Pubdate: Mon, 15 Oct 2007
Source: Sierra Vista Herald (AZ)
Copyright: 2007 Sierra Vista Herald
Contact:  http://www.svherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1379
Author: Jeremy Schwartz
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
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http://www.svherald.com/articles/2007/10/15/news/doc47131308449b6293939573.txt

DRUG WAR WORRIES SOME MEXICANS

U.S. Proposes To Spend $1.4 Billion In Fight

Published on Monday, October 15, 2007 MEXICO CITY -- A massive U.S. 
aid package to fight violent drug cartels has sparked a collective 
bout of hand-wringing in Mexico, where anything hinting at U.S. 
intervention has long been viewed with suspicion.

For months, Mexico has been consumed with news of the proposed 
package, although little has been publicly revealed except for its 
price tag: a reported $1.4 billion over two years, on par with what 
Colombia receives as part of that country's controversial 
drug-eradication program. Advertisement*

Mexico, which has had more than 2,000 drug-related, execution-style 
murders this year, might be expected to welcome such a bounty with 
open arms. But the two nations' mutual history -- which includes the 
loss of one-third of Mexico's territory to the United States -- makes 
any U.S. involvement in Mexico a touchy subject.

While President Felipe Calderon's government has pursued U.S. 
assistance, opposition politicians have argued the aid package would 
violate Mexico's sovereignty and polls show most Mexicans oppose the help.

Concern has centered not on the aid itself -- which will likely be 
used for military and law enforcement training and to buy equipment 
like helicopters -- but on what might accompany it.

Analysts on both sides of the border say the aid will most certainly 
come with some level of oversight from the U.S. Congress, which may 
be hard to swallow for Mexican agencies unused to a public accounting 
of any kind, let alone from a foreign government.

"There will be an enormous amount of scrutiny and a lot of questions 
on how the money is used and how effective Mexico's anti-narcotic 
strategy is," said Ana Maria Salazar, a Mexico City analyst and 
former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for drug 
enforcement policy and support. "That will always be an uncomfortable factor."

Presidents Bush and Calderon are expected to announce details of the 
plan in two or three weeks, when the proposals will likely be sent to 
the nations' respective congresses for approval.

U.S. officials have praised Mexico's recent efforts, saying military 
crackdowns on the cartels have disrupted the flow of drugs into the 
United States.

"Calderon has done a phenomenal job in addressing the cartels and 
criminal gangs," U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, who has pushed 
for the aid package, said in a telephone interview. "I think they 
warrant and deserve our assistance."

The complicated relationship with the United States causes Mexican 
officials to chafe at comparisons to Plan Colombia (as the Colombian 
aid package is known) and lecture reporters who have baptized the aid 
package "Plan Mexico."

Analysts also fret that the aid may come with increased pressure to 
allow U.S. agents to carry weapons and pursue drug traffickers on 
Mexican soil, long a goal of U.S. law enforcement.

The Mexico City daily El Universal reported last week that undercover 
U.S. agents have infiltrated Mexican cartels, sometimes without the 
knowledge of the Mexican government.

Mexican and U.S. officials have insisted the package will not include 
an American military presence in Mexico, as exists in Colombia.

Most Mexicans are wary. A poll taken at the height of cartel violence 
in June found that 37 percent favor the aid, while 58 percent of 
Mexicans don't want any U.S. help.

Calderon's political opponents have railed against the aid package, 
some to make political hay, others because they fear the money will 
bring the nation's drug fighting strategy under American control.

"Mexico is a country that can afford to pay the cost of the plan," 
Manuel Camacho Solis, a top official of the leftist Democratic 
Revolution Party, wrote recently in a newspaper column. "It 
represents just a small proportion of public and oil-related income. 
On the other hand, accepting the donation puts us completely in the 
hands of the United States government."

Leftists in Mexico have also expressed concern that the aid package 
could be used to go after guerrilla groups and other political 
opponents of the government.

Meanwhile, there is concern on both sides of the border over the 
Mexican military's human rights record and its effectiveness in 
fighting the drug cartels.

While the military's role was initially meant to be temporary -- 
Mexican army units weren't trained to do police-style drug 
investigations -- the aid plan could give the military a permanent 
role. According to published reports, 60 percent of the money will go 
to police agencies with the rest going to the military.

Calderon's decision after taking office late last year to step up the 
military's involvement in drug enforcement initially caused an 
unprecedented surge in violence.

Mexico averaged nearly 100 murders per week earlier this year, 
including a rash of beheadings. Dozens of police and public officials 
were gunned down.

The trouble spread to northern Sonora state, affecting the nearby 
cities of Cananea and Agua Prieta.

The violence declined over the summer as the nation's two major 
cartels reportedly entered into a truce. Supporters called the truce, 
which proved short-lived, proof that the military pressure worked.

Critics argued the violence has more to do with the internal workings 
of the cartels than anything Calderon's government did. In recent 
weeks, violence has spiked again.

More disturbingly, human rights groups say, the military has 
committed a host of atrocities during its battle against drug 
traffickers. Mexico's human rights commissioner has recommended 
sending the military back to its barracks, citing numerous abuses.

Among them:

Four soldiers were sentenced in relation to the rape of 14 women in 
the border state of Coahuila in July 2006.

A family of five was gunned down and killed as they drove through a 
military checkpoint in Sinaloa in June. Seven soldiers later tested 
positive for marijuana and cocaine.

The army was accused of robbery, torture, arbitrary detention and 
sexual abuse during operations in marijuana-growing regions of the 
state of Michoacan.

"We could be entering a spiral in which we strengthen the presence of 
the military," said Jose Luis Pineyro, Mexico's foremost national 
security expert. "Time will tell if there are more pros than cons 
with this plan."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman