FBI Sticks By Gun Policy
                         By NEAL KNOX

       WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 21) -- The handgun licensing and
firearms/ammo-banning proposals recommended two weeks ago by
since-fired FBI Director William Sessions are FBI policy, not
merely the views of the former director, an FBI official
spokesman told me today.

       That undoubtedly means they are the desired policy of
higher-ups in the Clinton Administration.  No such break with the
tradition of keeping FBI out of politics would have occurred
without orders -- or at least a wink and a nod -- from on high.

       That is undoubtedly why the Washington Post still hasn't
said a word about the FBI's radical gun law proposals.  The Post
doesn't want to talk about a package of proposals that -- because
of their premature release -- endanger the "almost-in-the-bag"
Brady bill.

       For the same reason the Post editorially castigated
President Lyndon Johnson for introducing a registration and
licensing bill a few days before the Gun Control Act of 1968 was
about to pass -- delaying it more than three months because
"moderate" Congressmen realized GCA '68 was only a stepping
stone, just as the "gun lobby" had been saying.

       The sweeping FBI recommendations were published in the New
York Times, USA Today and a few other publications.  But they
focussed almost entirely upon the Bureau's support (which was
somewhat reluctant) for the far-milder "Brady Bill."

       Neither of the Washington newspapers, and only a few
publications with Washington bureaus, have written anything.
That's scandalous evidence that the press is managing the news,
not just reporting it.

       When an FBI document specifically states that it has been
FBI policy to avoid involvement in political issues, and that the
firearms proposals are "an extraordinary, singular departure from
this policy," that is news!

       Further, when an FBI "Working Group"  -- chaired by John E.
Collingwood, head of the Office of Public and Congressional
Affairs -- recommends to the Director, and he recommends to the
Attorney General, that she recommend to the President, that the
FBI "develop a media strategy to publicize and develop support
for the FBI position," that is news.

       (That's also a violation of the Federal law against lobbying
with appropriated funds (Sec. 1913, Title 18, U.S.C.)!)

       It was this same Collingwood who attended a May 21 meeting
that the White House described as a "political strategy session"
on how to handle the public furor over the firing of the entire
White House travel staff, and their replacement by President
Clinton's relatives and cronies.  Collingwood obligingly revised
the FBI press response to state "additional criminal
investigation is warranted" against the travel staff, which was
quickly released by the White House.

       That widely condemned politicization of the FBI was nothing
compared to the FBI's firearms proposals.

       With all the recent hullabaloo about Sessions' firing, and
his replacement by Federal Judge Louis Freeh, there was ample
opportunity for General Reno and the President to have distanced
themselves from the FBI proposal -- or at least added to their
criticism of Sessions for his acknowledged effort to politicize
the FBI.

       But they said not a word.

       When Judge Freeh goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee
for confirmation, he needs to be asked not just what he thinks
about the recommended gun policies, but about the recommendation
to politicize the FBI.

       The "Working Group" reported that they "discussed at length
whether the FBI should recommend a general ban on the possession
of handguns.  After careful consideration, the group concluded
that a proposed ban would not receive sufficient support."

       So what they decided to support is mandatory handgun
licensing and training "which could build upon the Brady bill."

       Not only has the FBI identified the Brady Bill as a building
block, they have given us a peek at what the Clinton
Administration wants to build:

       1.  Handgun licensing, with a gun buying program for those
who couldn't pass the mandatory training, or else voluntarily
surrendered their guns to law enforcement.

       2. "A complete ban upon the possession or transfer of
assault firearms ... including submachine guns."

       3. Prohibiting possession of ammunition (not specifically
limited to handgun ammo) with the "ability to penetrate body
armor."

       4. Tighter regulation of firearms dealers and allocating the
resources to do it.  (Like those 2,000 FBI agents who have been
watching the Russians, and now have nothing to do?)

  Yet the Attorney General and the outgoing and incoming FBI
Directors assure us that they are opposed to politicizing the
FBI!

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(c) 1993 by Neal Knox and Associates.  All Rights Reserved.