US, Central America discuss security cooperation

[Judi Lynn]

US, Central America discuss security cooperation
Reuters

Oct 12, 2005 — By Charles Aldinger

KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (Reuters) - U.S. and Central American security leaders on Wednesday discussed closer ties in battling drug trafficking, terrorism and other crime, including the touchy issue of whether military troops in Central America might assume police duties.
(snip)

It is against the law for U.S. active duty troops to handle police work at home, but a senior American general said it was up to countries in Central America — a region with a dismal record on human rights — to decide what to do with their troops against terrorism and other threats.

Rumsfeld and other ministers, who pressed for closer cooperation in law enforcement, intelligence, border protection and responding to natural disasters, announced no decision on whether militaries should take up the baton against criminals.
(snip)

The Washington Office on Latin America, a rights watchdog group, quickly attacked that attitude as "old school - defaulting to the region's militaries to solve problems."

"Why are we talking with the militaries about combating crime? Shouldn't a different set of actors be in the room?," Joy Olson, executive of the group, asked in a statement.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1207048

[ken_g]

1. Why are these guys talikng so much lately about military

performing police duties. Since Katrina, the concept keeps popping up in the strangest contexts: Bird flu, Katrina, and now this.

Scares me that they just keep working this language into public domain.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. What Happened In Guatemala Is A Direct Result Of Republican Policies

That the civil authorities in Guatemala and elsewhere in Central America have been overwhelmed by well-armed, well-organized, well-financed drug-smuggling gangs is a direct result of the reactionary wing of the Republican Party's successful effort to minimize foreign aid to those countries for reconstruction and infrastructure after the civil wars of the Cold War era. The Republicans sowed, and now both the hapless civilians of those areas as well as those of us here in the metropole are reaping the whirlwind.

Foreign aid to do things like rebuild the railroads and improve the highways and build water and sewer networks would have greatly alleviated the misery of those areas. So would have assistance to small-scale businesses and to housing programs.

Small wonder that the drug lords are overwhelming the local authorities.

[Roland99]

3. SW Asia, South America, and renewed interest in Central America...

and we have many of the same players that were in Central America 20 years ago.


Hmm...wonder what they're cooking? Wouldn't be some New World Order Soup, would it?

[lcordero2]

4. Does anybody notice that no names were named in this article?

"Central American security leaders"