Obama backs Mexico's war on drugs

[Heidi]

Source: BBC

Page last updated at 05:16 GMT, Monday, 10 August 2009 06:16 UK

US President Barack Obama has given "strong support" to Mexico's war on drugs cartels, at the start of a summit in Guadalajara.

At talks with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, he also raised the issues of swine flu and a ban on Mexican lorries entering the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined the two leaders for dinner.

On Monday, a three-way summit will be held, likely to focus on problems caused by the economic recession.

It will be President Barack Obama's first attendance at the annual meeting of North American leaders.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8192587.stm

[sandnsea]

1. But assistance is being withheld due to human rights violations

"Reflecting the other part of the story, Mr. Obama "underscored, as he has on a number of occasions, the importance of human rights for him, for the United States and frankly for Mexico." It's those human rights issues that has many concerned. Some say the Mexican crackdown is verging on abuse."

Sad that I found the rest of the story on Fox.

http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/08/09/obama-tr...

[Flaneur]

2. More than 12,000 dead since December 2006.

US military/law enforcement aid for Mexico's drug war: $1.4 billion over three years.

The Mexican military is accused of widespread human rights abuses in the drug war, including by Sen. Patrick Leahy.

The Mexican cartels are a bloody Frankenstein monster created by prohibition. Mexico pays the price for our hypocrisy about the drugs we love to hate, or is it hate to love?

[AlphaCentauri]

3. We love drugs but hate the producers because they make money n/t