Proposal to Send Troops to US/Mexico Border Hits Snag

The Washington Post reported yesterday that the DHS and DOD disagree over which agency should provide funding for additional forces to be sent to the US/Mexican border to combat narcotics and gun smuggling.  Secretary of Defense Gates argues that the DOD’s budget is straining under the cost of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and that the security of the border should be left to agencies that are charged with this specific mission, such as the Border Patrol and local police and state authorities. DHS Secretary and former Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano, sides with the border-state governors who reason that border security is a federal issue. 

Regardless of which agency ends up paying for the troops, I disagree with the line of reasoning that an additional 1,500 guardsmen patrolling a 2,000 mile border that is crossed legally more than 800,000 times a day will make a significant impact on gun and drug smugglers.  Instead of combating the symptoms of the narco cartels, the US should pass stricter gun laws in border-states to stem the flow of illicit guns to Mexico.  

Check out the New York Times’ interactive feature “Smuggling Guns From Houston” to get an idea of the quantity and caliber of arms that can be smuggled into Mexico by just one gunrunner.  

Also, make sure to visit the disarmament hub website and participate in our Students for a Nuclear Weapons Free World Campaign Contest!

Friday's Links

Every Friday I'll publish a few links on arms control, national security, proliferation and disarmament. Here comes this week's batch!

Earlier this week I published a blog post about the Security Council's political will in leveling a new round of sanctions against North Korea. Arms Control Wonk has published a number of posts this week discussing the feasibility of knowing exactly what is on North Korea's cargo ships. Definitely worth checking out. 

Support a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East

Last week in Cairo, President Obama said, “It is clear to all concerned that when it comes to nuclear weapons, we have reached a decisive point. This is…about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.”

Write to President Obama today and ask him to use the convening power of the United States to begin negotiations on a Middle East Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ).

Report on Flow of US Small Arms to Mexico

The News Hour with Jim Lehrer Recently aired a segment about measures that are being taken to combat the flow of US firearms that are fueling Mexico's narco wars. Read the transcript and watch the video here

Create your own Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Free World and Compete to win a Trip to the UN DPI/NGO Conference in Mexico!

Check out the Global Disarmament Hub to learn how to participate in this year's Students for a Nuclear Weapons Free World Campaign Contest! 

Tougher Sanctions Against North Korea

This is a great time to be active in arms control and disarmament issues. There’s so much happening right now, especially at the UN.  On Friday, the Security Council voted to step up sanctions against North Korea in response to the DPRK’s recent nuclear test and missile launches.

 I spoke recently with a sanctions expert at the UN who told me that one can generally gauge the Security “Council’s political will on a particular sanctions issue depending on whether the Council 1) establishes a Sanctions Committee; 2) establishes a monitoring mechanism; and 3) authorizes/mandates the Committee to designate individuals/entities for sanctions (e.g., assets freeze, travel ban) which violate the sanctions regime”.

In the case of DPRK, there already exists a sanctions committee and a monitoring body.  The most recent round of sanctions leveled against North Korea would grant the Security Council the power to review cases in which UN member state vessels entering or departing from North Korea refuse inspection, and in each individual case the Security Council can opt to sanction the vessel’s government.  This added measure clearly results in a more robust sanctions regime, but because sanctions are not made automatic against violators, the regime against the North is not as muscular as it could be. 

 In addition to keeping an eye on what's happening at the UN, WFUNA is busy preparing for the DPI/NGO Conference on Disarmament, Peace and Security taking place in September in Mexico City. Check out the disarmament hub website for an opportunity to win a trip to the conference!

Youth Committee Pre-Conference: Disarm the World with Knowledge

Yesterday the UN University hosted a pre-conference to get youth engaged in the DPI-NGO conference on Disarmament, Peace and Security in Mexico in September.  

The morning session focused on nuclear issues and featured Kristin Jenssen, Political Affairs Officer, Weapons of Mass Destruction, with UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), Kathleen Sullivan, with the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education website of the UN, Cyber School Bus and Sheena Nayak, grad student at Monterey Institute of International Studies.  The discussion touched upon the history of arms control, how NGO's can engage youth in the disarmament arena, and the human security aspect of nuclear weapons; that nuclear weapons make all of us fundamentally insecure.  

The afternoon session focused on conventional weapons, small arms and land mines and featured Daniel Prins, Chief of the Conventional Arms Branch of UNODA, Gustavo Laurie, UN Mine Action Service and UN DPKO, Akiko Ikeda, Programme Officer for UN Mine Action Service and Jake Walko, from International Action Network on Small Arms.  The panelists discussed the difficulties in controlling the spread of small arms, successes and challenges in drawing down the number of land mines in violent conflicts, and the human rights implications and victims’ rights associated with land mines. 

The event also featured disarmament-themed posters from DPI-NGO’s youth poster series and was a great precursor to the September DPI-NGO conference on Disarmament, Peace and Security. 

Our First Blog Post!

This blog is designed to keep everyone updated about what is happening at the UN and surrounding NGO community concerning proliferation issues, disarmament and arms control.  As the disarmament coordinator at the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)- A People's Movement for the United Nations- I will also make sure that you are all in the loop about what we have going on here as well.  

First, we have some big news! The annual DPI-NGO conference, held this year in Mexico City from September 9th-11th, will focus on the issues of Disarmament, Peace and Security. Building towards the conference, WFUNA is sponsoring a contest: Students for a Nuclear Weapons Free World. Students are encouraged to design/develop a local campaign that educates, invigorates, and mobilizes your community (local, regional, national, online, or anywhere) especially youth, to become a part of the global movement to free the world of nuclear weapons. Winners will win a trip to the DPI-NGO conference in Mexico! Check out the disarmament hub website for details.  Feel free to send me any questions/comments regarding the contest, the disarmament hub website, or anything else regarding disarmament and arms control, I'm looking forward to seeing the contest submissions!