Mexicans Praise U.S. Border Security Measures

Texas2step · ALIPAC Super Hero Joined: Apr 30, 2006 Posts: 5990

Mexicans Praise U.S. Border Security Measures

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 6:48 PM

MEXICO CITY -- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's announcement Tuesday that nearly 500 agents and support personnel will be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border would once have drawn criticism in Mexico.

But on the eve of Wednesday's visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mexico's top diplomat was full of praise for the measures.

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa described what she called "a new era of cooperation" between the two countries.

"These are really important actions to support the frontal battle that this administration is carrying out," Espinosa said, noting the U.S. government has said it is open to discussing the measures with Mexican officials.

Mexico has been publicly pressing the United States to do more to stop the flow of U.S. weapons south. The State Department says weapons originating in the U.S. were used in 95 percent of all drug-related killings, and the Mexican government says more than 9,000 people have died since President Felipe Calderon took office on Dec. 1 and launched a national crackdown on cartels.

Mexico's former top anti-drug prosecutor, Samuel Gonzalez, said "the signal here from what Secretary Napolitano said is that this is no longer simply a diplomatic or foreign relations issue for them. It is a matter of U.S. national security."

Mexico once would have bristled at the prospect of the U.S. government sending more agents to the border, especially National Guard units, a possibility that Napolitano said is under discussion.

Mexico opposed the deployment of National Guard units to border states in 2006, mostly because the measure was viewed as a crackdown on undocumented migrants.

This time, border security measures include 100 more agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and increasing the inspection of rail cargo heading from the U.S. into Mexico to detect weapons being smuggled into Mexico.

Mexico has been lobbying for such action for years.

"It's perfect. It's good that there is an attack on all fronts" against the cartels, Gonzalez said.

In part, the change is because cartel violence has increased on both sides of the border while immigration has declined amid extra border security and the faltering U.S. economy. President Barack Obama has also shown a willingness to push for immigration reform.

"ON THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE, we have seen in recent weeks under the new U.S. administration a constructive attitude and a clear willingness TO SEEK A LONG-TERM SOLUTION," Espinosa said.

While immigration will clearly be brought up during Clinton's visit, Espinosa said "the issue of security is naturally one of the most relevant on the bilateral agenda."

The praise for the U.S. efforts is not unanimous. Carlos Montemayor, an author who writes about national security issues, said that "from a Mexican perspective, the U.S. participation isn't consistent, and has some contradictions."

He said the United States appears to focus more on stopping drugs from getting across the border into the United States, and not enough on catching the money launderers or American traffickers who operate north of the border.

Gonzalez said that, more than just agents or police, the most valuable U.S. contribution was the decision to increase the FBI's intelligence and analysis work on Mexican drug cartel crime.

"It is like the measures that were needed to break up the mafia in the United States, intelligence work," Gonzalez noted. "It is not just a military approach, which is not going to get you anywhere."

He noted that Mexico's cartels have morphed into such diversified criminal syndicates - with sidelines in extortion, kidnapping, pirated goods and human trafficking - that what is needed is true cross-border intelligence to stop that trend.

© 2009 Associated Press.

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/mexico_praises_security/2009/03/24/195584.html

retiredairforce · Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:42 pm Post subject:

Sure they praise those measures. The border remains open so they can sneak into this county, steal identities, get free health care including delivery of children, free education including tuition assistance, welfare, food stamps, social security, disability, unemployment insurance, jobs and many other benefits denied to Americans and don't have to pay a dime in taxes. They are rewarded with amnesty and citizenship for violating our border, laws, sovereignty and honored as patriots for this by idiots as Pelosi. This is every illegal alien leech's wet dream........
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miguelina · ALIPAC Super Hero Joined: Oct 01, 2007 Posts: 7414

NoBueno · Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:53 pm Post subject: