Mannlicher
16th April 2009, 18:15
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_go_pr_wh/lt_obama_mexico
The President wants to kick start a 1997 treaty that has not been approved here. This will put our gun rights in serious danger of being trumped by a treaty with foreign countries that have no gun rights.
MEXICO CITY – Confronting a security threat on America's doorstep, President Barack Obama pledged Thursday in Mexico to help a deeply troubled neighbor in its battle against drugs and violence, including action to slow the dangerous flow of weapons from the United States.
"At a time when the Mexican government has so courageously taken on the drug cartels that have plagued both sides of the border," Obama said, the U.S. must join "in dealing with the flow of guns and cash south."
Obama spoke at the start of a swift visit to underscore U.S. solidarity.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon welcomed Obama to the presidential residence, Los Pinos, with an acknowledgment of the challenges: "My country is immersed in a historic transformation process. We live a robust democracy, which is also plural. We're also facing firmly the costs of the struggles in order to turn Mexico into a safer country."
The Organization of American States adopted the weapons treaty in 1997 as a way to curtail dealing in illicit firearms throughout Latin America. Since then, 33 countries have signed the treaty, and 24 have ratified it. Former President Bill Clinton signed the treaty on Nov. 14, 1997, one day after it was endorsed by the OAS.
The Clinton administration submitted the 13-page treaty to the Senate for ratification the following year, but it has languished in the Foreign Relations Committee without action since then.
Clinton said at the time that the treaty would "advance important U.S. government interests and would enhance hemispheric security by obstructing the illicit flow of weapons to criminals such as terrorists and drug traffickers."
Countries ratifying the treaty agree to make the manufacture or trafficking in illegal firearms a criminal offense, to track the export, import and transit of all firearms and to share information with law enforcement officials in other countries who are investigating arms trafficking.
The President wants to kick start a 1997 treaty that has not been approved here. This will put our gun rights in serious danger of being trumped by a treaty with foreign countries that have no gun rights.
MEXICO CITY – Confronting a security threat on America's doorstep, President Barack Obama pledged Thursday in Mexico to help a deeply troubled neighbor in its battle against drugs and violence, including action to slow the dangerous flow of weapons from the United States.
"At a time when the Mexican government has so courageously taken on the drug cartels that have plagued both sides of the border," Obama said, the U.S. must join "in dealing with the flow of guns and cash south."
Obama spoke at the start of a swift visit to underscore U.S. solidarity.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon welcomed Obama to the presidential residence, Los Pinos, with an acknowledgment of the challenges: "My country is immersed in a historic transformation process. We live a robust democracy, which is also plural. We're also facing firmly the costs of the struggles in order to turn Mexico into a safer country."
The Organization of American States adopted the weapons treaty in 1997 as a way to curtail dealing in illicit firearms throughout Latin America. Since then, 33 countries have signed the treaty, and 24 have ratified it. Former President Bill Clinton signed the treaty on Nov. 14, 1997, one day after it was endorsed by the OAS.
The Clinton administration submitted the 13-page treaty to the Senate for ratification the following year, but it has languished in the Foreign Relations Committee without action since then.
Clinton said at the time that the treaty would "advance important U.S. government interests and would enhance hemispheric security by obstructing the illicit flow of weapons to criminals such as terrorists and drug traffickers."
Countries ratifying the treaty agree to make the manufacture or trafficking in illegal firearms a criminal offense, to track the export, import and transit of all firearms and to share information with law enforcement officials in other countries who are investigating arms trafficking.