.455_Hunter
Member
Anybody know what this might entail:
Obama Seeks to Ratify Arms-Trafficking Treaty Sought by Mexico
By Julianna Goldman and Kim Chipman
April 16 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will call on the U.S. Senate to ratify a Latin American arms-trafficking treaty as he seeks to meet requests from Mexico to stem the cross-border flow of guns to drug cartels, an administration official said.
Obama will make the announcement today after meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Mexico City, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The treaty, a legally binding regional agreement on illicit firearms trafficking, was adopted by the Organization of American States in 1997. It was never ratified by the U.S.
Obama is seeking a compromise with the Mexican government, as officials in Calderon’s administration are pressing the U.S. to do more to staunch the illegal flow of weapons into Mexico, with some calling for an assault-weapons ban. U.S. officials have dismissed such suggestions, saying Obama believes he can stem the illegal flow of weapons within the current law.
The treaty seeks to shut down illicit arms markets that fuel crime and terrorism.
Still, the ratification of the treaty is likely to run into hurdles in Congress, where gun-related proposals are politically divisive.
Mexican cartels sell $13.8 billion a year in narcotics to U.S. users, according to White House figures. Rival gangs killed more than 6,200 people last year in Mexico, double the total the year before.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aNez_v9yXPpA&refer=latin_america
Obama Seeks to Ratify Arms-Trafficking Treaty Sought by Mexico
By Julianna Goldman and Kim Chipman
April 16 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will call on the U.S. Senate to ratify a Latin American arms-trafficking treaty as he seeks to meet requests from Mexico to stem the cross-border flow of guns to drug cartels, an administration official said.
Obama will make the announcement today after meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Mexico City, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The treaty, a legally binding regional agreement on illicit firearms trafficking, was adopted by the Organization of American States in 1997. It was never ratified by the U.S.
Obama is seeking a compromise with the Mexican government, as officials in Calderon’s administration are pressing the U.S. to do more to staunch the illegal flow of weapons into Mexico, with some calling for an assault-weapons ban. U.S. officials have dismissed such suggestions, saying Obama believes he can stem the illegal flow of weapons within the current law.
The treaty seeks to shut down illicit arms markets that fuel crime and terrorism.
Still, the ratification of the treaty is likely to run into hurdles in Congress, where gun-related proposals are politically divisive.
Mexican cartels sell $13.8 billion a year in narcotics to U.S. users, according to White House figures. Rival gangs killed more than 6,200 people last year in Mexico, double the total the year before.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aNez_v9yXPpA&refer=latin_america
