Human Rights Are Not a U.S. Priority in Mexico's Drug War

[Judi Lynn]

Posted: September 9, 2010 02:00 PM
Human Rights Are Not a U.S. Priority in Mexico's Drug War

Citing human rights concerns, the United States State Department has recommended that a small portion of the Merida Initiative, its drug war aid package to Mexico, be temporarily withheld.

In a report sent to Congress last week, the State Department recommended that $26 million of the Merida Initiative be withheld until Mexico improves human rights. However, in the same report, State recommends that Congress release $36 million in funds that were previously withheld due to human rights concerns.

Fifteen percent of each tranche of Merida Initiative funds are conditioned on the Mexican government eliminating the use of testimony obtained through torture in court, improving transparency in police forces, trying soldiers accused of crimes against civilians in civilian courts, and consulting with civil society regarding how the Merida Initiative is implemented. The $26 million that State wishes to withhold constitute 15% of the latest tranche, for fiscal year 2010. The $36 million that will be released had been withheld from previous tranches.

~snip~
Despite the Obama administration's rhetoric regarding respect for human rights in Mexico's drug war, its actions have provided little incentive for Mexico to improve its record. In releasing conditioned funds that had been previously withheld, it sends the message that its real priority is providing Mexico with the equipment and training it needs to continue to fight its increasingly violent drug war. To make matters worse, immediately after the State Department sent its Merida Initiative human rights report to Congress, White House officials told the Los Angeles Times that the Obama administration is "considering a substantial spending increase on the Mexican drug war" because it is "a top administration priority."

Human rights appear to be a secondary concern.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-bricker/human-rights-are-not-a-us_b_710834.html

[Blue Owl]

1. For the millionth time, end the War on Some Drugs!

It is so not worth it, and the only people who support it are either ignorant or profiting from it.

[Vincardog]

2. +

[Bobbieo]

3. 'Ignorant or profiting from the War On Drugs' How prophetic!!!!

[Zoeisright]

4. Human rights are not a U.S. priority period.

n/t

[Uncle Joe]

5. The policy both foreign and domestic of the "War on Drugs" aka Drug War is anathema

to human rights.

The policy; itself erodes and eventually destroys human rights, their is nothing moral about it.

Thanks for the thread, Judi Lynn.

[Judi Lynn]

6. This policy seems to be a cover for something much darker: US meddling in other countries.

It's a lot easier for them to say "no" than to get us back in our own business!

Thank you, Uncle Joe. Good to "see" you. :hi:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Clinton: Mexico needs "equivalent" of Plan Colombia

Clinton: Mexico needs "equivalent" of Plan Colombia

Submitted by WW4 Report on Thu, 09/09/2010 - 22:49. President Barack Obama is backtracking from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement comparing Mexico and Colombia. "Mexico is a large and progressive democracy with a growing economy," Obama said in a Sept. 9 interview with La Opinion, a Spanish-language newspaper in Los Angeles. "As a result, you can’t compare what is happening in Mexico with what happened in Colombia 20 years ago."

Clinton said in response to a question after a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington the previous day: "We face an increasing threat from a well-organized network, drug-trafficking threat that is, in some cases, morphing into, or making common cause with, what we would consider an insurgency." She added that Mexico is "looking more and more like Colombia looked 20 years ago," with drug traffickers controlling "parts of the country."

"In Colombia, it got to the point where...more than a third of the country—nearly 40% of the country at one time or another—was controlled by the insurgents, by FARC," Clinton said, referring to the Colombian guerilla army. She asserted that the US, Mexico and the Central American countries need to cooperate on an "equivalent" of Plan Colombia—the multi-billion dollar military aid program that was launched 10 years ago. (LAT, Bloomberg, WP, Sept. 9

Mexico and Central America already have a multi-billion dollar US military aid program, the Merida Initiative—which critics are already dubbing "Plan Mexico."

http://ww4report.com/node/9090

[kas125]

8. Since when was human rights ever a priority for the US Gov't?

[amandabeech]

9. We're there because that's where the Ford plants and the oil are.

Cheap labor and oil are too important for the bottom line of a lot of corporations.

I think that the SEC should mandate that all public companies disclose in their annual reports and other filings just how much the companies would lose if there were civil strife or war in countries where their products are produced or where vital ingredients, like oil, are produced. They should also have to report the problems they would encounter if countries hosting their major suppliers were to go to war with the U.S. or its allies.

If that were the case, the companies would clearly have to divulge their dependence on Mexico, because the government doesn't seem to be in charge anymore, and China, which could go to war over Taiwan or with India (India being included there, of course). Russia likes jerking chains, so I'd put them there. I'd also want to bring back the rule that required discussion of a cut off in oil or gas supplies due to problems in the producer countries.

There might be a lot of problems with investors if that information were disclosed.

For example, Ford would have to dislose that it builds its most popular U.S. model, the Fusion, in Mexico. In the event of further problems, Ford would probably be forced to pay tribute to the local gangs, which is illegal for U.S. companies and would likely trigger the Foreign Correupt Practices Act. In addition, Ford would have difficulty getting its cars out of the country and in bringing in components and supplies from other countries.

If I held Ford securities or bank loans, I would really want to know how hard Ford would be hit if problems continue to escalate in Mexico.

But then, I used to be a securities lawyer.