Burning Atlanta

I thought the initial 500 million out of 1.4 billion was a done deal. Seems Congress still has to approve it. I have very mixed feelings about this. Yes, we are, in large part, the reason they have such a huge problem with drug cartels, etc..  BUT we have to pay for their drug war? Why don't they take all the money they confiscate to pay for helicopters and equipment? In this country, like in my county, if the Sheriff's department makes a large cash seizure they get to keep some/most of it. Trust me, the local deputies all drive nice new cars. They make plenty of seizures from the interstate transportation of drugs and money.

What I really don't like is knowing , as corrupt as their country is,  that whatever monies we send are going to end up somewhere not intended. Wouldn't surprise me that if they bought helicopters they'd be used to haul drugs.

I have a problem with this.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday urged Congress to approve a $500 million anti-drug program for Mexico, saying not to do so would be "a slap" against a crucial neighbor beset by drug violence.

Gates, only the second U.S. defense chief ever to visit Mexico, told reporters that U.S. congressional inaction on the program known as the Merida initiative would undermine Washington's ability to aid Mexico's counternarcotics fight.

President George W. Bush proposed the three-year, $1.4 billion initiative last October and put an initial $500 million segment for Mexico in the administration's fiscal 2008 supplemental request for Iraq and Afghanistan war funding.

Gates said he hoped Congress would vote to approve the program by the end of May.

"Failure to do so would be a real slap at Mexico and would be very disappointing and it clearly would make it more difficult for us to help Mexican armed forces and their civilian agencies deal with this difficult problem," the defense chief told reporters.