The new Mexican anti-drug aid package
President Bush requested today from Congress will probably include
funding for private, US-paid mercenaries to run counter-drug operations in Mexico and train Mexican police and troops. That hasn't worked out so well in
South America or
Afghanistan, so I wonder what if any changes to the standard, cookie-cutter, "spray the herbicide and hope for the best" strategy the Bush Administration has in store that makes them think it will work better in Mexico?
A friend emailed wondering whether the private contractor they referred to might be Blackwater, whose Iraqi troops have been
much in the news, recently. But if I were laying odds, I'd guess this news bodes well for the bottom line of Dyncorp, a competing mercenary firm that operates the drug-interdiction programs in South America and Afghanistan. See an
earlier Grits profile of Dyncorp, who I'm happy to notice has made
Congressman Henry Waxman's oversight list. Several Texas Congressmen would even like to hire DynCorp to
supplement the US Border Patrol, which sounds like a particularly terrible idea. Those further interested in DynCorp, since they may become a more important player in the regional anti-drug effort, may also want to see
this report on their training program for Iraqi police to get a sense of
how they handled that job - i.e., overall, badly. Auditors from the Inspector General:
did not have the information needed to identify what DynCorp ... provided under the contract or how funds were spent. [The government] has a number of initiatives to improve its management and oversight of the contract and recoup funds inappropriately paid to DynCorp. Because of these problems and initiatives, [the government] has temporarily suspended this work.
That's a pretty rough recommendation from DynCorp's last employer, which if it lands the Mexico anti-drug contract will also be its next employer. One begins to wonder, how badly do you have to
screw up to get fired if you're a private mercenary?
A friend emailed wondering whether the private contractor they referred to might be Blackwater, whose Iraqi troops have been much in the news, recently. But if I were laying odds, I'd guess this news bodes well for the bottom line of Dyncorp, a competing mercenary firm that operates the drug-interdiction programs in South America and Afghanistan. See an earlier Grits profile of Dyncorp, who I'm happy to notice has made Congressman Henry Waxman's oversight list. Several Texas Congressmen would even like to hire DynCorp to supplement the US Border Patrol, which sounds like a particularly terrible idea. Those further interested in DynCorp, since they may become a more important player in the regional anti-drug effort, may also want to see this report on their training program for Iraqi police to get a sense of how they handled that job - i.e., overall, badly. Auditors from the Inspector General:
Why are we spending any money down there to stop drugs from Mexico?
ReplyDeleteWe have a very open southern
border, why aren't we sealing it better?
If all the Drug Cartels are stopped, who will pay the bribes?
ReplyDeleteBy hiring contractors, the Gov. looks like they're doing something while in fact, they are distancing themselves from any accountability.
Drugs should be legal, regulated and taxed! But then, who would pay the bribes?
Sound like it's a Bush prop for Perry's run as a vice-presidential candidate.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about "those" people. We can get away from accountability easily if it involves "someone else" and their rights. After all, "those people" don't understand democracy [like we do?]! It's experimenting with fascism [instead of drugs]. Once we get away with it in third world hellholes against "those" people, we can start fine tuning it for our population. We've already started it with marginalized populations: minorities and students - the same people who drove Nixon nutz.
ReplyDeleteSadly another ploy to create another failed policy, WHY? We will get the same LACK of results and do the same kinds of harm OUR money has gotten us ALL over the world, AND HERE AT HOME!
ReplyDeleteOur grandparents had the heart and wisdom to put aside their own biases and self serving beliefs and agendas so they could save our people and their children and all our freedoms, WHY CAN'T WE???
They put the gangsters of their day out of business " OVER NIGHT "!
When is enough, enough? We have a failed policy that CAN NOT even be support nor justified with facts, truth, logic and common sense RIGHT HERE AT HOME! Why would we spread such a LIE to other countries? Those who suffer the abuses and spread of diseases and death under OUR failed policies will hold who responsible WHEN THE TRUTH COMES OUT!
Buying power and control of other countries with our money, ALSO will come with accountability for our nations next generations for our wrongs! And SOME people wonder why the world is turning their backs to us, GO FIGURE!!!
There Has To Be A Better Way!
Rusty White
Speaker www.leap.cc
I remember reading a brief article on it (can't remember where, now) that indicated Blackwater does indeed have a piece of the contract. This particular pork has been spread pretty broadly.
ReplyDelete