Jerry Seper has a frightening update on the Mexican drug war. It is a lot closer to your neighborhood than you realize!
Alfredo Corchado of The Dallas Morning News adds this: Mexico's drug violence expected to escalate in '09!
What's that cloud over US-Mexico relations?
The answer is Obama's irresponsible campaign promises about NAFTA and Mexico.
Over the next year, Pres. Calderon is going to need a lot of support from the US.
He needs better weapons. He needs more money. He needs to train more soldiers. He needs more technology, such as the capability of listening to telephone conversations.
Mexico's armed forces are doing an amazing job. We respect their bravery. They are fighting and dying for their country. However, the Mexican army is not trained for a long and bloody land war.
Mexico's Navy can not protect the country's massive coastline either! Mexico is extremely vulnerable because of this.
In other words, he needs for the Dem Congress to pass The Merida Initiative negotiated with Pres. Bush.
Why is Speaker Pelosi delaying this important legislation?
Why are the Dems also holding up the Colombia Free Trade Agreement?
Because the Dems are shamefully using Mexico as a political punching bag to tell union workers what they want to hear!
Calderon also needs more foreign investment!
How can Mexico attract more foreign investment if Obama wants to renegotiate NAFTA?
Isn't uncertainty over NAFTA going to keep potential investors on the sidelines? Would you invest in Mexico if you were uncertain about NAFTA?
NAFTA is responsible for attracting huge investments to Mexico.
NAFTA has modernized Mexico.
Go to San Luis Potosi, Torreon, et al, and you will see the fruits of NAFTA!
NAFTA has made Mexico more competitive on an international basis. Today, "Hecho en Mexico" has an amazing reputation. It did not 20 years ago!
Mexico is manufacturing in modern plants managed by world class Mexican executives.
Mexican universities are graduating first rate engineers and professional managers.
Last, but not least, NAFTA has been very beneficial to the US.
Obama is untruthful when he blames NAFTA for Ohio's or PA's job problems.
Ohio, PA, NY, Michigan and NJ are in decline because of high taxes and excessive union influence.
So what's next for the Calderon-Obama relationship?
Obama can start by doing a little reversal on his campaign promises.
Obama needs to do with NAFTA what he just did with Iraq.
Obama needs to go public and make it clear that the US will support Mexico and defer any renegotiation of NAFTA.
As we have posted before, Pres. Felipe Calderon is doing an amazing job in Mexico.
Along with Pres. Uribe of Colombia, he is one of the most responsible leaders in Latin America.
Calderon is facing huge domestic problems.
Calderon is fighting well funded and vicious drug cartels.
He will soon be in "hand to hand" combat with the Mexican left in July's midterm elections.
Can Pres. Calderon count on Pres. Obama? Let's hope so.
At least, let's hope that Team Obama understands just how precarious the situation in Mexico is.
If Obama does not change his NAFTA campaign tune then he will pull the rug from under Calderon's feet.
It will be catastrophic for Mexico and the Mexican people.
It won't be good for the US either!
Again, we are literally talking about Mexico's national security! We remind Team Obama that Mexico is a nation of 100 million just south of Texas!
P.S. By the way, I did not mention Canada, the other NAFTA neighbor, in this post. It would hurt the US to renegotiate NAFTA with Canada, too. Canada is our # 1 energy supplier, a market for US products and a NATO partner fighting in Afghanistan.
