COMMENTARY | Border crossings have been a problem in many southern U.S. states for awhile, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry told GOP supporters Saturday in New Hampshire that he would be open to sending American troops into Mexico.
The comment came during a fundraiser at the home of gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne, according to reports by the Associated Press. Perry said he would only consider sending troops at the invitation of the Mexican government, something he thinks is likely as the war against entrenched drug lords widens in Mexico.
Perry said such a U.S. response would be consistent with nearly 30 years of American military presence in Colombia at the invitation of that government. Colombian military has been battling the cocaine cartels for decades, edging at times close to civil war. Officially, the U.S. only provides military consultants and some experts, but it costs U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars a year in economic and military support and grew following a 2009 plan to expand cooperation between the countries.
It is unlikely Mexico will request U.S. military assistance, as it typically has opposed the presence of foreign troops on its soil. That's a good thing. The proliferation of drug cartels in Mexico is a domestic issue for the Mexicans. The U.S. cannot be the answer to every ill in the world and, in tough economic times, simply cannot afford to be everywhere for everything.
Perry has been battling back from a poor performance at the Republican debate last month in Orlando, Fla., and needs to shore up his foreign policy and immigration positions to counter consistent attacks from his primary opponents, led by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Tough talk and flashing the military card sometimes rally the hawks within the Republican Party, but this comment is disconcerting on several levels.
The U.S. cannot continue to be -- and never should have been -- the world's policeman. Political considerations aside, the U.S. can no longer afford to project a global presence at this level. Providing experts and consultants is one thing, but mobilizing troops at even the smallest scale requires millions (or billions) of dollars and logistics that are already stretched after fighting two wars for the past decade.
I'm sorry the Mexicans are having such a problem with the drug cartels. But, it is their problem.
andrew luck andrew luck brandi glanville breast cancer awareness breast cancer awareness cc sabathia apple press conference
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন