Thursday
Jun052008
DHS wants to throw more money at the war on terror
Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 2:14PM
At a hearing in front of the House Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, witnesses pushed for increased funding for the Merida Initiative, a bilateral effort between the United States and Mexico to fight drug trafficking, gang violence, and global terrorism.
Mexican drug trade accounts for 90 percent of the cocaine in the United States, said Johnson, counselor to the Assistant Secretary for the Policy and Acting Assistance Secretary for International Affairs. But the cause of the problem is not specific to one side of the border. Congressman Mark E. Souder (R-Ind.) explained that since US drug habits accelerate trafficking, the US needs to intervene. With the help of President Felipe Calderon of Mexico and other governments in Central America, the Merida Initiative would work as “foreign assistance” across borders instead of being domestically focused, Johnson said.
Rosenzweig, assistant secretary for the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, said that the Department of Homeland Security understands that protecting the border starts overseas in areas like the Caribbean. It is a “law of concentric circles” because it is not a cut-and-dry border to border problem. “Transnational threats need transnational solutions,” said Johnson.
Merida would use the federal funding to update Mexico’s current aviation system, weaponry and helicopter training, and currency detection machines. Chairwoman Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) asked Johnson about how Merida would affect the high levels of violence in border states like California where US citizens are afraid to cross into Mexico. Violence might not go down in the short term, but with training, the Mexican border would be more grounded, Johnson said. Chairwoman Sanchez said that long term answers will not help with the violence happening today.
Mexican drug trade accounts for 90 percent of the cocaine in the United States, said Johnson, counselor to the Assistant Secretary for the Policy and Acting Assistance Secretary for International Affairs. But the cause of the problem is not specific to one side of the border. Congressman Mark E. Souder (R-Ind.) explained that since US drug habits accelerate trafficking, the US needs to intervene. With the help of President Felipe Calderon of Mexico and other governments in Central America, the Merida Initiative would work as “foreign assistance” across borders instead of being domestically focused, Johnson said.
Rosenzweig, assistant secretary for the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, said that the Department of Homeland Security understands that protecting the border starts overseas in areas like the Caribbean. It is a “law of concentric circles” because it is not a cut-and-dry border to border problem. “Transnational threats need transnational solutions,” said Johnson.
Merida would use the federal funding to update Mexico’s current aviation system, weaponry and helicopter training, and currency detection machines. Chairwoman Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) asked Johnson about how Merida would affect the high levels of violence in border states like California where US citizens are afraid to cross into Mexico. Violence might not go down in the short term, but with training, the Mexican border would be more grounded, Johnson said. Chairwoman Sanchez said that long term answers will not help with the violence happening today.
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