US government may be arming Mexican drug cartels

[GarandFan]

Evidence is mounting to suggest that lawful US government arms exports are arming Mexican drug cartels. Clearly, while the potential exists for smuggling from the US civilian market, the earlier-ignored story of US government arms sales to Mexico, as well as central and South American countries, is beginning to emerge.

 

The mainstream media, as well as influential US government officials, are telling us emphatically that 90-100% of the arms in the hands of the cartels are originating from the US civilian market. This is misinformation, likely designed to drum up public support for gun control legislation, most notably a renewed ban on non-military semiautomatic firearms.

 

Some articles on this issue, in reverse chronological order:

 

http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-...Mexican-cartels

 

http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gu...-arm-themselves

 

http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-...ns-come-from-US

 

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/...ising-firepower

[ewellnitz]

I've been thinking about this since it was first 'reoported'. The one constant in our government in recent history is funding certain groups throughout the world by getting them military weapons without making it look obvious that we are doing it. Afghanistan in the 80s is a perfect example. We bought countless Soviet made weapons for the Afghans on the black market to make it look like they were getting the weapons on the battlefield.

 

I suspect something similar is going on now with the cartels only someone got sloppy and now they have an opportunity to further restrict those pesky Rights of ours to cover it all up.

 

Too far out there?

[MARKHOLSTRUM]

Too far out there?

 

absolutely NOT too far out there....I put nothing past these ppl....MIAC report anyone????

[45superman]

This information is starting to get out there now.

 

The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.

 

Hillary’s Assault on the Second Amendment

 

It's going to take some convincing before I stop believing that David Codrea helped break the dam that was holding the info back.

[GarandFan]

It's going to take some convincing before I stop believing that David Codrea helped break the dam that was holding the info back.

 

I'd sure like to think so!

 

This is all just really good. It shows that when just a few people control the media, information of critical nature is sometimes hidden, or ignored. The media was "supposed" to be the watchdog of the people. Now it is the new media, and "the people" ourselves doing the watching.

 

And that is a very good development indeed.

[45superman]

David just informed me that one of the two authors of the FOX article, Maxim Lott, is the son of John Lott. I guess someone in the mainstream media is trying to offer accurate information about guns.

[GarandFan]

David just informed me that one of the two authors of the FOX article, Maxim Lott, is the son of John Lott. I guess someone in the mainstream media is trying to offer accurate information about guns.

 

Yes. And likewise, the "left" will summarily dismiss anything he says ...

 

Straw men are oh so easy to push over ...

[GarandFan]

Dear Secretary Clinton:

 

Much is being made of US-originated firearms and munitions now in the hands of the violent Mexican drug cartels.

 

Indeed, you recently stated: “The guns that are sold in the United States, which are illegal in Mexico, get smuggled over our border and arm these terrible drug-dealing criminals so that they can outgun these poor police officers along the border and elsewhere in Mexico. So we've got to help out here.”

 

I urge you to study the Small Arms Surveys and other relevant materials. They show the extend of State Department-authorized sales of military and non-military weaponry to Mexico, as well as myriad Central and South American countries. It is probable that a large proportion of guns in the hands of cartels originated in the US, but were sent to foreign nations under the authority of the State Department and Defense Department. You propose to restrict the lawful civilian arms industry because of the actions of the federal government, coupled with corruption of Mexican and Latin American governments. Unacceptable.

 

Yes, "we've got to help out here." You can start helping by ordering an investigation into these issues, before demanding more controls in the US civilian firearms market. As you know, purchasing and owning guns in the United States is are constitutionally protected activities.

 

I anticipate hearing from you on this important matter.

[drdoom]

Here is a good conspiracy-theory, Obama wants Mexico to become the 51st State by overthrowing it via the cartels. Just think how reliable of a vote Mexico would be for the Dem's!

[GarandFan]

Dr. Doom:

 

There are conspiracy theories, and then there is idiocy.

[MARKHOLSTRUM]

I still say its an excuse to form a "coalition" etc with mexico to solve the "crisis".....basically an excuse for more globalism.

[GarandFan]

I still say its an excuse to form a "coalition" etc with mexico to solve the "crisis".....basically an excuse for more globalism.

 

Yes ... and especially given that there is evidence that inter-governmental arms trade between the two nations is what has armed the Mexican criminal cartels!

[SmershAgent]

Excuses are definitely what's motivating this charade.

 

If "lax US gun laws are to blame", then the crooked Mexican politicians and law enforcement agencies can remain on the take and still appear to be doing something to curtail the situation.

 

If "lax US gun laws are to blame", then Obama and the left wing of his party can use it as an excuse to push their disarmament agenda at home. I think this kind of crap might have worked in the 1990s, but people aren't buying anymore. As long as we all remain vigilant and involved, it's going to be a lot harder for them to realize their objectives than they can possibly imagine.

[45superman]

In my latest take on this (presented here as an excerpt, for brevity), I notice something interesting about what the VPC's Tom Diaz says about the "90% figure."

 

We're even starting to see the lie exposed in mainstream media circles, with FOX News reporting "The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S. That article quotes Violence Policy Center "senior policy analyst" (citizen disarmament cheerleader) Tom Diaz:

 

But Tom Diaz, senior policy analyst at the Violence Policy Center, called the "90 percent" issue a red herring and said that it should not detract from the effort to stop gun trafficking into Mexico.

 

"Let's do what we can with what we know," he said. "We know that one heck of a lot of firearms come from the United States because our gun market is wide open."

 

A "red herring," Tom? That's funny--you didn't call the "90%" figure a "red herring" when you quoted it in "Iron River: Gun Violence and Illegal Firearms Trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico Border," (pdf file) released just two days ago, and of which you are credited as the author. From page 15:

 

U.S. and Mexican officials report that, based on ATF tracing data, the cartels obtain 90 percent or more of their firearms from the United States. Traces by ATF of firearms from Mexico have reportedly increased from 2,100 in 2006 to 3,300 in 2007 and 7,700 in 2008.

 

Nor did VPC legislative director Kirsten Rand in her testimony to Congress last month (pdf file, from page 2):

 

U.S. and Mexican officials report that, based on ATF tracing data, the cartels get between 90 percent and 95 percent of their firearms from the United States.

 

Actually, Tom, you said the very same thing--word for word--to Congress in your own testimony (pdf file, from page 4).

 

If the "90%" figure is a "red herring" (and I actually agree that it is--no, scratch that--I'd call it a lie), it's one that you have helped disseminate, Tom--to both the public and Congress.

 

The "90%" figure is 100% lie, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, BATFE Assistant Field Director for Operations William Hoover, much of the mainstream news media, the Brady Campaign, and the VPC have helped promulgate it.

[GarandFan]

It appears that nearly EVERY mainstream news outlet is perpetuating this "90% lie" to the American public. Let's wage a public opinion campaign against them. Here is what I sent to the Los Angeles Times. Will you help me by contacting news writers and editors of papers who perpetuate this lie? Copy, paste, and email!

 

 

to ken.ellingwood@latimes.com

cc readers.rep@latimes.com, feedback@latimes.com, letters@latimes.com

subject drug cartel arrest

 

Dear Mr. Ellingwood:

 

Regarding your article found here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,6735483.story

 

How long are you, and those in your business, going to perpetuate this lie? And for what purpose do you perpetuate it?

 

The lie:

In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says 90% of weapons seized in Mexico can be traced to the United States.

 

During congressional testimony, the ATF official stated that 90% of seized weapons THAT WERE MADE AVAILABLE FOR TRACING can be traced to the United States. Only 1 in 4 seized weapons has been submitted to ATF tracing. Not 90% of the total has been traced, and these not necessarily traced to the US civilian market.

 

Moreover, between 1998 and 2003, the US Government authorized the sale of nearly 50,000 military (automatic weapons) and non-military arms to the Mexican government alone, and the sale of more than 300,000 arms to other Latin American governments. Given the known corruption in these countries, and the known Mexican military and police ties to the cartels, it is more than probable military weapons sold by our government are in the hands of the cartels.

 

Your lie implies that all those guns seized in the Mexican drug war were purchased on the US civilian market, and that is flatly false.

 

Aren't you not honest enough to be truthful in your articles?