Reagan Calls Drug Fight Unprecedented

President Reagan, under pressure from Congress to “take off the gloves” in fighting foreign drug trafficking, said Saturday that his Administration has waged an unprecedented campaign against the flow of drugs from abroad.

The President, who has threatened to veto Senate-passed legislation calling for sanctions against Mexico over drug trafficking, devoted his weekly radio address from Camp David, Md., to the drug issue.

“In addition to prevention, education and drug law enforcement, we have also been emphasizing the international side of the problem,” Reagan said.

“When we came into office, there were drug eradication programs under way in only two countries,” he said. “Today, that number is 23.

Extradition Treaties

“In fact, this country has signed an unprecedented number of mutual legal assistance treaties, extradition treaties and eradication agreements.”

The Senate voted 63 to 27 last week to overturn a finding made by the President six weeks ago that Mexico was “fully cooperating” with the United States in the war on drugs.

If passed by the House and signed into law, the measure could deprive Mexico of some of its trade benefits and would require U.S. representatives in international lending institutions to vote against Mexican loan applications.

During debate on the measure, Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.) said nearly 40% of the cocaine entering the United States comes across the 1,900-mile U.S.-Mexican border.

‘Take Off the Gloves’

“We’ve got to take off the gloves,” DeConcini said.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved similar legislation regarding the Bahamas.

“The President has threatened to veto both of those bills,” White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater told reporters Friday.

“We think those are two good examples of counterproductive actions where congressmen have obvious frustrations and they’ve taken them out in this area, but it’s not helpful in the drug fight or in our broader relations with these countries,” Fitzwater said.

State Department spokesman Charles Redman said approval of the bill might lead to an increase in drug traffic because, “Far from serving as a catalyst for action, this vote castigates a friend for less than perfect behavior.”

Mexico’s Efforts Cited

Redman said the Senate resolution fails to recognize Mexico’s substantial anti-drug efforts and the “extremely positive response” of Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid to Reagan’s call for increased cooperation.

The Democratic response to Reagan’s address focused on trade.

Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said U.S. trading partners have accepted the message of a new trade bill--that foreign markets must be open to American goods--and that Reagan should too.

The measure’s fate, after three years of wrangling in Congress, is uncertain because Democrats have refused to remove a controversial labor-backed provision providing for 60 days’ notice of factory shutdowns and layoffs. Fitzwater on Friday renewed a White House threat to veto the bill if the clause stays in.

Business groups oppose the requirement, contending it infringes on the prerogatives of company managers.

Legislators are attempting to iron out differences between House and Senate versions of the trade legislation.

“Our legislative goal was a trade bill that was so strong our trading partners could not ignore it and so fair that the President would have to sign it. I think we’ve succeeded,” Rostenkowski said.

The bill “simply says we want fair trade,” he said, adding that foreign trade ministers in Europe and Asia “not only expect this message, they accept it.”