organized crime groups, 
     (b) enhancing intelligence efforts against criminal enterprises, 
     (c) reducing trafficking in human beings and crimes against 
     children, (d) increasing enforcement efforts against high tech 
     and computer-related crime, and (e) continuing to identify and 
     counter the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures and new 
     technologies in high tech areas.

7.   Foster International Cooperation and the Rule of Law by 
     (a) establishing international standards, goals and objectives to 
     combat international crime and by actively encouraging compliance, 
     (b) improving bilateral cooperation with foreign governments and 
     law enforcement authorities, and (c) strengthening the rule of law 
     as the foundation for democratic government and free markets in 
     order to reduce societies' vulnerability to criminal exploitation.


8.   Optimize the Full Range of U.S. Efforts by (a) enhancing executive
     branch policy and operational coordination mechanisms to assess 
     the risks of criminal threats and to integrate strategies, goals 
     and objectives to combat those threats, (b) mobilizing and 
     incorporating the private sector into U.S. government efforts, and 
     (c) developing measures of effectiveness to assess progress over 
     time.

ICCS INITIATIVES

Highlighted below are ten Administration initiatives to further our 
efforts to fight international crime.

1.  International Crime Control Act of 1998:  Proposed legislation
containing significant new law enforcement tools for the fight against
international crime.

2.  Comprehensive Threat Assessment:  A comprehensive assessment of the
threat to the American people posed by international crime, to be 
completed within six months.

3.  International Conference on Upholding Integrity Among Justice and
Security Officials:  An international conference to address upholding
integrity among key justice and security officials worldwide, to be
organized by the Vice President within the next six months.

4.  High Tech Crime:  An action plan, building on the work of the G-8
justice and interior ministers and the creation of the U.S. National
Infrastructure Protection Center, to protect interconnected U.S.
communications and information systems from attack by international
criminals.

5.  Border Law Enforcement:  A program to enhance border law enforcement
through deployment of advanced detection technology and investment of 
new resources.

6.  Financial Crimes:  A commitment to employ aggressively new tools to
deny criminals access to U.S. financial institutions and to enhance
enforcement efforts against financial crimes.

7.  International Asset Forfeiture and Sharing:  A U.S. call for new
criminal asset forfeiture regimes worldwide and new asset forfeiture
sharing agreements with our international partners.

8.  OAS Treaty Against Illicit Trafficking in Firearms:  A program to 
work with our OAS partners to implement fully a hemispheric convention 
to combat the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, 
ammunition and explosives.

9.  Economic Espionage and Theft of Industrial Property:  A commitment 
to use the Economic Espionage Act to increase U.S. investigations and
prosecutions of individuals and companies who attempt to steal U.S.
proprietary information.

10.  Strategic Communications Plan:  A plan to engage the private 
sector in assessing the impact of international crime on that sector 
and in determining its appropriate role in countering this threat.