Ashcroft Targets Gun Violations

Ashcroft Targets Gun Violations

NewsMax.com Wires
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001

WASHINGTON (UPI) – Attorney General John Ashcroft said Wednesday that he would crack down on gun violations, especially when used in the commission of crimes, strengthen the enforcement of civil rights laws, and extend the war on drugs.

The announcement on CNN's "Larry King Live" came only hours after a shooting suspect was wounded next to the White House.

The initiative would be modeled on a program, "Project Exile," which requires the U.S. attorney in Richmond, Va., to prosecute all federal gun violations, no matter how minor. The Richmond program is credited with dramatically reducing the number of murders in that city during the 1990s, and has inspired similar programs around the country.

When asked by King about gun violations, Ashcroft said he would take a "hard line."

On hiring minority candidates, Ashcroft said that "we want to hire people with respect to merit, skill and capacity." He also said when asked about minority rights that "discrimination is totally unacceptable."

Ashcroft also stressed that he would take a hard stance against drug abuse. "I want to escalate the war on drugs. … We haven't done what we need to do. … We have to stop this upswing in drug use." He said that former President Bill Clinton and his administration had been soft on drugs.

Ashcroft's plans for an initiative strengthening a crackdown on criminal gun use were publicized earlier in the day.

In an interview with the Kansas City Star posted to the newspaper's Web site Wednesday, Ashcroft's deputy chief of staff, David Israelite, said the initiative "is a national program of providing the resources and guidance necessary to really crack down on gun crimes."

The Star said Ashcroft would announce only "the broad outlines" of the initiative. "The details will come later," Israelite told the paper.

Do Liberals Favor Gun Crimes in Black Neighborhoods?

"Project Exile" is popular with the National Rifle Association because it imposes no new restrictions on gun ownership. The program has drawn fire from liberal critics, however, because it concentrates on mostly black inner-city neighborhoods, according to the Star.

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