THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt)
___________________________________________________________________________
___
For Immediate Release October 16,
2000
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
General (Ret.) Barry McCaffrey has informed me that he will step down
in January as Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank and commend him
for his extraordinary work in meeting one of our nation?s most pressing
challenges. Gen. McCaffrey has brought to his post the same
professionalism, dedication, and leadership that have exemplified his 40
years of steadfast service to our nation.
In accepting this post in 1996, Gen. McCaffrey retired from the United
States Army as its youngest and most decorated four-star general. He had
served and commanded with honor from West Point to the Dominican Republic
to Vietnam to the Persian Gulf, and, finally, as Commander in Chief,
Southern Command. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
our nation?s second-highest military honor.
In the nearly five years Gen. McCaffrey has led our war on drugs, we
have made significant progress both at home and abroad. We have
dramatically increased our counter-drug spending, and launched a $1 billion
public-private media campaign to educate young people about the dangers of
drug use. Our efforts are paying off. Adolescent drug use in the United
States dropped 21 percent in the past two years alone, and drug-related
murders are at their lowest level in a decade. And, working with our
international partners, we have helped to significantly reduce coca
cultivation in Latin America, and helped to build a level drug-free playing
field for the world?s Olympians.
Our nation and my Administration have benefited greatly from Gen.
McCaffrey?s outstanding dedication, enterprise, and leadership. He has
been a valued member of my Cabinet, and I am grateful for his sound
counsel. I am confident that he will continue to serve our nation with
honor and distinction in the years ahead. The First Lady and I wish him
and his wife Jill all the best in their new endeavors.
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