ASHCROFT UNVEILS PLANS TO BATTLE GUNS, DRUGS, DISCRIMINATION

WASHINGTON -- Attorney General John Ashcroft outlined his top
priorities to senior staffers Wednesday, telling them that reducing
gun violence, opposing teen drug use and battling discrimination
against women and minorities in housing and voting would be his key
early goals, a senior Justice Department official said.

Ashcroft -- whose appointment sparked fierce debate in the Senate over
his past stands on social issues -- also has begun ``an aggressive
effort to reach out to Democrats'' as well as holding customary
meetings with members of his own party, said Deputy Chief of Staff
David Israelite.

Ashcroft will have lunch today with former Attorney General Janet Reno
and has invited the chairs and ranking Democrats on the Senate and
House Judiciary committees to meet with him soon.

The release of Ashcroft's agenda, and his first public remarks on
CNN's ``Larry King Live'' Wednesday night, appeared to be aimed, in
part, at signaling that Ashcroft will carry out his duties in a fair
manner after sharp criticism during his Senate confirmation.

Israelite said Ashcroft wants to make Project Exile -- a federal-local
law enforcement partnership credited with reducing gun crime in
Richmond, Va. -- one of several models that can be replicated across
the country. The program includes mandatory five-year minimum
sentences for certain offenses committed while carrying a gun.

``Our No. 1 priority will be to reduce the incidence of gun
violence,'' Israelite said. ``One of the things that has made Project
Exile work is the strict enforcement of violations of laws, and making
gun prosecutions a priority in law enforcement.''

But Ashcroft's promises are sure to provoke doubts among lawmakers who
just last week were sharply criticizing his longstanding opposition to
new gun controls.

Senate Democrats also expressed skepticism that Ashcroft could be
trusted to protect the interests of women and minorities, accusing him
of misrepresenting his true positions to win confirmation. The Senate
confirmed Ashcroft 58-42.

Ashcroft was criticized for opposing voluntary school desegregation
plans in St. Louis and Kansas City while he served as Missouri's
attorney general and governor. He also staunchly opposed abortion,
leading some to fear he would not prevent protesters from illegally
blocking access to abortion clinics.

As part of his anti-violence initiative, Ashcroft also will support
some new laws, including legislation that would make it illegal for
people convicted of gun crimes as juveniles to ever own a gun.