Thread: Mexico Changes Its Mind On Drug Money

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Mexico Changes Its Mind On Drug Money

Oct 29, 2007 10:56 PM PDT






Written by Bud Foster KOLD News 13

It's a shift of historic proportions. Mexico says it will accept money from the United States to fight the drug war. $1,400,000,000. That's a lot of zeros.

Mexico has always resisted U.S. offers for drug money. Mexico is a fiercely independent country and felt it would give up some of the financial sovereignty by taking dollars from the U.S, to fight the drug war.

That was then. This is now.

"We all immediately gasped at the historic nature of the moment," said Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Thomas Shannon said.

Mexico is facing reality.

"Mexico is facing a significant challenge to the rule of law," says Scott Whiteford, the Director for the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona.

"There is a profound threat to the ability to govern with the power of the (drug) cartels intervening both militarily as well as politically, and with a tremendous amount of money, is some cases, more than the regional or state government," he says.

Mexican President Philippe Calderon has made the war against the cartels a priority and violence has escalated.

Accepting U.S. some say, is a recognition he can't go it alone.

"Each of us trying to fight the war on drugs individually is ludicrous. We'll never succeed, but coming together I think is a good idea," says Oscar Miranda of the Pima County Sheriff's Department, which has just begun a border crime unit.

Miranda says even with more than a billion dollar boost along the border, it doesn't mean violence will slow down any time soon.

"We've seen more murders. We have seen shoot outs with the cartels. So to expect that to cease because Mexico is trying to do something is ludicrous. It's still going to happen. It's till going to continue," says Miranda.

If Congress approved the package it will be used for helicopters, weapons and surveillance equipment. Some of it will be used on Mexico's southern border, which is experiencing an immigration problem.



http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... nu86_13_20

Mexico is a fiercely independent country and felt it would give up some of the financial sovereignty by taking dollars from the U.S, to fight the drug war.

If Mexico is so 'fiercely independent' why do they rely on their people to send money home?

The 1.4 billion won't be going to deter drug smuggling, IMO, it will be going to continue the effort to undermine this nation's sovereignty.

Originally Posted by Rockfish

The 1.4 billion won't be going to deter drug smuggling, IMO, it will be going to continue the effort to undermine this nation's sovereignty.

Take 1.4 BILLION and buy a double layer fence, for the southern border.