U.S.-Backed Programs Supplying the Firepower for Mexico’s Soaring Murder Rate

[douglas9]

Felipe Calderón's Drug War Has Become Hot Market for U.S. Arms Trade

The dollar value of U.S. private-sector weapons shipments to Mexico in fiscal year 2009 exceeded the value of private arms shipments to two other major conflict regions elsewhere in the world, Iraq and Afghanistan, and even outpaced the value of arms shipped to one of the United States’ staunchest allies, Israel.

U.S. private-sector suppliers shipped a total of $177 million worth of defense articles — which includes items like military aircraft, firearms and explosives — to Mexico in fiscal 2009, which ended Sept. 30 of that year.

By comparison, over the same period, private arms companies in the U.S. shipped $40 million worth of weapons to Afghanistan; $126 million to Iraq; and $131 million to Israel.

In fact, Colombia, the source of most of the world’s cocaine and a major battlefront in the so-called war on drugs, received only $30 million in private-sector arms shipments from the U.S. in fiscal 2009.

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/bill-conroy/2011/04/us-backed-programs-supplying-firepower-mexico-s-soaring-murder-rate

[WatsonT]

1. That's a bit misleading

we're selling arms to the Mexican government for their police and army.

We're not selling them cartels.

Now granted a great many Mexican officials are corrupt and end up selling federal arms to the cartels (the source for many American weapons that end up in the hands of drug dealers, not gunshows).

But we can't really do much about that.

[Le Taz Hot]

3. "We're not selling them to cartels?"

Really?

"Agent John Dodson Intentionally Sent Guns Into Mexico on Federal Orders"

http://www.maggiesnotebook.com/2011/03/john-dodson-intentionally-sent-guns-into-mexico-on-federal-orders/

[WatsonT]

4. Not really an official policy

just more corruption on our side.

Either way the gunshow loophole is not to blame.

[Le Taz Hot]

2. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

:puke: :mad: