Thornburgh Takes Oath, Vows All-Out Drug War
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Richard L. Thornburgh was sworn in today as the nation’s 76th attorney general and pledged to make drug trafficking “public enemy No. 1.”
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia administered the oath to Thornburgh, 56, with Thornburgh placing his hand on a Bible once owned by William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.
President Reagan described Thornburgh--who replaces embattled Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III--as a man who has shown he is “a leader under fire” and who will crack down on drug smuggling. Reagan said he is “grateful to have you as our leading crime fighter. Welcome aboard.”
Reagan recalled that an assassination attempt was made on the life of Secretary of State George P. Shultz earlier this week during a motorcade trip from the airport to La Paz, Bolivia. He noted there were reports that drug traffickers were responsible and said, “If the reports are true, this desperate move is another sign of how we are hurting the trade. We must step up our efforts.”
Reagan said he is certain that Thornburgh will make the drug war a top priority.
“Unless we sustain a vigorous effort to make drug trafficking public enemy No. 1,” Thornburgh said, future generations will suffer.
He recalled that Penn had said, “Justice is the insurance we put on our lives; obedience is the premium.”
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