CaboRon
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US Deployment in Mexican border areas ?
Rice Refuses to Rule Out Deployment of Armed US Agents under Plan Me
Posted by: "BAJA DIGEST" so_of_the_bordermx@yahoo.com so_of_the_bordermx
Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:11 am (PDT)
Rice Refuses to Rule Out Deployment of Armed US Agents under Plan
Mexico
Posted by Kristin Bricker - October 29, 2008 at 9:43 pm During a
recent visit to Mexico, the US Secretary of State discusses Plan
Mexico, security cooperation, and the war on drugs
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice refused to rule out the
deployment of armed US agents to Mexico under Plan Mexico during a
recent visit to Mexico. While US and Mexican officials have been
adamant that US military forces will not be deployed to Mexico,
agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be deployed to Mexico,
Central America, and the Caribbean as part of the initiative. Now
the big question on everyone's mind is, "What other US agents will be
deployed, and will they come armed?"
Reporters questioned Rice about the possibility of armed US agents on
Mexican soil on at least three separate occasions during her visit to
Mexico. Each time she avoided answering definitively.
In an October 23 interview, Rice told Televisa's Leonardo Kourchenko
that some aspects of the Merida Initiative, also known as Plan
Mexico, can already go forward. Kourchenko responded, "Armed agents,
for instance."
Rice replied: "Yes. And so we think that this is--" Then she
corrects herself: "Armed agents? No. We're going to respect Mexican
law, and the Mexican Government is in control on this issue."
Kourchenko pushes for a more concrete answer. "There won't be
American agents armed in the Mexican territory?"
Rice stumbles to avoid a yes-or-no answer yet again: "We will--the
Mexican Government has complete control over how this is carried out.
But this is to make Mexican security forces more capable, not to
impose American security forces on Mexico."
Later, in a press conference with Mexico's Foreign Relations
Secretary Patricia Espinosa, reporters pose the armed agents question
to Rice again: "With regards to the arrival of the United States
companies and the Merida Initiative, what relationship will the
Mexican Government have with the private contractors from the United
States? And I would like to ask you, in particular, will we allow
armed personnel to be here in Mexico?"
This is a very important question. The day after George Bush signed
Plan Mexico into law, leaked videos appeared in the press that
depicted US-based private contractors teaching torture tactics to
Leon, Guanajuato, police as part of the war on organized crime.
Government officials from Calderon's PAN party paid for the training
and publicly defended its legality and usefulness after the tapes hit
the international press. And while both Mexican and US officials
have publicly stated that no US soldiers will be deployed to Mexico
under Plan Mexico, Mexican critics have argued that the US Defense
Department is skilled at using private contractors to fulfill
military functions, often with disastrous consequences. So how does
Rice respond the third time reporters ask her if the US government
will deploy armed agents to Mexico?
"Well... on the matter of migration and [inaudible] policies. The
problem--we all have problems with migration. We and Mexico have
discussed this issue. In fact, the President has been a major
proponent of comprehensive immigration reform in the United
States.... I sincerely hope that comprehensive immigration reform
will come in the United States in the next administration. It really
needs to."
Rice goes on to rail against Cuba, and then wraps up her answer by
declaring how proud she is that Mexico and the United States are
friends.
Secretary Espinosa then steps up in an attempt to answer the question
without really answering it: "In no way will there be any North
American agents armed in our country that will be performing
activities that are limited by our law for the Mexican Government
officials."
The big question, then, is: what activities are limited by Mexican
law, and--perhaps more importantly--which ones are not?
One of the stated purposes of the Security and Prosperity Partnership
(SPP)--of which Plan Mexico is a significant component--is increased
cooperation between various militaries and law enforcement agencies.
As a result of the SPP, Canada and the US signed an agreement on
February 14, 2008, that allows both countries' troops to cross into
the other's territory in the event of an emergency.
Secretary Rice's trip to Mexico included work on a similar
cooperation agreement between Mexico and the United States for
emergency management in the case of natural disasters and accidents.
The details of the agreement have not been released, and it is
unknown if the new agreement would permit US troops to cross into
Mexican soil in the case of an "emergency."
However, Mexican troops have already been deployed to the United
States in response to a national disaster. Following Hurricane
Katrina, 196 uniformed Mexican soldiers helped out with relief
operations in San Antonio, Texas.
"No Other Way"
During her visit, Rice shed some light on the Bush administration's
priorities in the war on drugs in Mexico. Despite numerous
criticisms that law enforcement strategies for dealing with the drug
trade are bound to fail if the demand for drugs is not addressed, the
Bush administration did not prioritize treatment in Plan Mexico.
Bush's original proposal contained no money for drug treatment in
Mexico, and Congress added only a nominal amount for drug treatment
in its plan. Plan Mexico has not been met with a corresponding
increase in funds for drug treatment in the US, which is the primary
market for drugs that pass through the Central America-Mexico
corridor.
When asked if a military/law enforcement strategy is "the proper and
right strategy" to combat the drug trade, Rice responded, "I see no
other way than to be very tough on organized crime, to be capable of
dealing with these very violent people who are trying to terrorize
the population, who are trying to carry out their criminal
activities. I see no other way."
Dr. Rice has obviously not read studies that show that drug treatment
is much more cost effective than law enforcement strategies.
Rewriting History
Rice also rewrote Mexican history during her interview with Televisa
in order to justify President Felipe Calderon's highly controversial
use of the military to combat drug cartels and perform police duties
in the war on organized crime. When asked for her opinion on
Calderon's military strategy, Rice told Televisa, "Mexico is a
democratic country with a democratically elected president who has
gone to his people, gone to his legislative branch, and developed
this strategy."
There are several factual errors in Rice's statement. The first is
regarding Calderon's status as a "democratically elected president."
Calderon took the presidency thanks to massive voter fraud in 2006.
Urns stuffed full of uncounted votes turned up in dumpsters in zones
that overwhelmingly supported opposition candidate Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador. Vote tallies were padded in favor of Calderon. Entire
pro-Calderon precincts were counted twice in the final tally. Ballot
boxes were found stuffed full of illegal votes. In some polling
places, there were more illegal votes than actual voters. Narco News
has demonstrated that these fraudulent practices combined clearly
tipped the election in Calderon's favor.
Rice is also incorrect when she states that Calderon went to the
legislative branch to develop his military strategy. Far from being
a plan developed along with the legislative branch, Calderon deployed
the troops without seeking Congress' approval first. Calderon's
strategy of utilizing the military for policing functions is highly
controversial, to the point where some members of Congress have
considered revoking Calderon's authority to deploy troops without
congressional approval. It's not even clear if Calderon's use of the
troops is legal: Gen. Jose Francisco Gallardo notes that the use of
the military in civilian police jurisdictions violates Article 21 of
the Mexican constitution.
Is it time to move on ??
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Woooosh
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Can they just send Blackwater down here to Rosarito Beach for a few months?
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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toneart
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Hey, an invasion of Mexico would solve a whole lot of problems; no need to build a wall, no need for a border, no need for passports, visas, green
cards or FMTs, FM2s, FM3s. These are all side benefits of slaying all cartel members on sight. Where is Rummy when we need him? He really had a pair.
Condi can't be expected to do it all by herself. 
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Woooosh
Banned
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Interesting how there is strong oppostion to anyone messing with Mexican Oil, but they will allow foregn soldiers to fix their drug mess.
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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bajaguy
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Keep yer panties on folks this is nothing "new".
The US has had law enforcement "Agents" assigned to US Embassys in many countries for several years, even going back to before WWII. The FBI, DEA,
ATF, Secret Service, US Marshals Service, State Dept Security Services, and yes even the CIA (gasp) work with host country federal and local law
enforcement.
If they are allowed to be armed in those foreign assignments is contained in the "status of forces' agreement signed by the host country and the US.
And if you don't think the US military is not already there working on drug interdiction and other missions with the Mexican military, you must be
Pollyanna.
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