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Clinton Denounces Denver's Racial Violence
President Also Previews APEC Summit Stance
DENVER (AllPolitics, Nov. 22) -- During a visit to Denver Saturday, President Bill Clinton denounced two recent racial murders that have shaken this mile-high city.
White House spokesman Mike McCurry later announced that the Justice Department had opened an investigation into whether the recent violence was part of an organized campaign by skinhead groups.
"Recently this wonderful city has witnessed several vicious, violent crimes," Clinton said. "These tragic incidents are painful illustrations of why ... we have to do more to combat acts like this and to prevent them, by removing the poison the breeds them from all our hearts."
Last week, Denver police officer Bruce VanderJagt was shot by a skinhead, Matthaeus Jaenig, who then killed himself after a standoff with police. A dead pig with the officer's name scrawled on it was later left in front of the station house where VanderJagt worked.
On Tuesday, Oumar Dia, a black immigrant from Mauritania, was shot to death in front of a bus stop. Another skinhead, Nathan Thill, 19, admitted his crime in chilling detail to a Denver television station, saying it "didn't seem like much to me." He also admitted wounding a women who tried to help Dia.
While in Denver, Clinton met with VanderJagt's widow, Anna, to offer his condolences.
President gives APEC preview
Clinton stopped in Denver to speak at two Democratic fund-raising events on his way to Vancouver, Canada, for the 18-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Saturday evening, he was scheduled to speak at several events in Seattle before continuing on to Canada.
Previewing the summit during a speech in Denver, Clinton pledged his support for a financial rescue package for Asian nations who are currently in the midst of an economic crisis. He said that "more than ever, America's future and Asia's future are joined."
"The international community must be prepared to help countries that are taking the right measures to help themselves," Clinton said.
The president also pledged U.S. support for the goal of creating a free-trade zone among the APEC countries -- which account for half of all world trade -- by 2020.
Clinton talks with Yeltsin
Before leaving for the summit, Clinton spoke with Russian President Boris Yeltsin by phone for 40 minutes about the standoff with Iraq.
Speaking with reporters later in Denver, Clinton called it a "very good conversation, a very forthright one," but administration officials conceded that the two leaders disagreed over easing economic sanctions against Iraq. Yeltsin reportedly supports a gradual easing of the sanctions, which the United States opposes.
"I understand President Yeltsin's position, and I thank him for the work they did to end the crisis, at least temporarily," Clinton said. "There's disagreement between us on the terms on which the sanctions ought to be ended."
In Other News:
Weekend Nov. 22 & 23, 1997
• Clinton Finds Obstacles, Opportunities On World Stage
• Clinton Denounces Denver's Racial Violence
• Report: Memo Recommends Against Probe Of Gore