MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that an "insatiable" appetite in the United States for illegal drugs was to blame for much of the violence plaguing Mexico.
"We are. How could anybody conclude any differently?" Clinton told reporters in response to a question during a flight to Mexico for a two-day visit likely to be dominated by a drug war that killed 6,300 people in Mexico last year.
Clinton's visit comes as Washington has announced plans to ramp up security on the increasingly dangerous U.S.-Mexico border. Fears are growing that the spiraling violence in Mexico will spill over into the southern United States.
"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the death of police officers, soldiers and civilians," Clinton said. "I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility."
Clinton will meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and discuss a broad range of U.S.-Mexican issues, including immigration and trade. Her visit also includes a stop in the northern business city of Monterrey on Thursday,
Clinton said the Obama administration was making progress on resolving a trucking dispute with Mexico and expected the U.S. Congress to be receptive to its ideas.
She also sought to address a belief among many Mexicans that the United States does not take sufficient responsibility for the $40 billion in illegal narcotics smuggled in from Mexico each year. Some feel the plans by Washington to better patrol its border are long overdue.
U.S. officials on Tuesday announced a $184 million program to add 360 security agents to border posts and step up searches for drugs, guns and money being smuggled by powerful cartels.
Under former President George W. Bush, the United States committed to a three-year $1.4 billion aid package to buy drug-fighting equipment for Mexico and Central America.
16 comments:
Way to go Hillary, she can't be president but she is still attempting to make a difference. I just wonder what Bill thinks... As far as the narcotics go and illegal weapons being used to defend serious criminals and kill our american officers, well thats not cool. I hope that she is able to come up with some things with the mexican president that will help benefit both of our countries.
Drug's can't be kept out of America by attempting to intimidate drug distributors. Instead of 1.4 billion trying to make it harder to get drugs into America it would be more efficient to try and curb demand with that money.
It's time to take pro-active steps. No more wall building campaigns, please. Our intake of weapons and drugs does somewhat fuel the violence in Mexico, but only as much as a rowdy bystander watching a knife fight. We need to do what we can, and encourage Mexico by putting it in to terms they can understand and appreciate, so that they can change the rest.
I think it may be necessary to increase border patrol in order to start decreasing the admission of illegal drugs into the United States. However, I think putting billions of dollars toward the cause may further cripple our country's economic position. Before we hit a depression, the U.S government needs to mainly focus on the economic recession and the Iraq War. Some money may be donated to the cause about the boarder, but right now, spending billions on it is not necessary.
There is never going to be a day when we can force drug dealers to stop selling illegal drugs. Hillary is doing everything to get the U.S. involved with Mexico. If illegal drugs are in such high demand, why don't we look at why all these people are giving these drug dealers business. If we help these people then maybe we can cut the circulation and whoever still buys the drugs we can make the drugs legal and cheap and tax them a lot!!!. This will hurt the drug dealer's pocket until they can't even survive on that business anymore.
i agree that the idea of finally stepping up security on the borer is long over due. Im really suprised they let it get this bad. Hopefully Hillary will come up with some good solutions to help better both of our countries.
I think it's good that Clinton is trying to help, but some things are the president's job. Not that that is the point. I think something needs to be done to strengthen the border. Illegial immigrants is one thing, but there are way too many issues with drugs now-a-days. Hopefully Clinton and Mr. Mexican President can figure something out peacefully.
It will be hard for the Obama administration to stop all illegal drugs to come to the U.S. but it does help a little the effort they are taking to control it. Adding more security to the borders will make it even harder for people to sneak things in the country.
This is one of the major reasons that i believe that legalizing some drugs might be a neccasary evil. If they were legalized than terrible criminals like the drug cartels in Mexico would lose their business because the trade would be run by legitimate businesses, like tobacco and alcohol, rather than by brutal drug dealers who are instigating horrible amounts off truly grotesque violence, especially in Northern Mexico. I don't think throwing money at it will make it go away though, and i agree with Obama that it can't singlehandedly save our economy, but at least Hilary Clintons recognizing it i suppose.
I think Hillary has brought up a serious problem between mexico and the u.s.. Not only are drugs going across the border we are also giving guns great. This problem needs to be solved quickly before it bites the us back.
Americans sit and complain that the violence in Mexico is flowing over into the U.S., and how the drug violence in Mexico is so bad, but Americans are the ones buying the drugs and supporting the business. In a huge way, yes the U.S. is partly responsible for the violence in Mexico. Simply heightening security on the border will not fix the problem. A much larger solution must be found. The drug dealers are powerful enough that I doubt a few more guards on the border will help. It will, in fact, probaby cause more violence because the dealers have to work harder to get their shipments across. They won't just give up because the U.S. goverments says they are cracking down on illegal drugs. They make entirely too much money off of Americans to just shut their operation down.
I love the example of prohibition because it show no matter how many dollar you pump into stopping drug trafficking it will still happen 1 way or the other. And concerning whose to blame for this Mexico and the U.S have equal blame to share. Mexico for not keeping a more stable police force and the U.S for not stepping in sooner.
Illegal drugs in the US is a problem, and possibly a factor in the drug wars in Mexico. The main reason for the violence is the pursuit of power. That is what spurs most violence in the world.
I feel that an easy way to alleviate the drug problem, assuming Mrs. Clinton is correct, is to legalize all drugs that are currently schedule 1. That way, the government will be able to procure revenue from the taxes with the sales of these drugs, and they wont be flooding over the border from 3rd world countries.
Its our right as a American anyway to ingest and do with our bodies as we see fit.
I think Hillery is fighting a lost cause. I don't see how it can be such an easy fix, there will always be loop-holes and a need for illegal drugs that someone will provide for us one way or another.
I don't think the drug war is entirely America's fault. Many things in America, like movies, are promoted through drugs and violence, but isn't that the same in some other countries? The situation could be easily flipped to the American side of the border instead of the Mexican and then would Mexico say that it was their fault we were slaves to the drugs and the money the said drugs brought us and it was all because of the violence and drug use we promoted in our country...i dunno about all that mrs. clinton...
I agree with Secretary Clinton; rather than trying to put out this wildfire of a situation by throwing water at the flames, we should focus our attention on the source of Mexico's drug violence. The United States is not wholly to blame for the drug wars going on in Mexico, but as long as there is a market for illegal drugs there will be violence from drug wars. Like the issue of conflict diamonds in Africa, international attention needs to be focused on the drug wars in Mexico before the crisis escalates even further.
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