Commentary - William Hawkins: Drug control strategy leaves U.S. borders open

Yet, the facts and figures accompanying the report show that the “net cultivation” of marijuana and opium in Mexico, defined as “what is actually flowing towards U.S. markets” has been substantially higher during the Bush administration than before.

The “National Drug Control Strategy” states that Mexico is “the primary transit corridor for most of the cocaine available on American streets, as well as a considerable share of the heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana destined for the American market.”

Efforts to eliminate the international drug trade in other places are highlighted in the report. NATO has launched its largest offensive in Afghanistan’s major opium producing areas. The U.S. allocated $700 million in 2006 to rebuild the Afghan economy, in part to provide an alternative source of income to the drug trade.

The same strategy is being used in the Andean region (Columbia, Peru and Bolivia) to reduce opium and cocaine supplies. In Columbia, the drug traffic is tied mainly to the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC). The U.S. has spent billions training the Columbian military to combat FARC’s narcotrafficking.

Trade preferences have been extended to the Andean countries, and a free trade agreement is pending with Columbia to bolster non-drug business alternatives. This will be a major topic when Bush visits Columbia during his current swing through Latin America.

Yet, wherever overseas drugs originate, to poison Americans, they must cross the U.S. border. And the march of illegal immigrants is a major method for bringing in drugs. Serving as mules, with their backpacks stuffed with contraband, is part of the payment demanded of illegals by the smuggling gangs. If the United States can afford to send troops to the other side of the planet to fight narco-terrorists, why can’t it defend its own borders?

The answer is that Bush is opposed to securing the Mexican border. The demand from unscrupulous businessmen for cheap labor trumps the war on drugs. To the White House, more addicts, more crime, more ruined lives are small costs to society, if firms can lower the wages they have to offer to hire construction workers, meat packers and janitors.

The National Drug Control Strategy is focused on targeting “violent criminal organizations along the southwest border.” This is meant as an alternative to closing the border. It attempts to draw a distinction that does not exist between drug and illegal immigrant smuggling.

The report cites the breaking of the Cali Cartel, but this only shows the fallacy in the piecemeal approach. Others simply replaced the cartel and kept the drugs moving across the open border.

Yet, even this effort is being purposely undermined by the president. The most horrendous example being the vindictive federal prosecution of Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos for wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who had crossed into Texas with a large shipment of marijuana.

The agents have been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison, while the drug smuggler was given immunity. Public and congressional pleas to Bush to pardon Compean and Ramos have been met by a White House campaign attacking the Border Patrol agents.

This sends a strong signal from the very top that the Mexican border is to be kept open to all comers. The debate in Congress will be around whether the border should be erased as President Bush desires, or will be reinforced as public safety demands.

William Hawkins is senior fellow for National Security Studies at the U.S. Business and Industry Council.