Obama pledges to help Mexico fight drug cartels

[cory777]

Source: Reuters

23 Mar 2010 01:44:32 GMT

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - On the eve of a high-level meeting to discuss the fight against Mexico's powerful drug cartels, President Barack Obama called Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Monday and underscored the U.S. pledge to help.

The two leaders spoke of a "mutual desire to work together for the benefit of the safety and security of citizens on both sides of our shared border," White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said.

"The president highlighted the importance he places on fulfilling our responsibility in the effort against Mexican drug trafficking organizations, as well as our sustained commitment to support Mexico's efforts," Hammer said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62M0BH20100323

[PinkFloyd]

1. They could defeat the cartels easy...End "the war on drugs".

If they did the drugs would become worthless and the cartels would serve no purpose. Plus, the drugs would become taxed and regulated and in the end I bet there wouldn't be much change in the number of people who use them.

[abq e streeter]

2. That's entirely too logical and sensible, and we can't have that in our drug policies, now can we?

[rabs]

3. Fleshing out the Reuters report

Hil, Gates and company merely are going to Mexico to throw more millions into the $1.4 bbbillion Merida Initiative, now known south of the border as "Plan Mexico" and modeled after the failed $6.5 bbbillion Plan Colombia.

Typical U.S. policy -- got an illegal drug problem in Latin America? Just throw billions of dollars at it.

As for the two U.S. citizens and the Mexican national (linked to the U.S. Consulate), the FBI says it has no clue and at first said the killings were not related to the consulate.

Scuttlebutt in Juarez is that the killings were ordered from El Paso, and the target was the husband of the U.S. Consulate employee. The husband worked for the El Paso Sheriff's Department and was a prison guard. Suspicion is that jailed "Barrio Azteca" gang members in El Paso ordered the hit on him by the brother "Azteca" gang in Juarez.

Over the weekend, El Paso police, DEA, and a slew of other agencies rounded up 54 members or associates of the Barrio Aztecas in El Paso. Cops were especially looking for gang members with the tatoo "21," "XXI" and BA on their arms or body. "21" and "XXI" stand for the second and first letters of the alphabet, hence "BA."

As for the Mexican national who was killed, it appears to be a case of mistaken identity. The two U.S. citizens and the Mexican had been at a consulate-sponsored party for employees and their children. The U.S. couple drove away in a white Toyota SUV, the Mexican left at the same time in a white Honda SUV. Both had children in the back seat.

The hit teams followed and fired on both vehicles apparently to make sure they got their target.

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Info above from Juarez and El Paso media.

[Webster Green]

4. Really stupid idea.

Most of the cartel's trade is in pot.

Pot is not only harmless, it is beneficial, for recreation as well as for medical uses.

Legalize it! Problem solved.

[msongs]

5. obama loves wars as does the US as a society. we have a war on too many things nt

[timo]

6. iraq vs. afghan vs. mexico

which pit will incur the most fraud and mis appropriation of funds??
I am betting that mexico will defraud more funds per capita, because the level of graft and corruption there is just off the charts, at least in the other 2 money pits a little bit of good got done here and there!!

[pipoman]

7. Pump in the money

with absolutely no conditions on the recipients. The US needs to stop the war on drugs, Mexico needs to move on their governmental corruption and enacting human rights legislation to begin making things better.