U.S. preparing integrated plan on Mexico drug war

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 3/17/09 | David Morgan

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government is working on an integrated plan to address Mexico's escalating war with drug traffickers and could complete work on the initiative as early as this week, a top U.S. military official said on Tuesday.

Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, who oversees U.S. military interests on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border as the head of Northern Command, told the Senate that the plan would likely involve all agencies of government including law enforcement and the military.

Among the priorities are likely to be measures to deal with violence that spills over the U.S. border, the flow of small arms from the United States to Mexico, support for the Mexican military, tightening border security and the spreading presence of Mexican cartels in U.S. cities.

The military is already employing border security techniques mastered in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, including unmanned aerial vehicles and technology capable of locating underground tunnels.

But an interagency government team, meeting this week at the Department of Homeland Security, is expected to produce a broad new initiative to confront a drug war that has killed thousands in Mexico and spilled over into U.S. cities such as Phoenix in a surge of kidnappings and other gang-related violence.

"This is a whole of government problem and I think the best response is an integrated approach and we're working toward that aggressively," Renuart said at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I think we'll have good plans come out of this work this week," he said.

[NormsRevenge]

A Mexican Federal Police agent patrols the streets of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico during an anti-narcotic operation on March 5, 2009. Mexican President Felipe Calderon's sweeping war on violent drug cartels can succeed despite soaring levels of deadly violence resulting from the campaign, a top US official said Tuesday. (AFP/File/Jesus Alcazar)

[skeeter]

Perhaps a little taxpayer money to 'prime' the dealers' 'pumps' maybe?

A stimulus package for mexican felons?

[NormsRevenge]

At a separate Tuesday hearing before a panel of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic Senator Richard Durbin estimated that Mexican drug cartels are now present in at least 230 U.S. cities, compared to 50 cities in 2006.

“They are the new face of crime in the age of globalization,” Durbin said.

—

many Special Forces trained..

[gaijin]

[Nipplemancer]

i didn’t think they were that serious when they said War on Drugs. Militarizing the border does nothing to address the underlying problem which is universal prohibition.

[NormsRevenge]

Smoke ‘em if ya spot ‘em lamp is lit.

[unixfox]

The War On Drugs has worked so well here, I guess we might as well help Mexico with theirs.

[Eva]

Yes, an integrated plan on war on drugs, but not on trade.

From the WSJ:

President Obama often campaigned as a trade warrior, and now he’s getting his wish. Mexico announced yesterday that it will raise tariffs on 90 U.S. products, affecting some $2.4 billion in goods across 40 states. The move was retaliation for the recent decision by Congress, signed into law by Mr. Obama, to close the Southern U.S. border to Mexican trucks.

[sniper63]

This sounds like a plan of Zero to put more military troops in Texas to subvert any secession from happening under the guise of border safety. Since when do the libtards care about illegal aliens in the U.S.

Buyer beware......

[hinckley buzzard]

...the plan would likely involve all agencies of government including law enforcement and the military.

Proof that the "Plan" is BS and intended to fail. It will be doomed before it gets off the ground. Might as well leave it in the hands of Homeland Security. We've seen how efficiently they manage these "multi-agency" clusterf*cks.

If they were actually intent on succeeding, the proper course is self-evident. Close the border except for heavily policed crossings. Build the security barrier and guard it with military resources. If some a-hole scoots across the border and dumps a van load of scum, shoot them. Repeat as needed. End of problem within 30 days.

[Nuc1]

Norm,

The only question I have is which side P.BO will be on?

Prayers up for the brave Mexican Police and Army personnel fighting those monsters. Your valor honers your nation.

[Falcon4.0]

This is where obie is going to justify and or bury his “Assault Weapons Ban”. I heard the Tag Line today. They are calling the arms flow “A River of Iron”.

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[AuntB]

Here it comes. Plus a Poll!

Focus shifts to flow of cash, arms into Mexico

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/17/MND616HC2C.DTL

[snip]California lawmakers and the Obama administration have begun to shift U.S. border policy with Mexico, abruptly changing focus from illegal immigration to the flow of cash and weapons from the United States that is fueling a savage war between the Mexican government and powerful drug cartels.

“It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico and used to shoot judges, police officers, mayors, kidnap innocent people and do terrible things come from the United States,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said at a hearing Tuesday. “I am appalled that you can buy a 50-caliber sniper weapon anywhere and it’s not restricted to a federal firearms dealer - you can just buy it.”

The Question

Which should be the priority at the border?

Thanks for your vote!
Stopping illegal immigrants (103)
18%
Fighting drug, cash, arms smugglers (193)
34%
Need to do a better job of both (271)
48%
Total Votes: 567

[SwinneySwitch]

Ping!

If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.

[wolfcreek]

One of the few things Barry’s done right. We didn’t want those trucks here anyway.

[wolfcreek]

I’d watch for foreign troops coming to our border. Like New York, New Jersy or any of those Yankee states.

[Eva]

A trade war with our third largest trading partner is not a good thing.

Don’t worry, Obama has plans to marginalize the AFL-CIO after he gets the country firmly in the hands of the SEIU. The AFL-CIO is way too white for Obama’s taste.

[wolfcreek]

“Talks to diffuse the first trade dispute of President Barack Obama’s administration can’t begin until the U.S. has a Commerce Secretary, Economy Minister Gerardo Ruiz Mateos said. Discussions to resolve the dispute will start once his counterpart, Gary Locke, is confirmed by the Senate, the economy minister said.”

Just Barry’s bunch screwing up again.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209593/posts