Mexico is focus of Armed Service Committee Hearing Share This /

On March 17, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to receive testimony on U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S. Transportation Command. Although it was a general hearing about all of the Commands, Committee members expressed their growing concern about the alarming violence on the Mexican border and had specific questions for Admiral Jim Stavridis [PDF] , U.S. Southern Command, and General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., U.S. Northern Command. The following are some of them, paraphrased, from Committee members:

• How are Northern Command and Southern Command working together to address the issue of violence on the border? –Chairman Carl Levin (D)
• Where do we need additional troops on the border? Is Calderón’s government “winning”? What are they doing about the widespread corruption among officials, law enforcement, etc., up to the highest level? Although the price of cocaine has dropped, the amount of drug-related violence has spiked; can someone please explain this to me? – Ranking Member John McCain (R)
• Should we have troops on the border? What is Northern Command doing to deter the violence? How much of a threat to homeland security is drug-related violence? - Joseph Lieberman (D)
• Have there been complaints from the Mexican government regarding the flow of arms originating from the United States into Mexico? - Jack Reed (D)