Source: Reuter

Officials meet at White House on hemispheric crime
WASHINGTON (Reuter) Top U.S. law enforcement and drug
policy officials met at the White House Wednesday to discuss
ways to deal with crime in the hemisphere.
A White House official said the brainstorming meeting,
chaired by President Clinton's special adviser on Latin America
Thomas McLarty, was attended by Attorney General Janet Reno and
FBI director Louis Freeh.
The official said the meeting looked at the need to improve
regional law enforcement and judicial systems as the hemisphere
moves toward greater economic integration and freer trade.
``The message is that all countries need to agree that the
hemisphere should not become a safe haven for criminals and
organized crime,'' the official said.
``And the way to do that is to provide training and
technical assistance and agree on basic legal frameworks to
attack criminals, including extradition,'' the official said.
White House national drug policy director Gen. Barry
McCaffrey attended the meeting, along with officials from the
Drug Enforcement Administration, the State Department and the
National Security Council.