Obama Won't Reinstate A/W Ban
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| Thu, 04-16-2009 - 8:43pm |
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6376969.html
MEXICO CITY — Confronting a Mexican drug war that is “sowing chaos in our communities,†President Barack Obama signaled Thursday he will not seek the reinstatement of a U.S. assault weapons ban but instead step up enforcement of existing laws banning the transfer of such guns across the border.
Obama had pledged during his campaign to seek renewal of the ban but has bowed to the reality that such a move would be unpopular in politically key U.S. states and among Republicans as well as some conservative Democrats.
Obama met here with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who has been conducting an aggressive fight against drug cartels and had hoped to persuade Obama to push for reinstatement.
Allies in the fight against drug cartels, Obama and Calderon took different stands on U.S. sanctions against Cuba. Calderon said the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo has not been successful in forcing Cuba to adopt democratic reforms.
“We do not believe that the embargo or the isolation of Cuba is a good measure for things to change,†the Mexican president said.
Obama pointed to the announcement this week that the U.S. was softening sanctions, allowing Americans to make unlimited transfers of money and visits to relatives in Cuba. But he said Cuba needs to reciprocate with actions that are “grounded in respect for human rights.â€
Obama acknowledged that the United States shares responsibility for bloodshed and kidnappings in Mexico that have spilled across the border into the United States. Acknowledging that U.S. drug use fuels the cartels, Obama said, “I will not pretend this is Mexico’s responsibility alone.â€
“We have a responsibility as well, we have to do our part,†Obama said. He said the U.S. must crack down on drug use and the flow of weapons into Mexico.
Obama also said the United States and Mexico must work together to stem the problem of illegal immigration. At the same time, he said: “My country has been greatly enriched by immigrants from Mexico.â€
The two leaders also pledged to cooperate on combatting global warming and the global recession.

Odd.
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It is odd...
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16165119.htm
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Obama said he had not "backed off" from the idea of trying to reinstate an expired ban on assault rifles -- which are showing up in droves at Mexican crime scenes -- but for the time being he would focus on halting the smuggling of arms and cash over the Mexican border, which would yield faster results.
I think the statement by Obama is somewhere short of promising to reinstate the assault weapons ban:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041602694.html?sub=AR
For Obama, Calderón, a Meeting of Minds
Leaders Disagree on One Issue: Urgency of Reinstating U.S. Ban on Assault Weapons
By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 17, 2009
MEXICO CITY, April 16 -- President Obama and his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderón, outlined a common approach Thursday to combating drug violence, climate change and trade disputes but appeared to part ways over the urgency of reinstating a U.S. ban on assault weapons.
On his first presidential visit to Mexico, Obama praised Calderón for taking on the drug cartels, whose potent arsenals and economic power are threatening the integrity of the Mexican state. Obama announced that he will push the U.S. Senate to ratify an inter-American arms-trafficking treaty.
But Obama indicated that while he favors reinstating the U.S. ban on assault weapons, which Congress allowed to expire five years ago, the move would face too much political opposition to happen soon. He said better enforcing existing laws to prevent arms smuggling would have a more immediate effect on keeping U.S. weapons from Mexican cartels. >>>full article at the link above
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