Thursday, August 9, 2007

Mexicolombia Even as Plan Colombia is being scrutinized by Congress for possible cuts after years of throwing money down the drain, secret talks have been underway to put together a drug war package for Mexico. The price tag on the more ambitious aspiration is $1.2 billion, but a more modest proposal is emerging in recent weeks in the area of $700 million, said one person familiar with the talks. Yep. Just like Plan Colombia. Except that everyone knows it can't be at all like Plan Colombia (even though it'll be exactly like Plan Colombia). Neither Mexico nor the U.S. want the scrutiny, visibility, or publicity of a Plan Colombia. They just want the money, the corruption, the influence, the power... of Plan Colombia. Mexican officials bristle at any comparisons with the Colombian operation, which they view as too ambitious and an infringement on Colombian sovereignty, given the heavy scrutiny by U.S. Congress and direct involvement of U.S. personnel and equipment. ''Any type of a package called Plan Mexico,'' said Armand Peschard-Sverdrup, a Mexico specialist with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, ``would be dead on arrival.'' How about "Scheme Mexico" or "Calamity Mexico" or "Debacle Mexico"? What's in a name? that which we call a drug war By any other name would smell as rank; ................. Meanwhile, in the other Mexicolombia, Authorities in the Colombian city of Cali increased security measures Wednesday, ahead of a possible war for control of the drug trade in the wake of the arrest of boss Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia in Brazil. Ah, yes. Finally. Realization of what "success" in the drug war really means... More violence. 1:20:31 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []