CLINTON PLOTS ANTI-CRIME STRATEGY

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Calling on the world's nations to ``create a global
community of crimefighters,'' President Clinton today proposed a series of
steps to control the threat from international terrorism, drug trafficking,
illegal immigration and money laundering.

The president unveiled his International Crime Control Act of 1998 today at
the White House about two hours before he was to depart for Europe, where he
will attend the G-8 economic summit in Birmingham, England.

At that summit, the world's leading industrialized nations will seek ways to
weaken and disband international crime rings that Clinton said are preying
upon weaker governments and threatening democracy.

``International crime requires an international response,'' Clinton said.
``America is prepared to act alone when it must, but no nation can control
crime by itself anymore.''

In Europe, Clinton will stop first in Germany to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, which delivered food, clothes, medicine
and coal to the besieged city when the Red Army cut off all ground access.
On Thursday, the president will fly to Birmingham to join Russian President
Boris Yeltsin and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and
Japan.

It will be the first full discussion between Clinton and Yeltsin since they
met at last June's summit in Denver. Since then, relations between
Washington and Moscow have been strained by divisions over Iraq and Kosovo,
and the U.S. push to expand NATO.

At the G-8 summit, those nations will begin working on a plan to fight
international crime. Clinton said his eight-point strategy would serve as a
point of departure for those discussions.

It pinpoints such post-Cold War threats as trafficking in drugs and people,
money laundering, terrorism, possession or sales of weapons of mass
destruction and the transfer of U.S. technology to hostile nations.

``We must act broadly, decisively, consistent with our constitutional values
to leave criminals no place to run, no place to hide,'' Clinton said. ``We
must create a global community of crimefighters, dedicated to protecting the
innocent, bringing to justice the offenders.''

Under the strategy, U.S. officials would seek new international agreements
on extraditing criminals, step up prosecution of ``select criminal acts
committed abroad'' and bolster interdiction of illegal technology exports.

It calls for $280 million to help combat drug trafficking and illegal
immigration at U.S. borders, improve terrorism intelligence and target
havens for money launderers off U.S. shores.

Vice President Al Gore said an unfortunate consequence of the new global
economy is the fact that it ``also opened the door to illegal traffic in
arms, autos, drugs and human beings. Financial swindlers and outlaws have
now gone global.''

Aides cited increasing evidence that organized criminal elements are banding
together across ethnic and geographic lines, using the latest technology to
throw police off their trails.

They particularly noted links between Russian criminals and Colombian drug
traffickers, who are working together to get Russian weapons to Colombian
paramilitary groups and Colombian cocaine to Russia. In addition, aides
said, those two groups are working with others in Africa, Asia, Europe and
Mexico.

Clinton's strategy grew out of discussions begun at the 1996 economic summit
in Lyons, France, and the hastily arranged meeting on terrorism in Sharm
el-Sheik, Egypt.

Jim Steinberg, deputy national security adviser, said Clinton's strategy
would open discussion of 40 recommendations for fighting international crime
that were proposed by a working group assembled at the Lyon meeting.

Among matters to be addressed, Steinberg said, is improved extradition of
criminals, improved seizure and sharing of assets taken from money
launderers, making borders more secure and developing new ways to trace and
exchange evidence in high-tech crimes.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett