Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jan 2009
Source: News-Press (Fort Myers, FL)
Copyright: 2009 The News-Press
Contact:  http://www.news-press.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1133

U.S. MUST FIND TIME FOR MEXICO

Immigration policy and the North American Free Trade Agreement have
company now. Mexico's drug war has emerged among the most pressing issues
between the United State and it's southern neighbor.

President-elect Barack Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on
Monday, continuing the tradition of the countries' leaders meeting just
prior to a U.S. president's inauguration.

While immigration reform and NAFTA arose as topics on the campaign trial,
there wasn't -- and still hasn't been - much discussion about Mexico's
surging drug-related violence.

But drug-related homicides doubled in Mexico last year, with rising murder
rates in cities across the border from the U.S.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, Mexican cartels are now the
biggest organized crime threat to this nation, increasingly pairing up
with other gangs here to control distribution in American cities.

With a crippled economy, soaring deficit and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
demanding his attention, Obama can't focus on immigration and NAFTA as
much as it appeared he might during the campaign.

However, Calderon's success or failure in battling the drug cartels could
have a direct impact on national security. Migrants crossing the border to
work, albeit illegally, are a whole lot different than gangsters crossing
the border to conduct business.

Due to proximity, the country is of vital interest to the U.S., even if we
seem to give it short shrift in foreign policy. But considering the bloody
violence on our doorstep, we can't afford to ignore Mexico.
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MAP posted-by: Doug