Mexico - Mexico angry about conditions imposed by U.S. for its Plan Merida anti-drug package

[Expat98]

Could the anti-drug package for Mexico be in jeopardy? I don't really see them turning it down, but what a snub to the U.S. that would be if they did!

Imagine the hypocrisy of a country that tortures its own prisoners and then berates other countries about human rights!

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U.S. conditions threaten Mexico anti-drug package

07:55 AM CDT on Thursday, May 29, 2008

By LAURENCE ILIFF / The Dallas Morning News
liliff@dallasnews.com / The Dallas Morning News

MEXICO CITY – Mexico will tell the U.S. to keep its money, if the U.S. Congress insists on linking a proposed anti-drug aid package to a series of human rights and legal conditions along with whittling down its dollar value, Mexican politicians, analysts and a top law enforcement official said Wednesday. Both houses of Congress have passed the package but have not agreed on a final version.

The conditions – which touch on human rights, judicial reforms and other issues – amount to a return to "certification," a past practice in which the U.S. unilaterally decided whether nations were doing enough to fight drug production and trafficking, said José Luís Santiago Vasconcelos, assistant attorney general for international affairs.

Mexico considered certification a violation of its sovereignty.

"Why don't we tell the Americans to use those [funds] for their own interdiction forces or interception forces ... and stop the flow of weapons," Mr. Santiago Vasconcelos said in a radio interview. "Rather than giving them to Mexico, they can be used by the Americans to reinforce their Customs service, their Border Patrol, and stop the arms trafficking to our country."

Mr. Santiago Vasconcelos' boss, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora, said in a television interview Wednesday that President Felipe Calderón is waiting to see the final version of the aid package before making a decision.

"The president will very carefully consider what is finally approved, and defending the best interests of Mexico, will make the correct decision, of that we can be sure," Mr. Medina Mora said.

The sudden change in the Mexican government's tone – after heralding the package as an unprecedented opportunity for the two nations to work together on a critical issue – could mark the end of the so-called Merida Initiative, analysts said.

The $1.4 billion plan is aimed at helping Mexico obtain helicopters, improve intelligence sharing, and reduce the smuggling of high-powered weapons from the U.S. to Mexico. It is named after the Mexican city where President Bush and Mr. Calderón first discussed the deal in March 2007.

"I think one way or another, it's dead," said political commentator Ricardo Alemán. "Mr. Vasconcelos is a very high-ranking police official and has support from the government."

No political party will support an aid package with the U.S. if serious strings are attached, Mr. Alemán said, especially one that offers no cash payments at all, but rather "in-kind" support made up mostly of used "junk" helicopters.

The last time Mexico accepted used helicopters from the U.S., it was forced to give them back after several crashed.

Mr. Alemán said a rejection of a flawed deal with the U.S. would be politically popular for Mr. Calderón, who is losing some support for the bloody drug war that has taken 4,150 lives since he took office Dec. 1, 2006. More than 450 of those slain have been police.

"Mexicans are very unyielding on this," Mr. Alemán said. "First you reduce the amount, and then you put on conditions, so why don't you just keep your money."

Nationalism surfaces

Some Mexican politicians echoed those sentiments, showing the nationalism for which the nation is famous when dealing with the U.S. Others were taking a more wait-and-see approach.

Meanwhile, American officials held out the possibility that Congress could backtrack on the conditions to the plan and the cuts.

White House spokesman Blair Jones said Wednesday that the administration is pushing Congress to revert to Mr. Bush's original proposal, which allocated $500 million for Mexico and $50 million for Central America.

"The Merida Initiative represents a partnership with Mexico and Central America to combat the common threats of narcotics and related violence. This initiative reflects our shared responsibility to address a critical security issue," Mr. Jones said.

"President Calderón and the leaders of Central America are doing their part; it's in our own interest to help them succeed," he said. "The legislative process is not complete and ... we continue to urge Congress to support the president's request as originally proposed."

Mexican politicians from left to right have warned the U.S. that they will not accept severe conditions on the package, which evolved into a three-year deal, with $500 million for the first year. Congress has since cut the first payment to $350 million.

Mr. Calderón's conservative National Action Party, or PAN, does not have a majority in the Mexican Congress, and party politicians have been nearly as vocal as the opposition in rejecting conditions.

Ruth Zavaleta, coordinator of the lower house of Congress for the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution, rejected the U.S. Senate version of the aid package as interventionist.

"We are the first ones to defend the idea that Mexico needs these reforms, along with advances in human rights," she said. "But the United States cannot make unilateral demands."

'More information'

Juan Francisco Rivera Bedoya, president of the public security commission of the lower house of Congress and a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, said there remains a lack of information on just how far-reaching the U.S. conditions might be once the Congress there has a final bill.

"It's not an outright rejection," he said Wednesday. "We want more information."

Politically, however, conditions could be a deal-breaker, he said.

Eduardo de la Torre Jaramillo, a member of the ruling party who sits on the lower house's defense commission, said U.S. politicians need to understand that Mexico has done its part and does not need additional conditions that could kill the deal.

He cited record drugs seizures, the extraditions of drug lords to the United States and 22,000 people prosecuted for drug crimes under Mr. Calderón, along with sweeping judicial reforms and better police training.

"My message to U.S. legislators and the U.S. government is that we need cooperation but that we cannot change our laws in a radical way or return to the old models of the late 1990s" when the United States unilaterally "certified" nations in the drug fight.

Staff writer Brendan McKenna in Washington and news assistant Javier Garcia in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Verg good find along with others posted of late. Thanks.
	thanks for the update

[Lunar Loops]

This from the ONDCP website:

President Bush Signs the Merida Initiative Into Law


Director Walters has issued a statement:

“We are facing a wave of criminal violence in Mexico and Central America that spills across our southern border into the United States. Today, the President signed into law the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008, which includes funding for the Mérida Initiative, a critical multi-year proposal to provide equipment, training and support for democratic institutions in Mexico and Central America. The bill includes $465 million for to crack down on violent drug trafficking gangs.

The bipartisan supporters of the Merida Initiative in Congress are to be commended for providing vital resources at this critical time. The Mérida Initiative is a remarkable opportunity for the United States and Mexico to work cooperatively against a deadly threat that menaces both our nations. The Government of Mexico is fighting a deadly battle to protect human rights and stop those who seek to rule by violence and terror. Since taking office in 2006, President Felipe Calderón of Mexico has embarked on a bold counter-drug strategy, deploying thousands of troops in an aggressive crackdown on drug trafficking and related violence along the border. More than 25,000 Mexican troops have participated in operations in their states that border Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. Out of a total security budget of approximately $7 billion in 2007, the Mexican government dedicated about $2.4 billion to the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking. The Mexican people are committed to principles of justice, and we are pleased in being able join them in this common cause.”

[Lunar Loops]

And here is the word from the mouth of the head horse. This statement was taken from official whitehouse website and relates to the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008, which includes funding for the Merida Initiative:

President Bush Signs H.R. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20


9:48 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. A few moments ago I signed legislation that funds our troops who are in harm's way. Our nation has no greater responsibility than supporting our men and women in uniform -- especially since we're at war. This is a responsibility all of us in Washington share -- not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. And I want to thank leaders of the House and Senate for getting this bill to my office.

America remains a nation at war. There are enemies who intend to harm us. Standing in their way are brave men and women, who put on the uniform, who raise their right hand, and took an oath to defend our freedom. They volunteered to deploy in distant lands, far from their families, far from their homes, and far from comfort of America. And every day, they risk their lives to defeat our adversaries and to keep our country safe.

We owe these brave Americans our gratitude. We owe them our unflinching support. And the best way to demonstrate that support is to give them the resources they need to do their jobs and to prevail. The bill I sign today does exactly that. It provides necessary funds to support our troops as they conduct military operations in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in other theaters in the war on terror.

I appreciate that Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed to provide these vital funds without tying the hands of our commanders, and without an artificial timetable of withdrawal from Iraq. Our troops have driven the terrorists and extremists from many strongholds in Iraq; today violence is at the lowest level since March of 2004. As a result of this progress, some of our troops are coming home as result of our policy called "return on success." We welcome them home. And with this legislation we send a clear message to all that are servings [sic] on the front line that our nation continues to support them.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to our nation's military families. They endure sleepless nights, and the daily struggle of caring for children while a loved one is serving far from home. We have a responsibility to provide for them. So I'm pleased that the bill I sign today includes an expansion of the GI Bill. This legislation will make it easier for our troops to transfer unused education benefits to their spouses and children. It will help us to recruit and reward the best military on the face of the Earth. It will help us to meet our responsibilities to those who support our troops every day -- America's great military families.

The bill also includes agreed-upon funding for other critical national priorities. This bill includes $465 million for the Merida Initiative -- a partnership with Mexico and nations in Central America to crack down on violent drug trafficking gangs. The bill includes nearly $2.7 billion to help ensure that any state facing a disaster like the recent flooding and tornadoes in the Midwest has access to needed resources. This bill includes a measured expansion of unemployment insurance benefits with a reasonable work requirement. And this bill holds overall discretionary spending within the sensible limits that I requested.

The bill is a result of close collaboration between my administration and members of both parties on Capitol Hill. I appreciate the hard work of my Cabinet -- especially the leaders of Defense and State, and Veterans Affairs, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as well as OMB. I want to thank House and Senate leadership and leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. I am particularly grateful to Congressmen Boehner, Hoyer, Obey, and Lewis. And I want to thank members who worked hard for the GI Bill expansion -- especially Senators Webb and Warner, Graham, Burr, and McCain.

This bill shows the American people that even in an election year, Republicans and Democrats can come together to stand behind our troops and their families.

Thank you for coming.