Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[fuagf]

One is a rifle and one is a handgun, must be one .. lol ..

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=Whats+the+difference+between+an+assault+rifle+and+a+handgun+with+a+17+round+mag

Benz, why do you make statements like most of Mexico's guns come from China, when it is so easy to check.

Even Gun Guys got that bit right.

Mexico’s Massive Influx of Illegal Weapons Coming From the U.S. and China

An investigative report on June 22nd, from the Laguna Journal Newspaper, in California by Michael Webster, added yet more evidence that lax gun laws in the U.S. are fueling the war between drug cartels along the U.S. and Mexican border and allowing an unprecedented arms trafficking business.

The illegal weapons being trafficked into Mexico from the United States include military-style assault rifles, .50 caliber sniper rifles and ammunition, as well as "cop-killer" handguns.

Mr. Webster wrote that: "In analyzing the data collected through ATF’s investigative and regulatory operations that have been focused on the abatement of illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico, there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States. An in-depth, comprehensive analysis of firearms trace data over the past three years shows that Texas, Arizona and California are the three most prolific source states, respectively, for firearms illegally trafficked to Mexico."

(See our previous posts with these videos: "American Guns Are Fueling Mexico’s Drug Wars," and "CNN:
Powerful .50 Caliber Sniper Rifles From US Fueling Mexico’s Drug War And Killing Police Officers").

The report from the Laguna Journal is worth quoting at length:

William Hoover, Assistant Director for Field Operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), recently told the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affaires Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere that the violence fueled by Mexico’s drug cartels poses a serious challenge for both U.S. and Mexican Law Enforcement in that the drug trafficking related violence is threatening the well being and safety of citizens on both sides of the border. Mr. Williams is in charge of operations of all of the Bureau’s field offices, including those along the Southwest Border.

Mr. Hoover pointed out that the ATF has long been committed to investigating and disrupting groups and individuals who utilize firearms trafficking as a means to facilitate the drug trade on both sides of the border through the use of firearms illegally obtained in the U.S. and subsequently smuggled into Mexico. Mexican President Calderon and Attorney General Medina Mora have identified the cartel-related violence as a top priority and have proclaimed the illegal trafficking of U.S.-sourced firearms the “number one” crime problem affecting the security of Mexico today.

Public safety along the U.S.-Mexico border has deteriorated considerably and Mexico has seen nearly five years of intensified bloody turf battles between the major Mexican drug cartels operating within Mexico. The ATF claim that the battles for control over lucrative narco-corridors into the U.S. from Mexico are the result of intense U.S. and Mexican law enforcement and military counter-narcotics operations and extraditions that commenced in late 2003 targeting the leaders of the most prolific Mexican drug cartels.

In seeking to gain control of the disputed corridors, namely the Baja/Tijuana, Sonora/Nogales, Juarez/ Chihuahua and Nuevo Laredo corridors, Mexican drug cartels and their ruthless Mexican and American gang enforcers have more aggressively turned to the U.S. as a source of firearms. The weapons are then used against other cartels, the Mexican Military, Mexican and U.S. law enforcement officials, as well as innocent civilians on both sides of the border....

In analyzing the data collected through ATF’s investigative and regulatory operations that have been focused on the abatement of illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico, there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States. An in-depth, comprehensive analysis of firearms trace data over the past three years shows that Texas, Arizona and California are the three most prolific source states, respectively, for firearms illegally trafficked to Mexico.

Until recently, the Mexican drug cartels “weapons of choice” had been .38 caliber handguns. However, recent trace data of firearms seized in Mexico and “Stateside” interdictions of firearms bound for Mexico shows that cartel members and gang enforcers have now developed a preference for higher quality, more powerful weapons.

The most common of these firearms now includes the Colt AR-15 .223 caliber assault rifle, the AK-47 “type/variant” 7.62 caliber assault rifle, FN 5.57 caliber pistols (better known in Mexico as the “Cop Killer”… or “Asesino de la Policia”). In conjunction with the dramatic increase in U.S. source firearms that have either been recovered in Mexico, or interdicted prior to reaching Mexico, ATF also routinely seizes small arms and assault rifle ammunition destined for Mexico.

ATF has also seized large quantities of .50 caliber ammunition for
use in high-caliber long range sniper weapons and machine guns.

The Laguna Journal goes on to note that large numbers of
weapons are also being trafficked from China into Mexico.

It is difficult for the United States to claim to be a true world leader when our country does nothing about the vast shipments of guns and small arms being sent around the world. Those very arms shipments are destabilizing other countries and regions, such as our southern neighbor. Mexico is even begging the United States to stop the weapons pouring into its country.

How can the United States possibly claim any moral authority for its role in spreading democracy, or claim that we are fighting a "war on terror" when, in fact, it is U.S. weapons that are fueling the drug war that is terrorizing the citizens of Mexico.

Isn't it disturbing that the Bush administration is far more concerned about putting up a fence to keep immigrants
from crossing our southern border than they are about clamping down on illegal guns sales and gun trafficking?

The American gun epidemic is our burden. But we should not drag Mexico into our violent gun culture because of our inaction to address gun trafficking. At some point, other people's lives have to matter more than the gun lobby's extremist agenda, including the lives of Mexico's citizens.

http://www.gunguys.com/?p=3065