Aid to Mexico an urgent priority (Let's return their citizens!)

Miami Herald ^ | May. 20, 2008

[ajodl]

OUR OPINION: U.S. MUST SUPPORT EFFORT TO DEFEAT NARCOTICS CRIMINALS

The outpouring of drug-related violence in Mexico over the last few months has made it indisputably clear that President Felipe Calderón's government is engaged in a fight to the death against the powerful criminal gangs that run the cross-border drug trade. For Mexico, the stakes are all too clear: Either it prevails or the country becomes one big sanctuary for druglords. With Mexico reaching out to the United States for help and the Bush administration eager to comply, Congress must make assistance to Mexico an urgent priority.

Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee took the first significant step toward approving the aid package known as the Merida Initiative by approving a $1.6 billion plan to fight drug trafficking in Mexico and Central America. This is a welcome move, but the bill still has a number of hurdles to overcome, and, meanwhile, the fire in Mexico is gathering intensity.

Officials murdered

In the last two months, 12 Mexican federal police officials have been assassinated, including the acting federal police chief and other high-ranking law enforcement officers. Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nuevo Laredo -- three major border cities -- have become increasingly dangerous. On May 10, the No. 2 officer on the Ciudad Juarez police force was shot more than 50 times and killed, and this weekend the police chief himself resigned.

The Merida Initiative, named for the city where Presidents Bush and Calderón announced the plan, represents the U.S. part of a partnership aimed at stopping this growing security threat. Most of the funding goes toward providing helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to the Mexican government to combat the narcotics trade, along with training for operations.

Unreasonable proposals

It prohibits cash payments of any kind and it includes significant protections, such as barring the involvement of units accused of human-rights abuses. Even with these kinds of safeguards, supporters of the measure in the Foreign Relations panel had to fight back efforts by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., and others to add conditions that would have made the bill unworkable. One defeated proposal would block the aid to Mexico unless the U.S. president certifies that the U.S.-Mexico border is secure.

Such proposals are not only unreasonable, but counter-productive. They are designed to stymie all aid to Mexico at a time when the government is waging a fight in which the United States has a major stake. If the violence in Mexico is not checked, it is only a matter of time before it spills over across the border. Mr. Calderón has courageously decided to make a stand against drug criminals. By helping him, the United States will be helping itself.

[quant5]

Seal the border with 20,000 border agents, huey helicopters and predator drones with live ammo. Stop prosecuting border agents when rocks, knives or guns are used on them and the agents use deadly force. Aid Mexico by teaching them to fish in exhange for energy resources we need instead of giving them a fish at the expense of the taxpayers.

[Liz]

I was buying decorative rock for a rock garden (sold by the pound).

Latino guy told me one weighed “leben pon.”

[quant5]

Yeah, they haven’t realized it’s going to be impossible to disarm the 60 million of us gun owners and that sitting on top of the global political hill doesn’t mean the gorilla of We the People can’t knock them off. Hey, I want every bright minded, disease free person in the world coming to America. I just want to receive part of the benefit, not just the bill. I want America to be the great melting pot where citizenship is earned, not special interests pandered to for votes or global sentiment. I want the rule of law followed as I must follow it as a citizen and not view illegal aliens of any color able to break the law and be released to go pick up there housing, welfare checks, medical and food stamps. Yep, we sure are racist us U.S. citizens!

[quant5]

OMG that was funny but so irratating and true. That happens at the airport these days too, where it’s not so funny when your attempting to know when a flight MIGHT take off, or if they booked you on the next days flight.

[Liz]

I just read where hiring kitchen personnel in Las Vegas casinos, from top chefs on down, is totally controlled by latinos-—they let no one in-—the rig the hiring for their relatives and friends.