Thread: Fox Says U.S. Shares Blame for Problems Along Border

Fox Says U.S. Shares Blame for Problems Along Border

By GINGER THOMPSON
Published: September 5, 2005
MEXICO CITY, Sept. 4 - President Vicente Fox responded over the weekend to criticism from American authorities about a recent surge in violence and illegal immigration along the border, saying that the United States shares responsibility for the problems and should work harder with Mexico to fix them.

Mr. Fox said he rejected "forcefully" the statements by the Bush administration and governors of border states, contending that they had unfairly depicted Mexico as a safe haven for organized crime, though his government has arrested more leading drug traffickers and dismantled more cartels than any of its predecessors. He also said Mexican immigrants had been portrayed unfairly as potential terrorists when they had in fact become a pillar of the American economy.

In an interview aboard the presidential airplane on Saturday, Mr. Fox acknowledged that his government had a long way to go to make the border secure. But he said the United States should stop casting blame for problems created by both countries.

He also said the United States should not allow concerns about border security to derail efforts to adopt new measures to allow millions of additional Mexicans to become guest workers in the United States.

"Security is a shared responsibility," President Fox said. Then, referring to the United States, he said, "I don't understand that now they only cast blame and accusations, and they do not collaborate or cooperate so that together we can resolve this problem."

On the changes in immigration policy, he said: "There is will on the part of President Bush, according to what he has expressed publicly, and what he has expressed in conversations with us. So, I trust that in the coming weeks and months, we will succeed finally in arriving at a positive resolution for the benefit of both countries."

More pressing realities, however, may once again stand in the way. Work on immigration policy was first postponed four years ago, after the Sept. 11 attacks. Then it was put off for Mr. Bush's re-election campaign. Now, it may be set aside again as the United States struggles to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

But Mr. Fox has little time left; he is entering his last year in office.

His comments were aimed at what many here perceive as a troubling shift in United States attitudes and diplomatic policy toward Mexico.

In recent weeks, the United States has openly berated Mexico for failing to stop a wave of drug-related violence that has taken close to 1,000 lives along the 2,000-mile border. The Bush administration has issued numerous travel advisories and temporarily closed its consulate in the city of Nuevo Laredo, which has turned into a murder capital as drug traffickers fight for control of lucrative routes into Texas.

Last month, the governors of New Mexico and Arizona declared states of emergency, saying they needed federal help to fend off a flood of undocumented migrants.

Neither Mr. Fox nor his aides denied the problems. But the authorities here said that the responses from the United States did not reflect the complexities of the problems, nor did they acknowledge that Mexico had undertaken significant efforts to address them.

"This self-sustained blaming someone else, is it going to help anything?" said a high-level intelligence official who asked not to be named because of the diplomatic sensitivities involved. "If everyone in the United States keeps profiting politically from this very difficult situation, then we are not going to be able to make things better." He added, "We are trying to do our job, even with our limited resources."

Mr. Fox said trade and other day-to-day interactions between the countries had not been affected by the political tensions, and he said he trusted that President Bush would not allow concerns over security to stall efforts to pass changes in immigration requirements.

"Let there be no doubt, that we are going to win this battle," he said, referring to his government's efforts in Nuevo Laredo. "So it cannot be used as a pretext to provoke a distancing in relations between the United States and Mexico."

He said his country shared the pain of the hurricane. An estimated 140,000 Mexicans were affected, he said, and 70,000 are unaccounted for. But now, he said, the contributions of Mexican workers could be more important than ever.

"The reconstruction of that city and of that region is going to require a lot of labor," Mr. Fox said of New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama. "And if there is anything Mexicans are good at, it is construction."


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/inter ... exico.html

He also said the United States should not allow concerns about border security to derail efforts to adopt new measures to allow millions of additional Mexicans to become guest workers in the United States.

How about Fox making a guest worker program, and we send him all his country men back to him. No More Additional ones. No guest worker program in the Untied States. Mr. Fox has crossed the line.

He said his country shared the pain of the hurricane. An estimated 140,000 Mexicans were affected, he said, and 70,000 are unaccounted for. But now, he said, the contributions of Mexican workers could be more important than ever.

Oh Mr. Fox you want to take the rest of Americans Jobs, social Severices, and Tax Money. Mr. Fox you are a worthless person.

"The reconstruction of that city and of that region is going to require a lot of labor," Mr. Fox said of New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama. "And if there is anything Mexicans are good at, it is construction."

. Not from you Mr. Fox, we can handle our own Construction without you. Now tomorrow and forever. If they are so good, Mr. Fox. Why don't you have them constructing your country? OH i forgot, you don't need well made, buildings and roads. Because you have all the drug cartels, and they don't need big business. They are your big business.

Unfortunately, I cannot say what I really think about Foxie in polite company.

He also said Mexican immigrants had been portrayed unfairly as potential terrorists when they had in fact become a pillar of the American economy.

A crowd of people who never finished elementary school can hardly be pillars of our economy. Foxie must be into the weed again.

In an interview aboard the presidential airplane on Saturday, Mr. Fox acknowledged that his government had a long way to go to make the border secure.

No kidding.

He also said the United States should not allow concerns about border security to derail efforts to adopt new measures to allow millions of additional Mexicans to become guest workers in the United States.

Did it ever occur to you that we are sick and tired of being responsible for YOUR citizens? What are YOU doing (besides running your mouth)?

So, I trust that in the coming weeks and months, we will succeed finally in arriving at a positive resolution for the benefit of both countries."

I could care less about what benefits YOUR country.

His comments were aimed at what many here perceive as a troubling shift in United States attitudes and diplomatic policy toward Mexico.

Yes, we are fed up.

Neither Mr. Fox nor his aides denied the problems. But the authorities here said that the responses from the United States did not reflect the complexities of the problems, nor did they acknowledge that Mexico had undertaken significant efforts to address them.

We are not responsible for the problems of Mexico. Solve your own problems. What exactly is Foxie doing? Prepating a new edition of the Border Jumpers manual?
Preparing desert survival backpacks? Sending 2999 border jumpers a day instead of 3000?

"This self-sustained blaming someone else, is it going to help anything?" said a high-level intelligence official who asked not to be named because of the diplomatic sensitivities involved.

You are getting blamed because you are not doing very much. Just what we expect from Mexico--an intelligence officer without much intelligence.

"Let there be no doubt, that we are going to win this battle," he said, referring to his government's efforts in Nuevo Laredo.

The only battle Foxie will win is Loudmouth of the Year.

"And if there is anything Mexicans are good at, it is construction."

They are better at jumping fences.