Clinton: U.S. can do more to help Mexico fight drug cartels

CNN ^ | Oct. 16, 2010 | CNN

[AuntB]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. can do more to help Mexico battle drug cartels that have started operating more like terrorists and insurgent groups.

"It is one of my highest priorities," Clinton said Friday during a speech in San Francisco at the nonpartisan Commonwealth Club. "This is one of the most difficult fights that any country faces today. We saw it over the last couple of decades in Colombia."

"We are watching drug traffickers undermine and corrupt governments in Central America, and we are watching the brutality and barbarity of their assaults on governors and mayors, the press, as well as each other, in Mexico," she added.

Clinton said the U.S. can do more than sending the Blackhawk helicopters it promised Mexico.

She said the U.S. is helping Mexico create an anonymous tipline to report drug cartels. However, she said, it can also help Mexico rebuild its criminal system and train its police force.

She likened recent drug cartel violence to terror groups.

"For the first time, they are using car bombings," Clinton said. "You see them being much more organized in a kind of paramilitary way."

Clinton's remarks come the same week she discussed the U.S. effort to find David Hartley, an American believed to have been shot by drug bandits on the border of Mexico and Texas.

The United States is "supporting local law enforcement, supporting the authorities on the border, doing everything that we know to do to try to assist in helping to find the body and helping to find the perpetrators," she said.

[AuntB]

Hillary: 'Help Mexico.....'

ANYTHING but help the USA! The deaths of our citizens doesn't even phase her.

Let's stick her out in the AZ desert where the signs are posted for US citizens to stay out because the land is occupied by armed Mexican Cartels.

"anonymous tip line'.. LMBO!

[B4Ranch]

Sure we can, stop using drugs.

[allmost]

Legalise it. No profit, less crime. Flame suit on ;)

[FrankR]

There we go again...playing policeman and Santa Claus for the whole world; let them settle their own "cartel" problems, but arm our border and if they try to bring it over here to OUR COUNTRY, make the wish they hadn't.

American citizens aren't going to hide in the back room while obama and his gestappo tries to cultivate new voters from south of the border.

There is a good reason why we have a 2nd Amendment, and those that are against it are either cowards, or don't want to face the consequences that tyranny, treason, or invasion will eventually bring.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Legalizing and taxing drugs will quickly defund these drug cartels. Like it of lump it, it's the only viable solution available.

[WellyP]

Start by SEALING the border!

[Venturer]

Exactly . We could help Mexico by closing off the border. If they don’t have a market and cannot get their supply into America they will grow weak and die.

Mexico needs to fight these drug dealers like they would fight revolutionaries. Drop taking these people to trial , fight them like you are at war, because you are.

[Slyfox]

This is one of the most difficult fights that any country faces
today. We saw it over the last couple of decades in Colombia
when my husband was nearly caught for allowing the drug
cartel access to our airport in Mena.

[AuntB]

“Legalizing and taxing drugs will quickly defund these drug cartels. Like it of lump it, it’s the only viable solution available.”

With the ballot measure to do that with Marijuana in California, we may soon find out if it works.

[rrrod]

The USA needs to de mexican itself...a good start.

[ASOC]

As much as I hate to agree, this would be the only way I see to cut off funding of the gangs and cartels.

But, would the FedGov sell dope direct, or use existing streecorner ‘Entrepreneur’ for distribution?

With farm subsidies, would good weed go for $10USD a bushel? Sell and tax sounds good, but how do you make it work? And if taxed - like proposed in Califlower, how soon before a bootleg = tax free - sales & distribution problem show up? After all, a cigarete black market is thriving now....

[ArmyTeach]

She likened recent drug cartel violence to terror groups. That's because the cartels are in bed with terrorists. Lots of signs of Islamists aiding and abetting as well as crossing the border along with Mexican and Central American illegals. Cartels are recently using common middle eastern terrorist tactics. National security issue.

[altura]

Hillary’s looking pretty good, wardrobe wise.

But I’m am on a Hillary Hair Watch.

If her hair ever starts lookin’ good, Obama better watch his back. She’s running.

[righttackle44]

Now how many camels can we kill in Mexico?

[Daveinyork]

“Flame suit on ;)”

I think you’re going to need it. I’ll don mine just after I tell you that I agree with you.

[CynicalBear]

We sure can! Close the boarder tighter then the lid on preserved peaches.

[The Comedian]

As long as brown people, somewhere, are being inconvenienced, white Americans will just have to pay and wait their turn for some scrap of attention...

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[The Theophilus]

Legalise it. No profit, less crime.

Legalize murder and rape, and there will be less crime, but surely more murders and rapes.

Its probably a total waste of time to point out that whenever drugs have been decriminalized, society as a whole crumbled. The fact that toxic chemicals permanently destroy the mind, body and society are lost on the "legalize it" people to the point I am convinced that those who want to decriminalize the current varieties of contraband want to watch society burn down and destroy itself. All of those "This is your brain...this is your brain on drugs" PSAs seem to be ineffective to those who want to be surrounded by heroine addicts, meth-heads and crack babies.

Here is a thought experiment. Imagine yourself in any of a number of lines of business and you are responsible for the company. Exactly which positions in which jobs would you be perfectly cool about the employee being stoned on the newly legalized drugs?

Ask yourself why so many companies do drug and more recently nicotine testing on their employees but don't on alcohol. These companies have no interest in being an extension of the DEA yet will spend large money and will risk terminating employees over drugs. The answer is that drugs cost a company money and if/when an employee causes dangers to those around him, expose the company to all kinds of legal trouble.

Since so many drugs are highly addictive, what do you propose the perpetually unemployed do to support themselves? Live their remaining days on welfare? And when they are disappointed that welfare doesn't provide the latest bling, fashion, feast and entertainment electronics what is the usual course for supplementing their income?

If you answer: "Crime" then please harmonize the inevitable increase in crime necessary to support a drug habit with your claim that crime will be reduced because drugs are decriminalized.

I guess what amuses me the most about the delusioned fools that advocate decriminalization is that they pretend that the same gang-bangers who have no problems rolling decapitated heads into a disco will somehow pursue a job at McDonalds or other honest work once "the profit" has been taken out of drugs. Opiates were not criminalized in the US during the Mafia's heyday so profits to the Mob didn't come from drug distribution they found other areas to reap benefits: gambling, prostitution, other contraband, protection rackets, labor unions, kidnapping and other social ills. But those facts seem to be conveniently ignored by the stoners among us.

[Free_SJersey]

"Hillary Clinton said the U.S. can do more to help Mexico battle drug cartels.."

There are many things that the US can do to help Mexico and they all begin with Mexico helping themselves. With the resources that Mexico has it should be one of the wealthiest nations on earth, not a backward and corrupt Third World country.

1. Seal the border. Libs say the criminal immigrants are just seeking a better life for themselves and their family, but what they are doing is taking the easy way out. If you can violate the US immigration law more easily and with less chance of consequence than fixing their own house, why would they try to fix it.

2. Tax and verify money transfers to Mexico. Since, behind petro-dollars, this is the Mexican economy's number two source (and it is a huge drain on the US), slowing this down would force the Mexican government to increase internal economic opportunity to make up for the loss. Require that those making the transfer verify that the funds come from a legal source and from individuals who are in the country legally. Wire transfer companies (Western Union and such) should be subject to huge fines and money laundering charges for violations.

3. Mirror our immigration policies to match Mexico's. It's only fair.

4. Tell Mexican politicians to shut up and mind their own business. Our immigration policies are none of their business. No US citizen voted for them (nor could they ever-- see #3) and they have no say here. The people of Mexico sort of elected them to fix Mexican problems. They ought to try it.

[allmost]

Comparing freedom to pick up a plant in your yard and ingesting it to rape and murder seems rather sick. I stopped reading after that $tatement. Grow the fuc@ up.