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Release Asa Hutchinson Good morning. On behalf of the DEA, I want to extend a special welcome to some extraordinary guests that have joined us today, Attorney General John Ashcroft. We're joined also Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson and the Director of Drug Control Policy at the White House, John Walters. Each of these is an extraordinary friend of the DEA. It has been a pleasure to serve with them and to work under their leadership. I believe that this is the first time in the history of the DEA that we have been joined here by two Cabinet-level officials at the same time, and I believe that this shows the extraordinary importance of the work that you do and also of the importance of this to the President of the United States. Mr. Attorney General, as you look at the men and women of the DEA, they represent courage, they represent sacrifice, and they represent success, and I think that has to be underscored. Whenever you look at our Wall of Honor, there are 72 employees, agents, task force officers of the DEA who have given their lives in the line of duty for this great cause. That certainly represents the sacrifice and courage that each of the DEA individuals represent in this work. But I mention that success is also important. I want to thank you for putting an exclamation point yesterday on the indictment of Tomas Molinas, a leader of the FARC in Colombia, a terrorist organization. That success is represented by the great work of the individuals in this room as well as those in Colombia and in Brazil. Also important was the terrific arrest of Benjamin Arellano-Felix. These are successes that we have to trumpet because they make a difference in the rule of law and the respect that the law has in our society. And I am mindful of the scripture reference that says, "Hope deferred, maketh the heart sick." If the American people do not see success in our efforts, then they will not have hope in what we do and will not be confident in our future. I believe that we demonstrate that success. Whenever you look in the early 1980s when Larry Thompson was United States Attorney, when I was U.S. Attorney, we were so engaged in the anti-drug effort, and success was represented by the fact that over the course of fifteen years, we reduced overall drug use by 50%. We reduced cocaine use by over 75%. That is extraordinary success. And then if you look, this ended in about 1992 - and Director John Walters knows these statistics quite well — it has almost been flat-lined since then. And you can ask the question, "Is this as low as we can go? Is this the best we can do for America?" Or the other conclusion you can reach is that leadership makes a difference. And I reached the latter conclusion — that leadership in our anti-drug efforts makes a difference. What is reflected on this platform today is leadership. I believe that leadership begins with President Bush and continues with Attorney General Ashcroft, Larry Thompson, Director Walters, and of course, we follow that leadership. But leadership makes a difference. We can have more success, and I believe that the Attorney General is going to talk about the success that we can have and the game plan that we have as he comes to address you. I want to introduce the Attorney General of the United States, a person that I have enormous respect for and confidence in. I looked up to him when I served with him when he was United States Senator, when he was Governor of Missouri, my neighboring state, and when he was the attorney general of Missouri. But now I see him in a new light as Attorney General of the United States, leading with compassion, conviction and with strong motivation to make sure that America is protected. I want to introduce him with a quote that was in the New York Times that I believe, Mr. Attorney General, which the DEA will particularly identify with. He is referred to as "the ultimate soldier." "He may be the first Attorney General ever issued full Kevlar vest and helmet." We say that with great affection, and we welcome you to the DEA, Mr. Attorney General.
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