Thread: MEXICO: News of another U.S. gun-tracking program stirs crit

MEXICO: News of another U.S. gun-tracking program stirs criticism

October 6, 2011 | 4:19 pm

REPORTING FROM MEXICO CITY -- Mexican politicians and pundits reacted with anger to revelations this week that U.S. agents allowed guns to be smuggled into Mexico under a secret weapons-tracking program that preceded the current focus of controversy, called Operation Fast and Furious.

Commentators from across the political spectrum expressed criticism after The Times revealed this week that a Fast and Furious-style gun program under President George W. Bush allowed guns to "walk" across the border into Mexico during 2006 and 2007.

Both undercover programs were intended to track guns bought in the United States until they reached top cartel suspects, but instead many weapons were lost.

The leading left-leaning newspaper La Jornada went so far as to ask in an editorial Wednesday whether the U.S. is an "ally or enemy," http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/10/05/opinion/002a1edi and a columnist in a right-leaning paper accused the Americans of violating Mexico's sovereignty (link in Spanish).

The Times reported from Washington on Monday that the Bush administration managed a program similar to Fast and Furious in 2006-07. Mexican President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 4103.story

In that program, dubbed Wide Receiver, weapons were allowed into Mexico, just as later occurred in Operation Fast and Furious in 2009 and 2010, The Times reported. About 2,000 weapons were "walked" in Mexico and later showed up at scores of crime scenes, Mexican officials have said.

The controversy surrounding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has largely turned into a political struggle between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, but in Mexico it has played out amid declarations that U.S. policies and drug consumption are worsening the country's bloody drug war. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... orygallery

"In sum, the gringo government has been sending weapons to Mexico in a premeditated and systematic manner, knowing that their destinations were Mexican criminal organizations," wrote columnist Manuel J. Jauregui in the daily Reforma newspaper.

La Jornada's editorial page argued with exasperation that news of the earlier operation was cause enough to call for the immediate suspension of the so-called Merida Initiative, the U.S. aid package that provides $1.4 billion to help Mexico counter drug cartels.

The Wide Receiver operation is also spurring reaction in Mexico's Congress. In a meeting of the Senate's public safety committee, where the topic of a response arose this week, one senator said (link in Spanish): "We can no longer tolerate what is occurring. There must be condemnation from the state."

Drug-related violence began to take off in 2007 after the launch of Calderon's military-led campaign against drug cartels.

Since then, at least 40,000 people have been killed in Mexico's drug war, and thousands more have disappeared.

In an interview with Times correspondents, Mexican Atty. Gen. Marisela Morales has previously said that her office was kept in the dark about Fast and Furious and that allowing weapons into Mexico would constitute "an attack on the safety of Mexicans." http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/19 ... s-20110920

ALSO:

Informant helped smuggle guns to Mexico, investigators say

New enforcement push in Mexico's Veracruz state announced

Does U.S. deportation program put migrants in harm's way?

-- Daniel Hernandez

Photo: Weapons recovered from suspects accused of trafficking illegal firearms to Mexican drug cartels, Sept. 28, 2011. Credit: Joshua Lott / Reuters

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_n ... right.html

What a corrupt government we have... sad.

The leading left-leaning newspaper La Jornada went so far as to ask in an editorial Wednesday whether the U.S. is an "ally or enemy," http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/10/05/opinion/002a1edi and a columnist in a right-leaning paper accused the Americans of violating Mexico's sovereignty (link in Spanish).

I know this for sure: Mexico is not our friend and Mexico has already violated U.S. sovereignty by encouraging and assisting 10% of its population to enter the U.S. in violation of our laws.

Please suspend the Merida Initiative , and while we are at it suspend the transfer of any funds by anyone for any reason to Mexico by any means from The United States. I urge Mexico to declare the United States a Hostile Nation and expel all Americans from the country , we will reciprocate and return your " VALUABLE CITIZENS" to you.

dsprtt - I urge Mexico to declare the United States a Hostile Nation and expel all Americans from the country , we will reciprocate and return your " VALUABLE CITIZENS" to you.

I could die with a smile on my face while envisioning this...

Does U.S. deportation program put migrants in harm's way?

There it is in black and white Ladies and Gentlemen, Mexico will use the murder of 40,000 of it's citizens to bargain for amnesty!

The MSM still trying clinging to "Bush did it" with drive by headlines.

There was a failed program that actually had tracking devices on the weapons. 50% of the devices failed and the program was canceled.

"Does U.S. deportation program put migrants in harms way"

This is the title of another article according to the OP.

Now knowing that this is all GWB's fault, perhaps I should not ask...

Anybody have their finger on the pulse of how this chaos taking place in Mexico is playing out towards hindering illegals that might wish to go home, but are not due to the violence back home?

Does the violence act as a wall to prevent people from leaving?

Moving to News Forum