Posted on 03/06/2009 10:16:24 AM PST by AuntB
The Mexican president has blamed US "corruption" for hampering his nation's efforts to combat violent drug cartels.
Felipe Calderon also told the AFP news agency that the main cause of Mexico's drug gang problems was "having the world's biggest consumer [of drugs] next to us".
"Drug trafficking in the United States is fuelled by the phenomenon of corruption on the part of the American authorities," he said on Wednesday.
The Mexican president launched a massive assault on drug cartels after entering office in late 2006 but the cartels have responded with campaigns of violence and intimidation that left 6,000 dead in 2008 alone and around 1,000 in 2009 so far.
Calderon acknowledged some Mexican officials had helped the cartels but said the US should ask itself how many of its own officials were implicated.
"It is not an exclusively Mexican problem, it is a common problem between Mexico and the United States," he said.
"I want to know how many American officials have been prosecuted for this [corruption]."
Border concerns
Mexico has deployed thousands of troops in a bid to quell drugs violence [Reuters] Calderon, who has deployed more than 36,000 troops to the troubled Mexico-US border regions to crack down on violence, also said that the US must halt the flow of weapons into Mexico, where the police and security services are often outgunned.
But he said recent talks with Barack Obama, the US president, had provided "a clearer, more decisive response, one which matches the magnitude of the problem which we face," he said.
Mexican border cities, such as Ciudad Juarez have suffered the brunt of the violence prompting concerns in Washington that the killings and attacks could cross over into the US.
On Wednesday at least 20 people were killed during a prison riot in the city sparked by violence between rival gangs.
Mexican authorities have said they plan to have around 7,500 troops deployed in Ciudad Juarez by the end of this week in a bid to quell the violence, along with 2,000 in the rest of Chihuahua state.
Calderon's comments come as Admiral Mike Mullen, head of the US military, is due to visit Mexico this week as the US is to step up military and other assistance to Mexico in its battle against the cartels.
In February the US department of justice said US and Mexican authorities had arrested 750 people over 21 months in an anti-drug sweep, including 52 members of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel.
Do you really believe that? How are we going to stop the supply from coming in? We've tried for decades to do that with very little luck. We've spent many billions of dollars and an awful lot of manpower over the years and illegal drugs are as easily available as ever and have actually gotten cheaper and more pure in many cases. I just don't think it's possible to stop the flow of drugs, not with so many billions of dollars to be made. If we ever get the fence built that will help a little bit, but they'll still get the drugs in. They'll grow more pot here and they'll figure out how to get the cocaine, meth and heroin in. According to government estimates they bring in less than a thousand tons of all those drugs combined which really isn't that much when you think about it in terms of the volume that amount would fill. It's a couple of dozen tractor trailer loads. They'll cut holes in the fence. They'll use boats, planes, tunnels, submarines, remote controlled aircraft, etc. They'll bribe people at the border. No matter how well we seal the border there will always be cracks. We'll be able to stop the people who just walk across the border to come here to work, but not highly motivated drug smugglers who make many thousands for each load that will likely sell for millions in this country. I think the notion that we are going to stop that is pure fantasy. There is just too much demand and too much money to be made meeting that demand.
For how long? They'll just forget about marijuana at that point and get serious about coke and heroin, and you can't legalize all of it.
Im just going to go over a few years worth of some of the aid weve given Mexico. In fact, weve given aid to Mexico for decades and that aid continues today!
In 2001, USAID gave Mexico 7.885 million dollars for Development Assistance, 5.987 million dollars for Child Survival and Health Programs and 6.178 million dollars in Economic Support Funds.
In 2002, USAID gave Mexico 8.116 million dollars for Development Assistance, 9.500 million dollars for Child Survival and Health Programs and 10.000 million dollars in Economic Support Funds.
In 2003, USAID gave Mexico 13.224 million dollars for Development Assistance, 5.205 million dollars for Child Survival and Health Programs and 11.685 million dollars in Economic Support Funds.
In 2004, USAID gave Mexico 17.895 million dollars for Development Assistance, 3.700 million dollars for Child Survival and Health Programs and 11.432 million dollars in Economic Support Funds.
And yes, providing law enforcement equipment is aid, and it in no way, shape or form benefited the United States.
I have a a feeling about all that aid to Mexico...You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
Good to see you, MI.
The following is a rueters article, can’t be posted, but interesting.
http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSN06397194
US military chief backs counter-insurgency for Mexico
It talks about the ‘support’ we will give Mexico. Mullen said he and his Mexican hosts did not discuss the possibility of placing U.S. troops on the U.S.-Mexican border, an idea suggested by Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
According to our government, about 90% of the cocaine consumed in this country comes through Mexico, is supplied by these organizations. They're also supplying most all the meth and heroin consumed here. They are serious about these drugs. But there is only a limited demand for them. Americans consume more marijuana than all these other illegal drug combined. The black market for illegal drugs is mostly a black market for marijuana. These other drugs are expensive and profit margins are high, but most of the money is coming from marijuana. According to the ONDCP, about 62% of their gross proceeds from drugs bound for the U.S. comes from marijuana. They gross about %28 of gross proceeds comes from the next biggest seller, cocaine, but that must first be purchased and smuggled from South America before they bring it here. They don't produce it like they produce the marijuana. The drug czar, John Walters, says marijuana is the “bread and butter,” “the center of gravity” for Mexican drug cartels. Taking marijuana from them would be a devastating blow to these organizations.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/022208dnintdrugs.3a98bb0.html
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