Pubdate: Wed, 19 May 2010
Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2010 Miami Herald Media Co.
Contact:  http://www.miamiherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/262

HELPING MEXICO IN DRUG WAR

Fight Against Drug Criminals Is Also Our Fight

President Felipe Calderon's state visit to Washington on Wednesday 
comes at a time when Mexico is under siege by drug criminals as never 
before. The violence has claimed some 23,000 lives since Mr. Calderon 
declared war on drug gangs.

Traffickers are fighting to control the drug supply into the United 
States. Never have the two countries faced a common enemy as powerful 
and as dangerous as these gangs.

This puts a premium on mutual efforts to combat narcotics gangsters, 
requiring both leaders to go beyond the customary expressions of 
friendship and work to defuse the tensions that threaten to drive 
Mexico and the United States apart.

Slap in the Face

The principal irritant is illicit immigration.

Mexicans consider Arizona's restrictive new immigration measure a 
slap in the face, prompting Mr. Calderon to issue a travel warning to 
Mexican tourists visiting Arizona. He will likely have something to 
say about it when he addresses a joint session of Congress -- though 
Mexico, too, is accused of mistreating its undocumented immigrants.

Lawmakers have been derelict in reforming U.S. immigration law. They 
won't get off the dime unless Mr. Obama, who has paid lip service to 
immigration reform, makes a strong commitment to enact a measure that 
will eliminate the need for laws like Arizona's.

Until the Mexican economy gets stronger, there is little Mr. Calderon 
can do to stop illegal immigration, but under his tenure security 
cooperation with the United States has improved significantly. He has 
sent at least 326 wanted fugitives to stand trial in the United 
States, far more than his predecessors.

Honor NAFTA Commitments

The least the United States can do is speed up efforts under an 
anti-drug cooperation plan called the Merida Initiative to provide 
the $1.12 billion Congress has appropriated. As of December, only $24 
million had been spent.

Finally, Mexico can lift its import duties against U.S. fruits and 
vegetables. All that's standing in the way is for the United States 
to live up to its commitments under the North American Free Trade 
Agreement to allow Mexican trucks that meet safety requirements to 
carry freight on U.S. highways.

The last official visit by a Mexican president to Washington came on 
the eve of 9/11, which destroyed a promising initiative to reform 
immigration, as well as other cooperative ventures. The passage of 
time has only made our mutual problems worse.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake