Posted on 03/04/2003 10:39:42 PM PST by yankeedame
Fox: Mexico Doesn't Fear U.S. Reprisal
Wednesday March 5, 2003
MEXICO CITY (AP) - President Vicente Fox said Tuesday Mexico isn't worried abut the United States' reprisal if it doesn't back a resolution supporting war with Iraq, and said Mexico would not accept any unilateral U.S. action to disarm Iraq.
Also Tuesday, officials confirmed that Mexico's foreign secretary had tried to revive a Canadian compromise proposal on the conflict in a Saturday meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Mexico, a member of the U.N. Security Council, is one of several nations that has declined to say how it would vote on a U.S.-backed resolution paving the way for war with Iraq.
Mexicans largely oppose military action against Iraq, and Fox doesn't want to offend voters before crucial congressional elections this summer. Some Mexicans, however, fear a vote against their powerful northern neighbor would anger the United States, the destination for more than 85 percent of Mexican exports.
Recent statements by Fox stressing the need to disarm Saddam Hussein appeared to indicate Mexico was edging closer to the U.S. position.
But on Tuesday Fox told a meeting of businessmen in the central state of Aguascalientes: ``We are not going to accept any unilateral decisions.''
``We say 'No war, yes to peace,''' Fox told the crowd. ``Imagine what kind of world we would have if everybody took unilateral decisions about starting a war.''
Fox also said Mexico shouldn't fear retaliation from the United States if it stuck to its pro-peace stance.
``We are in an almost daily dialogue, they know our position and we're convinced there won't be any reprisals.''
British officials met with their Mexican counterparts Friday and Saturday in Mexico in a bid to sway undecided Security Council nations.
Powell and Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez spoke by telephone on Monday and met Saturday at Powell's home in the Virginia suburbs, Foreign Relations Department spokesman Allan Nahum said.
Nahum said Derbez asked Powell about a compromise plan of the type proposed by Canada - a sign that Mexico is looking for a way to please both sides. The Canadian proposal would set a series of benchmarks Iraq would have to meet by the end of the month.
If I see a man raping a woman in an alleyway, am I supposed to wait until someone else comes along to join me in stopping it?
You forgot part of the meaning,..A land of people that have no respect for *our laws, our sovereignty, our rules, our borders*. They could care less about our laws or what might be in the best interest for America.
Mexico is no different than France, except that millions from Mexico are crashing our borders and invading our country. To be sure, France has caused us no where near the problems Mexico has.
How stupid can our leaders be?
Absolutely right. But Fox is missing the point. Unlike socialist countries, Americans are intelligent enough and stubborn enough to boycott on their own. We don't need governmental handlers leading us around by the nose. Not that I'm advocating a Mexican boycott, yet, but if I should decide it's appropriate I'll just start doing it . . . just like most other Americans who've decided it's warranted.
I'd be more than willing to do without the trash imports that come from Mexico should the U.S. break trade with Fox.
How many miniature sombrero keychains do I need anyway?
Why do you think that is? Is it an attempt to buy Mexican votes? Is it a payback of political debts to coroporate GOP sponsors who want cheap labor? Is it some NWO tactic to eventually do away with national borders?
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