:: Plan Mexico
The Washington Post leads with word that the Bush administration is wrapping up the final details on a massive aid package to help Mexico fight against the increasingly violent drug cartels within its borders. The package would amount to "the biggest U.S. anti-narcotics effort abroad" since the $5 billion program known as Plan Colombia. The Los Angeles Times leads with a look at how workers on Wall Street are increasingly nervous that the effects of the crisis in subprime mortgages means "the good times are coming to an abrupt halt." The New York Times leads with the upcoming federal efforts to punish businesses that hire illegal immigrants who use fake Social Security numbers.
The Wall Street Journal tops its world-wide newsbox with word that there are now 162,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, the largest number since the invasion. The U.S. military also announced the deaths of four more American soldiers. USA Today leads with the Pentagon's request for almost $750 million to fly Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles to Iraq instead of sending them by ship. The fact that the Pentagon wants to spend a lot more money to get the armored vehicles to Iraq as quickly as possible illustrates how the issue has become a priority after much lagging from top officials.
The aid program to combat Mexico's drug cartels would provide both equipment and training for local officials. Although there are still some open questions, primarily because of Mexico's uneasiness with having a U.S. presence in the country, the deal could be announced later this month. Officials say a deal would mark a significant change for both countries, which are more used to blaming each other for failures. But Mexican officials appear to be reluctant to break the news to their citizens, who are highly skeptical of their northern neighbor, and have so far avoided talking about the deal in public. Although lawmakers on both sides of the border are resisting comparisons to Plan Colombia, it would be nice if the Post took this opportunity to look at how effective the program has been, an issue that gets only one line in the story.
