Bill Clinton: “In the ongoing struggle against the Mafia and other international crime syndicates, the United States renews its pledge…”

“In the ongoing struggle against the Mafia and other international crime syndicates, the United States renews its pledge of solidarity with and support for the Government and people of Italy. Organized crime is a scourge that has exacted a terrible toll in both our nations, a toll in lives ravaged by narcotics, brutalized by violence, destroyed by murder. The Government of the United States, like the Government of Italy, is committed to fighting back, to reclaiming our streets, and to punishing those whose criminal conduct tears at the fabric of our societies and threatens the lives of our citizens. Accordingly, I am directing the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury to do all they can to strengthen the cooperation between American and Italian law enforcement. As evidence of our resolve, Louis Freeh, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ronald K. Noble, Assistant Secretary for Enforcement in the Department of the Treasury, are in Italy this weekend for high-level meetings with Italian authorities to discuss new steps we can take to combat organized crime. Director Freeh and Assistant Secretary Noble are speaking today in Palermo on these joint law enforcement efforts.…”