Marxican insurgents blow gas pipelines in Veracruz
posted at 6:33 pm on September 12, 2007 by see-dubya
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About the only attack worth noting on this September 11th was a half-assed re-enactment of the Bamyan Buddha demolition in Pakistan. Much more serious was sabotage in Veracruz on the 10th: six Pemex natural gas pipelines blown up all at once, costing Mexico “hundreds of millions of dollars”. Doesn’t seem to be much question on the perpetrators: it’s the Ejército Popular Revolucionario, a bunch of has-been Shining Path wannabes who peaked in the nineties.
They did the same thing in July, but don’t call it a comeback yet:
The six explosions Monday did not cause any directly related injuries or affect major oil installations, but both industry and national-security experts say the small shadowy leftist group that claimed responsibility has proved it is a force to be reckoned with.
“The sophistication required to plan, coordinate and execute these explosions shows that the perpetrators have the technical capability of turning these episodes into either terrorist attacks or industrial sabotage,” George Baker, a Houston, Texas-based energy analyst who follows Pemex closely, wrote in a report sent to news media.
…
“But something has changed because now they have the capacity to attack pipelines,” said Mexican national-security analyst Jorge Chabat. “They’re acting outside their regular sphere of influence and that is a problem.”
Blogging for Patterico, DRJ thinks the coordinated serial blasts suggest Al-Qaeda training.
Not ruling that out, especially given the quote from the FBI he’s posted, and also since we’re finding more and more about the growing alliance between the international Hard Left and the Islamists. But in this case I think we’ll eventually find the training, funding, and incitement probably originated a little closer to home, with Larry, Moe, or Shemp.
Now I hate to agree too much with Colin Powell’s feel-goodiness the other day, and I don’t agree that we should open the border in order to cultivate Mexican goodwill.
But we do need to cultivate Mexican goodwill. The stooges above are competing for it. They’ll seek to topple the compromised but (nominally) allied government there now and replace it with something much more to their liking, something that will be much more permeable by them and their allies. Or failing that, reduce it to chaos, which serves their interests as well and does not serve ours.
We’re walking a diplomatic and policy tightrope here: it is very much in our interest to have Mexico become stable, prosperous, and orderly, like a southern Canada with better food. But how far are we willing to go to secure that situation? What are we willing to give up to establish goodwill there? It seems obvious (to me, anyway) that unrestricted immigration is counterproductive if we are looking to make our country more secure. But then what, if anything, (exit question alert) are we willing to put on the table? Is there anything we could offer that’s worth it?
UPDATE, 9/13: Shemp it is!
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I think banning mexican trucks from our roads is a good first step to improving their economy.
lorien1973 on September 12, 2007 at 6:39 PM
Great. Imagine what a civil war in Mexico would do to the tide of illegals heading north…
gmoonster on September 12, 2007 at 6:44 PM
It would become an all-out refugee crisis.
see-dubya on September 12, 2007 at 6:48 PM
Ha! Why can’t I ever think of anything that good when I’m lucky enough to post first?
BadgerHawk on September 12, 2007 at 6:54 PM
Heres the offer on the table. Demonstrate your understanding of democracy in your own country. Get involved in the Mexican election process. When considering American citizenship demonstrate a willingness to assimilate. Otherwise we are opening the door to a whole population of invaders that will eventually populate us into extinction. Something tells me we are going to start seeing mucho cooperatinn from the Mexican people themselves. If not well at least we didn’t invite them here they are here illegally.
sonnyspats1 on September 12, 2007 at 6:54 PM
Amen on that. It would be politically impossible to seal the border under those circumstances, let alone the horrible bloodshed. I want em to stay home, not bleed each other.
Limerick on September 12, 2007 at 7:05 PM
Are there even “hundreds of millions of dollars” in Mexico not already in the hands of Carlos Slim? The Mexodus isn’t going to save the elites there. The colombianization of Mexico is going to reach it’s logical conclusion sooner or later.
PRCalDude on September 12, 2007 at 7:07 PM
But we don’t have to worry about their terrorists coming across our border. It will never happen. A fence wouldn’t help. There’s nothing to see here, move along.
Buzzy on September 12, 2007 at 7:07 PM
Glad to know some of the mexican marxists are still on that side of the border. I thought they had all moved over here.
conservnut on September 12, 2007 at 7:13 PM
No assistance should be given to Mexico. Their oil is nationalized, which is why the only gas station you’ll see is Pemex. They’re crazy about their oil and don’t want outside investors.
Funny, though, how they want our jobs and dollars.
madmonkphotog on September 12, 2007 at 7:27 PM
Mexican oil is nationalized and socialists are bombing it? Leftists don’t make sense.
Resolute on September 12, 2007 at 7:50 PM
SO far, as a result of hte bombings, 6 automotive plants have ceased production… pretty sure those people aren’t going to get paid while they aren’t working…
Canadian Imperialist Running Dog on September 12, 2007 at 7:53 PM
Good questions.
Unrestricted immigration will not buy us goodwill…it will buy us contempt, as it already has. Same with foreign aid.
If we attempt to suggest market reforms or require them as a condition of aid, then we are cultural imperialists. The American Left would never go for it and the Mexican government would be insulted if we tried.
It would be great if they could be reformed into a first-world nation for the benefit of their people and ours. But rather than fix their own house, they would rather just move into a turn-key model that is ready to go.
In other words, I don’t know what real solutions they would accept.
Nosferightu on September 12, 2007 at 7:53 PM
Would you rather fight communism there or here?
Using the most recent Mexican election as a benchmark, approximately half of Mexico is either seriously communist or at least seriously communistic.
If we have an ‘estimated’ net gain of one million border jumpers from Mexico that means a net gain of 500thousand communist supporting individuals invading this country every year.
After having had a run at the border for four decades, its not totally unrealistic to think 20million strongly totalitarian supporters just from Mexico, south and central America reside in the USA.
In 1986 we won the cold war, how well are we resisting the communist menaces’ themselves in 2007?
Democracy is the road to communism, Karl Marx.
Speakup on September 12, 2007 at 7:55 PM
Is this something cooked up by Chavez, and Ahmadinejad?
rockhauler on September 12, 2007 at 8:06 PM
Those terrorists are just doing the jobs that legal Americans won’t do.
Mojave Mark on September 12, 2007 at 8:25 PM
Fox gave the EPR amnesty in 2000, guess that didn’t work out for them. Hmmmm, wouldn’t thought that amnesty would have fixed that pesky terrorism problem forever.
@rockhauler, not much difference between Venezuela and Iran right at the moment. Pretty much the same hand up the butts of both puppets if you ask me.
Buzzy on September 12, 2007 at 8:30 PM
I’d have you know I just had a box of Deluxe Kraft Dinner. It don’t get better than that.
There is nothing we can do to make Mexico like Canada. Mexico, being an indian/latino culture is incapable of First World status. There are no First World societies of that type. None. I’m not going to write an essay on why that is the case.
jihadwatcher on September 12, 2007 at 8:33 PM
Is this something cooked up by Chavez,and Ahmadinejad?
RockHauler on September 12,2007 at 8:06PM.
Stoled the words right out of my mouth,with rumours
of nuclear devices in some American cities,preparations
to bomb Iran,this does smells of Chavez sh!t disturbing.
canopfor on September 12, 2007 at 8:37 PM
The problem with Mexico that most us norteños don’t understand is the corruption that is ingrained in the Mexican culture & psyche.Absolutely nothing gets done without bribery.To us bribery is at best sleazy,at worst criminal.
Frantic Freddie on September 12, 2007 at 8:43 PM
Mexican infrastructure hit hard for not being socialist enough. Sheesh.
This seems to be a great example of Thomas Friedman’s Superempowered Individual, which he used to describe OBL.
Here’s a “bunch of has-been Shining Path wannabes who peaked in the nineties…” doing significant damage. I think this is where the world is headed. You need to be less and less skilled and less and less connected to acquire weapons and do damage, and – I personally think – will eventually progress to the logical conclusion of indivduals with cash being able to make the individual decision to use nukes.
I personally have no idea why there hasn’t already been after 9-11 an attempt to hit the White House with some sort of improvised (or real) GPS or RC-guided munition.
eeyore on September 12, 2007 at 8:54 PM
lol. is there an inverse relationship between quality of food and quality of ice hockey? Think about it.
TexasDan on September 12, 2007 at 9:08 PM
If they need us to fight the terrorists, we’ll be there.
If they need us to help when disaster strikes, we’ll be there.
If they need us to teach them how to stop corruption, we’ll be there.
If they need us to assist in installing a true Republic as represented by the people’s will, we’ll be there.
If they need us to teach them the #1 language in the world, we’ll be there.
If they need us to teach them how to run a business successfully, we’ll be there.
I’m sorry, what was your question?
Mcguyver on September 12, 2007 at 9:12 PM
I don’t think even Hockey players like eating the pucks, ey?
Speakup on September 12, 2007 at 10:01 PM
I said it when this story was a headline that this would be used as a pretext to implement SPP goals… what do you want to “put on the table” See-dubya?
If
MexicoAmerica sealed the border, I mean as waterproof as a forgs behind, and ANY possible benefit an illegal could recieve by coming to America be removed, mirror Mexicos immigration laws, and a constitutional amendment to end birthright citizenship, then they get amnesty with a fine. That is the only thing I would be willing to trade.No matter what it is a win for Mexico. They can be stubborn and prepare for 12 million pissed out of work people coming home. That I gaurantee you they do not want
So See-dubya what are you willing to give?
Theworldisnotenough on September 12, 2007 at 10:17 PM
Not necessarily. Once the mexican government is reduced to chaos, I would say it makes them ripe for application as a group of new US states. (I just know I’m driving the moonbats up the wall saying this. hee hee!)
In all honesty, I’ve often thought that the US is far to congenial to those “allies” that consistently thumb their noses at our laws and sovereignty. I say let the stupid commie fringe group cause chaos in Mexico.
Once the government is sufficiently weak, we can roll in to stop the terrorism, annex Mexico, chop it up into 4 or 5 new states and force them all to learn English as a FIRST language. Immigration problem solved and energy problem solved since we would then own all of Mexico’s oilfields.
Frankly, it would be a step up for most Mexicans since they would all gain US citizenship almost immediately and without making a dangerous border crossing. Hell, we might even have the Mexicans ASK us to annex them if these commies cause enough trouble.
What? you got a better idea?
wearyman on September 12, 2007 at 10:19 PM
We can’t change Mexico if we tried. (we are trying?) They have to solve the culture of corruption themselves. Hopefully someday they will. Maybe as they build a middle class it’ll happen, but we are a generation or two away, if then.
Southern Canada with better food made me laugh! I have an uncle who lives in BC. You can’t beat the beauty of the Canadian Rockies and NW Coast. The fresh caught trout is pretty good! I’ve been to Ensenada and the food was GREAT! The Ensenada Hockey team isn’t so good this year :-)
Ordinary1 on September 12, 2007 at 10:20 PM
That smacks of neocon fear mongering. Venezuela is a flea.
I’m not saying it could not happen, it could, but we are a long, long, loooong way from that. The disgusting proposition you obliquely mention would not even be a possibility if we had sealed the border in the first dang place. Mexico would have been forced to open their markets and allow trade and U.S. companies in to employ their citizens, or face a civil revolt. I could have been so easy. I hate politicians, where are my statesmen?
Our debt (we let China grow to finance it), China (see the debt), our Mexican problem (no enforcement), our Iran problem (they want nukes becuase we let freakin’ Pakistan have ‘em and now Musharraf has to be dealt with, nukes=permanent regime)… They all could have been dealt with years ago by just doing what we need to do, but our government is inhabited by useless cretins only looking for what the office can do for them. (big reason our government sucks is that the populace is largely ignorant, if the middle of the political spectrum were as educated as your average Hotir reader, not a sinlge slack jawwed candidate could remain in office. Take back the classroom conservatives) Now See-dubya is suggesting we hold our nose and capitulate, at least somewhat to the Mexicans! How frustrating. A Presidential candidate that levels with the nation about the sorry state of the Soc Sec system and tells us that “Hey we are going to have to suck it up, Soc Sec has been poorly managed and now we have to climb out of a hole and honor the commitments made to previous generations”, that candidate has my vote Democrats included.
Theworldisnotenough on September 12, 2007 at 10:41 PM
I could not have said it better.
Thanks.
Mcguyver on September 12, 2007 at 11:18 PM
Probably not. Here in Dallas we have excellent TexMex food and the outstanding Dallas Stars. Best of both worlds. ;)
/Go Stars!
techno_barbarian on September 13, 2007 at 12:06 AM
I think The Late Great Warren Zevon said it best:
LegendHasIt on September 13, 2007 at 12:20 AM
I suggested no such thing. It was an honest question, and I think a reasonable one to ask: what concessions, if any, are prudent towards Mexico in order to better preserve our sovereignty?
I didn’t ask what we owe Mexico, because we owe them nothing. And I don’t have some grand See-Dubya Doctrine of US-Mexican Policy* I’m sneakily pushing you towards. I do think this is a question that we ought to try to answer as part of the broader border-security debate, because even with a border as secure as we can reasonably make it, it’s in the US’s interest to see Mexico become more like Chile and less like Venezuela, or less like Beirut.
Maybe it’s that premise you disagree with, and you think that it doesn’t matter a bit what happens in Mexico.
*a secretive plan known only by its acronym, SD-DUMP.
see-dubya on September 13, 2007 at 12:22 AM
your question assumes alot. Is Mexico like Beirut? Is it going to look like Beirut anytime soon? That is my problem with the way you pose the question. We need better relations with Mexico. When they stop holding Elvira out to be some hero then we can at least start to talk. The amnesty should be negotiated between our country and theirs. Heh. Wouldn’t that be a spectacle!
Is it in our interest to see a prosperous Mexico? Yes. Do we do it through coddling and coercing? No. That would leave the old corrupt power structure in place. What we know about that approach is that it will more deeply embed corruption, government regulations always do…. We can see it our own politicians not tackling tough issues frankly, (Soc Sec) look at what we had to start with, the Mexican George Washington has yet to appear. Mexico without political reform will always be Mexico. They need a reason to change that they can’t get rid off, their own countrymen will suffice. They’ll need jobs and we’ll need goods produced. If we started to rebuild our textile/manufacturing industry in Mexico to specifically compete with the Chinese we have won and Mexicans have won.
But that is a problem, Mexicans politicians want to win instead of the people winning. The old guard wants to stay in power. A educated middle class based on manufacturing (just like the U.S. post WWII) would wreak havoc upon the established power structure. If it is in Mexicans politicians best interest to invite the U.S. in to provide investment and jobs for their citizens then that is what they’ll do. The resulting prosperity is what we want. Although education is so poor in Mexico that they are moe easily controlled than we are. Not much we can do about that.
So my answer is to deport, softly. Remove magnets, and increase legal temporary workers. They will self deport when they see their jobs going to people they know that came here legally. then we hammer out a deal with Mexico. I’d opt for real free trade. No tariffs between countries. We would be down there building factorty after factory. Mexicans would be tripping over each other to go back home. We know that they aren’t here to be Americans, they just want work. Once we have the flow going southward then we can give an amnesty that puts fomwer illegals at the back of the line and imposes a sizeable fine or a 10 year period of paying into Soc Sec before they start to acrue benefits.
Also no dual citizenship. No one can be naturalized if they retain citizenship in another country or a legal permanent resident for that matter.
Theworldisnotenough on September 13, 2007 at 1:42 AM
JiangxiDad on September 13, 2007 at 8:51 AM
Oh, but let us embrace open borders. That’ll fix the problem.
All I gotta say is, “good fences make good neighbors.”
locomotivebreath1901 on September 13, 2007 at 10:01 AM
I would take a strong look at Chavez being behind this group. One, he’s not a fan of the current Mexican president and wants to create instability there, and by default, in our backyard. Two, he’s known to fund other guerrila outfits in Latin America. And, the apparent increase in sophistication with this attack could suggest training and support from a government. Three, losses in Mexican production may drive customers to Venezuela. Four, he wants the price of oil to go up so he can make more money.
This will be something worth keeping an eye on.
CP on September 13, 2007 at 11:28 AM
“like a southern Canada with better food” ???? Refried beans?? Burritos??? See Dubya, your taste buds must be in your a$$.
oilbertan on September 13, 2007 at 12:16 PM
Goodwill? They just see us as suckers and will demand more concessions, which will do nothing except make things worse.
The Leftist elites that run Mexico use emigration as a saftey valve, getting rid of the people most likely to challenge them, and as a way of propping up their economy by siphoning off America.
Nothing will ever really change down there. All that ever happens is that one group takes over and runs the country into the ground, just like the other. There are some differences in degree, not in kind, between miitary and socialist dictatorships. Socialists tend to be better at convinving people they’re being oppressed and exploited ‘For their own good(TM)’ and worse at actually running the country (propaganda, not government, is the Leftist specialty).
We should be opening up our country to Europeans fleeing the hellhole that the EU is turning into. They much of our culture and values, many already speak (or are) English, have skills, and are hard working. They’re pratically pre-intergrated.
Most South Americans are like muslims. They want the lifestyle, money, and benefits of our way of life, but not the things that make it possible.
Hard work? Honesty? Honoring a contract? Transparent government? Merit-based rewards? Self-improvement? Pratical eduacation? Those are for gringos/kafirs/honkey. Just give me your money, because you’ve been ‘oppressing’ my people for centuries.
ticticboom on September 13, 2007 at 7:55 PM
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