St. Louis CofCC Blog

Because the “War on Drugs” has been so successful domestically, the next logical step is to extend it to Mexico and Central America.  The failed and disastrous Monroe Doctrine marches on.

McClatchy:

WASHINGTON — An ambitious U.S.- Mexico counter-drug plan would involve several countries in Central America and more than $8 billion , with Mexico providing the bulk of the money, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.

If Mexico is so poor, then how can it afford to fund most of this plan?

This is the first time that U.S. officials have shed some light on one of the Bush administration’s signature initiatives for Latin America , a program somewhat similar to the multibillion-dollar effort known as Plan Colombia in that South American nation.

Johnson said the program, which he called a “historic” effort to bring the United States closer to its neighbor, includes Washington supplying helicopters and other equipment but not deploying U.S. military personnel in Mexico, in deference to nationalistic sentiments there.

Anything that involves any gringo interference in Mexico will inflame nationalist sentiments there (and rightfully so).

“With some 2,000 execution-style murders this year on the part of drug mafias, Mexico is under siege,” Johnson told the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank. “This is a historic opportunity for the United States to cement closer ties with its closest Latin American neighbor and encourage a sea change in law enforcement capabilities.”

(snip)

Johnson called the new program a “regional security cooperation partnership.”

The fundamental premise of this counter-drug plan is not that drug trafficking between countries should be dealt with unilaterally by each country’s government, but that each country in this pact should harmonize their policy for a common transnational purpose, as if sovereign nations are merely provinces within a more encompassing institution.  NAU trial run, anyone?

But Johnson also appeared to hedge his comments, saying the Pentagon didn’t contemplate working with the Mexican military “directly and certainly not on things that would be considered law enforcement roles”— leaving open a possible role for private U.S. contractors.

Oh, I get it now.  Another Halliburton hustle.

Johnson said the Bush administration plans to include “big-ticket items,” such as helicopters, in an unspecified defense appropriation fund. There’s talk of including the package in an Iraq spending bill.

Hmm, we see how well helicopters worked in Somalia.  Get ready for Black Hawk Down II.

The Mexicans wanted to know when the proposal could be taken up in Congress and its level of support, said Rep. Ed Pastor , D-Ariz. He said the delegation was told that Mexican political parties are “pretty much in agreement” in supporting the initiative.

“They’re very sensitive about sovereignty. They don’t want this to be another Plan Colombia,” Pastor said, noting that the Mexicans said this wasn’t an assistance package but a mutually beneficial arrangement to keep drugs out of the United States

Both sides also want to set this issue apart from the immigration debate, he added.

This coming from an open-borders fanatic like Mr. Pastor.  Politicians and authorities may try “to set this issue apart from the immigration debate,” but every foreign intrusion by American assets of any kind inevitably lead to more immigration in the other direction.  Invade the world, invite the world.