MEXICO CITY, June 14 (Reuters) – Mexico’s government, which complains violent drug cartels are battling each other with firearms bought in the United States, slammed slack U.S. gun laws as absurd on Thursday.
Mexico complains most of the often high-powered weapons used by warring Mexican traffickers come from gun shops in the United States and Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said there was not enough control over their sale.
“I think the American (gun) laws are absurd because they … make it very easy for citizens to acquire guns,” he told a meeting of academics and businessmen.
This appears to be a politically odd move on the part of Mexico. Blaming the U.S. and alienating the conservative American anti-gun-control groups doesn’t seem very smart. But then again, Calderon’s government has screwed up in a major way by escalating the drug war. Since the escalation has been a disaster and he has no viable exit strategy, he needs to find someone to blame — even if it’s his allies in the United States.
Colombia’s Uribe government is taking a different tack, threatening an increase of cocaine on U.S. streets unless we pay them BILLions of dollars.
Colombia’s defense minister warned Thursday that cocaine production would rise sharply if Democrats in the U.S. Congress proceed with plans to cut military aid to the South American nation, the world’s largest producer of the drug.
Somebody needs to tell them that we’re already getting all the cocaine we can possibly consume, despite/thanks to all the eradication and interdiction efforts. Kind of an empty threat.
Of course, neither country is interested in actually solving their problems because it would involve cutting off funds for their drug war completely.
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