Richardson urges US on aid package for Mexico

AP ^ | ALEXANDRA OLSON

[SwinneySwitch]

MEXICO CITY — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson urged U.S. lawmakers Thursday to resolve their differences over an aid package to help Mexico fight drugs, saying it would be "disastrous" for security on both sides of the border if the Merida Initiative fell through.

U.S. President George W. Bush has used a wave of violence in Mexico to push for Congressional approval of the first US$500 million installment of the multiyear aid proposal.

But the U.S. Senate approved only US$450 million for the plan, and the House US$461.5 million. The two chambers must agree on a final version before sending it back to Bush for approval.

Richardson said Mexican President Felipe Calderon deserved support in his aggressive fight against drug cartels, including deploying 25,000 troops to hotspots across the country. He said Mexico was in critical need of more resources for that fight, noting a string of attacks against police that have left several top commanders dead.

"It is important that the Senate and House resolve their differences because it would be disastrous if Plan Merida went down the tube," Richardson said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"What is needed mostly is resources, equipment and personnel, and it would be disastrous for the border states if the commitment to Plan Merida were diminished," he said.

The Merida Initiative would provide helicopters, planes, computer systems and police dogs. But the Congressional versions would impose several conditions on the aid, including guarantees of civilian investigations into human rights abuses by the Mexican military.

Calderon has called the conditions an intrusion on Mexican sovereignty, and Attorney General Eduardo Medina said last week Mexico would wait until the plan is approved before deciding whether to accept the aid.

Richardson, who was in Mexico for a meeting between Calderon and governors from both sides of the border, said he was confident that Congress was "within striking distance of a potential deal that is also acceptable to Mexico."

The governors met with Calderon to push for federal help in crime-fighting and border security. They made a similar appeal to Bush in February.

Despite Calderon's crackdown, violence has made an unprecedented surge in Mexico. Cartels have responded with increasingly bold attacks against police and other security officials. Homicides related to organized crime have jumped 47 percent so far this year: 1,378 deaths compared with 940 in the same period last year.

Calderon said the root of the problem was demand for drugs in the U.S. and called for more to be done about it.

Despite Mexico's relentless violence, the U.S. governors offered staunch support for Calderon.

"Calderon is a great leader," said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "We would like to congratulate him for the courage that he has to stand up against the drug lords and to fight them."

[SwinneySwitch]

Calderon has called the conditions an intrusion on Mexican sovereignty, and Attorney General Eduardo Medina said last week Mexico would wait until the plan is approved before deciding whether to accept the aid.

[nikos1121]

But let’s veto any vote or discussion on Columbia.

Just another partisan, light weight. I hope Obama chooses this guy for VP, they I KNOW McCain will win.

[Parmy]

I probably am naieve, but isn’t Mexico an oil rich country? Can’t they pay for their own problems with the money they get from the oil?

[MD_Willington_1976]

Aid package..? They already have one, its called California!

[unkus]

“Just another partisan, light weight. I hope Obama chooses this guy for VP, they I KNOW McCain will win.”

No hablo ingles...but I know enough to vote for theeese guys.

[TLI]

U.S. President George W. Bush has used a wave of violence in Mexico to push for Congressional approval of the first US$500 million installment of the multiyear aid proposal.

$500,000,000 dollars. Right.

Give me the money and I can shut that border DOWN. Cold, hard and fast. George is handing out a payoff because giving that money to Calderon is about the same as tossing it into an incinerator.

[Vigilanteman]

How about we assist them by helping all the good, hard-working Mexicans who are building our country and doing the jobs Americans won't do go home and build their country?

Can somebody explain why, if illegal immigration is such a good thing to America, why it wouldn't be a good thing to Mexico?

[Guenevere]

And one of the richest men, if not THE richest man, is Mexican and lives in Mexico.

[Oldexpat]

Sounds like a quarmire to me. Sounds like civil war when you have to call out the army. Sounds like nation building. Sounds like we need to build a higher bigger fence and post more guards.

[TLI]

Can’t they pay for their own problems with the money they get from the oil?

They are running out to the tune of 10% reduction in production per year. This is very bad news as when Mexico looses that 40% of its operational revenue their "economy" will totally crash, the population of mexico will pour across our STILL unsecured border and could very easily spark a war right here in the U.S.

[Guenevere]

..they just keep slogging it to us, don’t they.

[domenad]

Veto the entire thing and spend the money on closing the border. No border passage, no drugs. What, I have to think of everything around here?

[AuntB]

“Veto the entire thing and spend the money on closing the border. No border passage, no drugs. What, I have to think of everything around here?”

We get it!! Please, go to DC and explain it to those dolts. Please!

[SwinneySwitch]

Mexico ambassador to U.S. Arturo Surukhan, left, Chihuahua Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza, second from left, Baja California Gov. Eugenio Elorduy, third from left, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, fourth from left, Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinoza, fifth from left, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, sixth from left, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, center, Nuevo Leon Gov. Natividad Gonzalez, sixth from right, Interior Secretary Juan Mourino, fifth from right, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, fourth from right, Sonora Gov. Eduardo Bours, third from right, Coahuila Gov. Humberto Moreira, second from right, and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza, pose for pictures during a meeting at the Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City, Thursday, May 29, 2008. The governors of California, Texas and New Mexico planned to offer support to Calderon for his crackdown against the drug trade, in which he has deployed more than 20,000 federal troops across Mexico.
(AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

[TLI]

Group mug shot?

[SwinneySwitch]

On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence.

We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions.

Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

America should be concerned about the very real possibility that Mexico, within ten years, could collapse into civil war.

Only the truly arrogant, blinded by their post modern fantasies of internationalism, would believe that such a thing is impossible; though most of us hope that Mexico is beyond such a thing. Think again.

Most successful revolutions come from what passes as the middle class in a country. The rich can usually buy the government they want, and the poor have too few resources.

Whatever the cause of such a collapse could be several things, but certainly it will be financed by the gigantic drug cartels. And there will be external forces at work as well, most likely just enabling the smuggling of weapons.

So what does the US do? To start with, there is never going to be a US-Mexico wall of consequence. The forces in both political parties that do not want a wall are too powerful and invested in stopping its construction at any cost. Such a wall comes out of their bank account—there is no better lobbyist.

This means that several divisions of soldiers will be tasked at keeping out, not migrants, but refugees. People fleeing insane violence and butchery. The soldiers will also be ready to fire on those who fire over the border, as some foolishly may do.

Of course, fools in the US will want to open the gates, and if they are successful, they will import battles North of the border, and Americans will be killed. But the fools responsible will live nowhere near the border, so they will not care.

[domenad]

Please have a care, too much truth can be toxic in high doses.

[SwinneySwitch]

¿Foto del grupo?

[TexasCajun]

Whether on the Right or on the Left, Everyone can agree on one thing:

MEXICO SUCKS !!