Pubdate: Sat, 10 Nov 2007
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2007 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248

THE REAL DRUG WAR

Pouring Money and Equipment into Mexico's Battle Will Do Little If We 
Don't Attack Addiction at Home.

In Mexico, the phrase "war on drugs" is not just a figure of speech. 
Since President Felipe Calderon took office, tens of thousands of 
soldiers have been deployed to battle drug cartels, and corrupt 
officials have been ousted. The cartels, however, haven't blinked. 
Almost 4,000 people have been killed in the last two years. Now the 
United States and Mexico have negotiated a major initiative that 
includes $1.4 billion worth of equipment and aid, most of it going to 
Mexico and a small portion to several Central American countries.

Mexico has been unflinching in this fight and deserves our support. 
Still, the few details to emerge about the plan are not heartening. 
There is much about strengthening security and law enforcement with 
equipment and advisors, and little about addressing factors behind 
the drug trade: gun trafficking, drug treatment and poverty-induced 
opiumand marijuana farming.

It's true that Mexico's police agencies are plagued by corruption and 
need stronger structural mechanisms to prosecute it, such as internal 
affairs offices and witness protection programs. Furthermore, the 
military's dominance has resulted in mounting allegations of assaults 
on innocent civilians, so the sooner its role can be reduced the 
better. But policing alone won't halt the booming drug trade. We 
should have learned that much by now.

The U.S. spends more than $40 billion a year combating illicit drugs, 
yet neither the so-called war nor the "Just Say No" campaign has made 
a difference. We are the world's top consumer of illicit drugs. So 
before Congress votes to beef up Mexico's efforts -- from about $59 
million this year to an initial installment of $550 million in 
nonmonetary aid next year -- it should require a review of this 
country's policies.

For example, the United States supplies arms to the very cartels both 
countries are fighting; Mexican officials trace 90% of the weapons 
confiscated from drug traffickers to Texas, California and Arizona. 
U.S. gun laws permit buyers at gun shows to purchase unlimited 
assault weapons with no questions asked. As long as this loophole 
exists, AK-47s will travel south by the truckload. Also, we allow 
Mexicans to fight and die to reduce our supply, but will the U.S. 
control its own ravenous appetite for drugs? Will our government 
commit to greater investment in treatment, which might actually lessen demand?

A joint effort must go beyond giving Mexico the wherewithal to battle 
on our behalf. Otherwise, its drug war may one day look like ours: It 
will be perhaps less conspicuously violent, but no less futile. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake