Transnational crime a threat to security

U.S. pushing helicopters to Mexico
Mexico City (UPI) Mar 25, 2009 - Mexico's spiraling drug-related violence has prompted U.S. defense officials to consider added measures, ahead of a planned helicopter package delivery, to address growing security concerns. Leading members of U.S. President Barack Obama's Cabinet, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and other senior security advisers, such as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of States U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, were drawn to high-level talks in Mexico this week. "You don't bring out the big guns like Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen for a delegation like this unless the overriding focus is going to be security, the drug violence and the perception of the impact these have on U.S. national security," says Christopher Sabatini, senior director of policy at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas told The Christian Science Monitor. During his talks, Gates said initiatives would be taken to expand cooperation with America's troubled southern neighbor under the $1.3 billion Merida Initiative.

The three-year program, begun in 2008, and was designed to help Mexico crack down on swelling drug-related violence that has killed some 18,000 people in the past three years. As part of the program, however, Gates expressed concern over the delay in the delivery of military helicopters to Mexico. Under the bilateral Merida Initiative, more than $415 million in funds have been appropriated in line with the Foreign Military Financing accounts in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to purchase "up to eight Bell 412 helicopters, up to five Sikorsky UH-60M helicopters, and also purchase of up to four CASA 235 aircraft, which are fixed-wing naval surveillance and transport aircraft," Pentagon spokesman U.S. Army Lt. Col. Les Melnyk was quoted saying in a Defense News report. Since that order was placed, however, less than a handful of the platforms have been delivered. U.S. congressmen have recently alleged that the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command council have purposely delayed getting the helicopters to Mexico but there was no explanation.

While in Mexico, Gates hinted at increased helicopter demands springing from heightened requirements in Afghanistan. The increased demand, however, could push the Mexican deliveries to 2012 and 2013. Given the deteriorating state of the security situation in Mexico, Gates said he would "look at all the possibilities to get (Mexico) some bridge capabilities" until the helicopter delivery is completed. In addition to providing Mexico with equipment, such as military helicopters and vans with X-ray machines that can scan passing vehicles, the U.S. aid also involves training Mexico's federal police in areas including collecting evidence, giving courses for prison officials and promoting a culture of lawfulness in secondary schools, The Wall Street Journal reported.

by Staff Writers
United Nations, N.Y. (UPI) Mar 25, 2009
The link between transnational crime and terrorism has been debated often but France took the initiative to the United Nations to highlight national security risks posed by the problem.

The large-scale growth in international crime "above all drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, is having a growing impact on states' security and, beyond, on regional and international stability and security," said Gerard Araud, the French permanent representative at the United Nations.

He said the problem now afflicted all crisis regions from West Africa, Haiti to Afghanistan.

"When the consequences of the activity of these criminal networks threaten

international peace and stability, it is the responsibility of the Security Council to deal with them," Araud said, pointing out that so far the crime and drug issues had been relegated to other U.N. bodies outside the Security Council.

"Such threats," he warned, "can weaken or destabilize states, damaging their good governance and slowing their economic development. They compete with legal economic systems and promote corruption," the envoy pointed out.

"They hamper the post-crisis reconstruction efforts of public institutions and development

organizations led by national authorities and the international community."

Araud said, "Criminal networks not only benefit from weak or failed states; their activities also help to exacerbate political tensions, inter alia, by financing nongovernmental armed groups and insurgency movements."

Moreover, he pointed out, the links between the various drug trafficking networks and international terrorism seem to be getting stronger.

"Due to their transnational character, these threats can destabilize entire regions; challenging them demands close international and regional cooperation with a view in particular to strengthening the capacity of weaker states through technical

assistance."

Citing the 11-year-old U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, Araud questioned its effectiveness because "we can only observe that criminal networks have learned since then to adapt and to take advantage of changes that have occurred in our societies, be it in improved information and communications technologies or the opening up of financial markets."

A Congressional Research Service report in January about international terrorism and transnational crime cited the most pressing issues for consideration by the U.S. Congress.

The report examined "the confluence of transnational terrorist and criminal groups and related activities" and evaluated possible motivations and disincentives for cooperation between terrorist and criminal organizations.

The report also looked at the scope of crime-terrorism links and the types of criminal activities, from fundraising, material and logistics support to exploitation of corruption and gaps in the rule of law that were used by terrorist organizations to sustain operations.

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