UNITED STATES - This was music to the ears of Mexico’s politicians: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitting that the United States’ “insatiable” demand for drugs and inability to stop gun smuggling into Mexico is fueling the drugs war.
On a visit to Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday, Clinton said her nation stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Mexico and declared that those wanting to corrode the foundations of law, order, friendship and trust will fail.
Mexican politicians have cited the flow of weapons coming over the border as a major factor in the violence among cartels and security forces. Over 90 percent of guns captured in Mexico can be traced to the United States, says the Mexican government.
“Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians,” Clinton told reporters in Mexico City. “I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility.”
“Clearly, what we have been doing has not worked and it is unfair for our incapacity … to be creating a situation where people are holding the Mexican government and people responsible,” she said. “That’s not right.”
The U.S. government vowed to crack down on gun smuggling, with 100 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to be sent to the border within 45 days. Clinton also announced that the White House will seek 80 million dollars from Congress to help Mexico buy Blackhawk helicopters.
In a timely reminder of the Mexican government’s efforts, just hours before Clinton arrived in Mexico for talks with Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa and President Felipe Calderon, Mexican authorities arrested one of Mexico’s most wanted men, Hector Huerta Rios.
Huerta is head of the Beltran-Leyva cartel in Monterrey and one million dollars was offered for information leading to his arrest. It is not known whether the reward was paid.
In line with Barack Obama’s mantra of reaching out to the world and the common perception that President George W. Bush shunted Mexico down the foreign policy priority list, Clinton’s visit is the start of what appears to be a diplomatic outreach to Mexico by the new U.S. administration. The U.S. Homeland Security chief, Janet Napolitano, and the top U.S. law enforcement officer, Attorney General Eric Holder will visit Mexico early next month to continue talks on bilateral relations. Obama plans to come down in mid-April.
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