The announcement Friday by Undersecretary Eduardo Sánchez of the Interior Secretariat was another sign that President Enrique Peña Nieto is developing a whole different strategy against the cartels, and wants to distance itself from practices under the previous government, which left power Dec. 1.

Last week, Sánchez also told the press that police no longer would put suspected gangsters on display in “perp walks” before banks of television cameras, nor would authorities post “most-wanted” lists, allow news media to air raids in action or refer to gangsters by aliases.

“It is not acceptable, nor will it ever be under this government, that authorities conduct themselves in arbitrary ways that hurt society (or) lead to impunity and injustice,” Sánchez said at a news conference.READ MORE HERE

java logo

Computer users are being advised by security experts to disable Oracle Corp.’s widely used Java software after a security flaw was discovered that they say hackers are exploiting to attack computers.

“Java is a mess. It’s not secure,” said Jaime Blasco, Labs Manager with AlienVault Labs. “You have to disable it.”

Java, which is on hundreds of millions of PCs around the globe, is a computer language that lets programmers write software using just one set of code that will run on virtually any type of computer.

It lets Web developers make sites accessible from browsers running on Microsoft Corp. Windows PCs or Macs from Apple Inc.

Computer users access those programs through modules, or plug-ins, that run Java software on top of browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox. READ MORE HERE

Poster of Anti drug campaign in the U.S.

The following is stated in the investigation made by the Norwegian Narcotics Governmental Committee  which members, more than 100 consultative bodies, has made a public statement in late February. The picture that emerges is the following:

1) the drug situation in Norway is improving,

2) law enforcement efforts should be reinforced,

3) amicable measures for adolescents should be done in legal terms.

4) a clear majority of Norwegian Experts does not want either legalization or decriminalization of drug use in Norway.

5) there are no scientific arguments for the legalization of drug use,

6) countries that have experimented with legalization or decriminalization had problems.

7) drug Status in Norway as of 2012 is that the number of overdose deaths have been reduced. The use of heroin has gone down 20-30 percent in the last 10 years. The use of cannabis is slightly down, and the number of young people who have tried cannabis is strongly downward. The steep increase in cocaine use has stopped. Norwegian Narcotics Police Association with its 2600 members, of which 350 offciers are from Customs, has followed the last developments very closely and can confirm that the situation is far from black in Norway. On the contrary, the situation is improving.

in one area there is strong reason to worry. This applies to the new synthetic drugs, often called “legal highs”. The use of these is increasing, and there are 600 online shops in Europe. In 2011, 8 new substances were taken into the forbidden drug list. It’s seems good, but when 100 new substances are identified in the last three years, the pace must accelerate when it comes to getting new synthetic drugs onto the list.

9) the Committee also think that the anti narcotic laws should take this new situation (new synthetic drugs) into account,  since the Norwegian Supreme Court has pointed out that the current criminal laws can not be applied to all new synthetic drugs now entering into the market.

10) In 2010 there were 248 drug deaths in Norway. Number of drug deaths worldwide is about 200 000 per year. Deaths caused by alcohol, tobacco and licit psychoactive substances are approximately 7.5 million per year, ie almost 40 times higher. Drugs are illegal trade in virtually all countries, while alcohol, tobacco and psychoactive are legal merchandise. According to the UN drug office  these figures contains the best argument for a restrictive drug policy.

11) Legalization advocates have tried to create the impression that the punishment for drug use, even for the first time, is why there are so many drug prisoners in Norwegian prisons. That is not true, according to the Committee. In fact the first time drug use  hardly results in an unconditional prison sentence. Production, trafficking and turnover, however, are punished severely, and so shall it be.

12) Many of the respondents to the consultation clearly states that the legal actions against drug users should be handled by police, police prosecutors and the courts.

13) Furthermore, the Committee also believe that alternative sanctions for young people should be supported, for example, conditional waiver on terms of future abstinence. That this gives good results was confirmed by the ngo “HOPE – the project”, which combines lower punishment if the drug users do not relapse, having clear conditions and lightning fast reaction in case of breach of these conditions.

14) the Norwegian Crime Prevention Council states that “… the criminal provisions represent an important norm boundary, particularly with regard to underage drug users …”,

15) and the statement of the Norwegian Ministry of Justice which states that “… we must show clearly that the possession and abuse in youth groups carries and will be met with clear legal sanctions. There is little doubt that many young people organize their behavior according to society’s limits and sanctions … “.

16) Legalization advocates focus on informal agreements on health care treatment. The reasoning for this including the high costs of the justice sector. The fact that quality care is important, the Committee fully agree in. The argument about costs in the justice sector stands out, however, as too little nuanced, and must be considered in the perspective that the treatment is expensive – with costs of up to USD 450  per day, and with waiver during the treatment period of as much as 70 percent.

17) At one point there is complete agreement between supporters and opponents, it is that prevention is crucial, and that home and school are the key prevention arenas. “It’s worrying.”

18) Eighty percent of respondents to the consultation who answered the question said “yes” for renewed anti narcotic efforts made by the police and customs.

19) Price mechanism also applies to the drug market. The larger the seizures, the higher the prices, and the lower the risk that young people start using drugs.

20) Alternative measures for heavily dependent users is not opposed to the resolute responses to youth at risk, which is the most important target group.

21) Each country’s police and customs officers can only stop some of the drugs that pass their own border. But the drugs are transported across many borders, such as heroin from Afghanistan, cannabis from North Africa and cocaine from South America. On every border the authorities seize a certain amount  of drugs. If you had added up all the drugs captured/seized  along the long route, one would have seen that customs and police were able to stop between 40 and 50 percent of drugs that have Norway as the final goal of.  That is a pretty good result, says the Norwegian Committee.

22) Also, the Committee is aware of the negative secondary effects. If Norway liberalize the use of drugs, there will also be harder for customs and police to stop smuggling and sales, a flow of narcotics will enter to the country.

23) The Committee also  read the documents and statements made by the addicts organizations. The strongest impression is the statement of the interest organization RIO which states that “…… the liberalization of drugs is the opposite of dignity for people fleeing from himself through drugs …… there are still many people who do not experiment with drugs because it is forbidden … “. Many will experiment with drugs if suddenly the use of drugs is decriminalized.

That is why, the Norwegian Committe became convinced that legalization or decriminalization of drugs is not the way to go, and that the Norwegian drug policy is much better than its reputation.

]]> http://www.theamericaspostes.com/4257/23-reasons-why-not-decriminalize-drugs-use/feed/ 0 http://www.theamericaspostes.com/4061/gadhafi-son-planned-escape-to-mexico/ http://www.theamericaspostes.com/4061/gadhafi-son-planned-escape-to-mexico/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:02:12 +0000 tlc http://www.theamericaspostes.com/?p=4061

The Americas Post - Al-Saadi Gadhafi wanted to go Al Puerto Vallarta. Photo Credit: AP

Mexican authorities said Wednesday that a surviving son of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and three other relatives planned to enter Mexico under false names and hide at a Pacific coast resort.

The plan to smuggle in al-Saadi Gadhafi allegedly involved two Mexicans, a Canadian and a Danish suspect, all of whom have been arrested according to Interior Secretary Alejandro Poire.

The plot was discovered by Mexican intelligence agents in September as al-Saadi fled Libya shortly after his father’s downfall.  He never made it as far as Mexico, ending up in the Western African country of Niger where he currently resides.

The plotters allegedly flew to Mexico, opened bank accounts and bought safe houses in several parts of the country, including one just outside Puerto Vallarta.

“The great economic resources which this criminal organization has, or had, allowed them to contract private flights,” Poire told a news conference.

Poire named Canadian Cynthia Vanier as the group’s ringleader.  He said she had been picked up on Nov. 10 and is now under house arrest with three other suspects on suspicion of document falsification, human smuggling and organized crime.

Poire said Vanier “was the direct contact with the Gadhafi family and the leader of the group, and presumably was the person in charge of the finances of the operation.”

The plot also allegedly depended on a Mexican woman living in the United States, who Poire said obtained the falsified Mexican identity documents.

A Danish man acted as “the logistic liaison” for the plan, Poire said.  He said the alleged conspirators also traveled to Kosovo “and several Middle Eastern countries.”

The Mexican officials made no mention of Moammar Gadhafi himself being involved in the plan, and Poire did not say which relatives may have planned to accompany the son to Mexico. The elder Gadhafi fell from power in late August and was killed in Libya on Oct. 20.

Poire said that false documents were issued in the names of “Daniel Bejar Hanan, Amira Sayed Nader, Moah Bejar Sayed and Sofia Bejar Sayed.”  The Gadhafi name does not appear anywhere in the documents.

The Americas Post.- Alleged Pirates detained in Gulf of Aden by U.S. Marines of USS Anzio.(Combined Maritime Forces photo/Released)

Specially in Somalia´s waters, pirates are increasingly turning to kidnapping and hostage-taking to generate funding to purchase weapons and continue operations.

As a comment to a recent statement of the United Nations, the Assistant Secretary Andrew Shapiro at the State Department Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said that there has been a decline of piracy attacks during 2011because of security steps taken by commercial vessels traveling in high-risk areas.

While speaking during a Defense Conference earlier this month, Shapiro said the U.S. had recently helped Somalia establish a national policy encouraging countries to allow their commercial ships sailing in high-risk waters to carry armed security personnel on board.

“The reason for this is simple: to date no ship with an armed security team aboard has been successfully pirated,” he said. “We have recently demarched countries to permit the use of privately contracted armed security personnel on commercial vessels.”

Shapiro said the State Department is working with countries to make it easier for privately contracted security personnel to transit foreign ports with weapons intended for the self-defense of ships, like f.e. in the Suez Canal. READ MORE HERE

Rebels celebrating the imminent end of the Gaddafi regime in Libya.

The Americas Post notes the latest news and information about the situation in Libya and the fact that Qaddafi´s Regime is coming to an end. Two countries were quite loquacious on Libya´s and Gaddafi´s destiny: the USA and Venezuela. In our region, only Hugo Chavez came immediately the the support of the fallen Arab colonel. Presumably the same might be heard from Fidel Castro, who has condemned the NATO intervention in Libya authorized by the Security Council of the United Nations, as well as Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, once a direct beneficiary of financial assistance from Khadafi, or even the Brazilian government that worked hard for a negotiated solution in Libya, but failed.  Instead, Brazil will recognize the rebels as the new authority in Libya. The following are the public reactions in the Western Hemisphere.

The reaction in U.S.: President Obama said today that Muammar al-Qaddafi’s regime is “coming to an end”.  Obama suspended a few hours of his vacation in Martha’s Vineyard to address the historic developments in Libya, where rebels captured most of the capital Tripoli.  “The future of Libya is in the hands of its people,” Obama said with satisfaction. “The celebrations that we’ve seen in the streets of Libya show that the pursuit of human dignity is far stronger than any dictator.”  In spite of the favorable situation the Obama administration does not want to expand U.S. involvement in Libya, on the contrary the U.S. wants this to be a “Libyan-led transition.”  The U.S. does not plan to send any U.S. forces onto the ground into Libya.  If the situation in Tripoli stabilizes in favor of the rebels, the U.S. will begin the process of releasing Qaddafi regime’s frozen assets to the Libyan people. The value of these assets is estimated at $30 billion, with 10 percent of it in liquid funds.

Venezuela: a month ago, a grandiloquent President of Venezuela Col Hugo Chavez still supported Gaddafy with enthusiasm, but now the colonel is more moderate, even pacifist.  Chavez did not say anything on Monday.  On Sunday night during the rebel offensive, Chavez comments were that NATO and the U.S. ” are destroying Tripoli with their bombs.”  Chavez reiterated his call for a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis. The president said that they are attacking “schools, hospitals, homes, workplaces, factories and agricultural fields” in order to “intervene and take a country and its oil.” “Let us ask God’s help for the Libyan people and the peoples of the world and peace for the world,” said Chavez, who called the situation a  “slaughter.”  On Sunday night President Chavez did ​​not mention the rebels or his “friend and ally Muammar Gaddafi”.

Brazil shifted its policy towards Libya. Now, facing the fact that the Arab League supported the rebels, Brazil announced on Monday that the country will review its position and officially recognize the National Transitional Council (TNC) of Libya.  Until now Brazil had called for a negotiated solution in Lybia.  For Brasilia the opinion of the Arab League has legitimacy and importance in the Arab region, which explains Brazil’s recognition of the new regime in Libya.

Like Brazil, the remaining countries in Latin America can be expected to act realistically and recognize the new regime in a short time.

Hugo Chavez, undergoing chemotherapy, cuts hair short. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks during the swearing in ceremony of two new ministers in Caracas, Venezuela on Aug. 1, 2011. (Photo Credit Miraflores Presidential Office)

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi sent emissaries to Caracas over the weekend to ask president Hugo Chávez to help his regime sell crude oil through Venezuela in international markets, thus evading internationally imposed sanctions, western intelligence sources said.

The small delegation — headed by Planning and Finance Minister Abdulhafid Zlitni — arrived Sunday on a private jet and Chávez confirmed its presence in the South American country.

“Gaddafi has sent us an emissary,” Chávez told a government television channel. “They bring a letter for me. That is good. The world needs to know it. As soon as you have it translated,” he told his foreign affairs minister, Nicolás Maduro, who was at the television studio, “bring it to me.” RETURN TO HOMEPAGE.

The intelligence sources told El Nuevo Herald that …READ MORE HERE

As time goes by: Mubarak, Lula, Umaru, Jacob Zuma, Muammar Gaddafy and UN Secr Gral Ban Ki Moon

The decision of the Security Council to impose UN sanctions on Libya was published on Friday (15) in the Official Gazette of Brazil with a decree oif the brazilian government including a ban on arms trade, the freezing of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and persons connected with him, along with support for investigations into international crimes attributed to the leader of Libya. The current president of  Brazil, Michel Temer, is signing the document, as the president Rousseff is on an official visit to China and only return to Brazil next Monday (18).

Under the decision, the Brazilian government determines the arms embargo on Libya, suspending sales, purchases and transfers of arms and war materials. The embargo also ban the sale of ammunition, military vehicles and providing technical and financial assistance and training to Libyan military activities.

Penalties still veto the entry into brazilian national territory of 16 people linked to Khadafi – among them, children and employees. The restrictions also determine the freezing of assets and investments in Brazil of all these people. By decree, the Brazilian government is committed to working with the United Nations and support the ongoing investigations in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

On 26 February the Security Council adopted sanctions as punishment to the climate of terror that exists in Libya. For members of  UN and NATO Armed forces , Gaddafi is responsible for crimes such as massacres, widespread violence, and corruption and misappropriation of public funds.

In the decree, Brazil defends the necessity of “stopping individuals that  are causing attacks on civilians, including by forces under his control [of Gaddafi].” The text also covers the end “immediately” of violence and the adoption of measures that meet the “legitimate grievances” of the population,

The determination of the United Nations also requires that the Libyan authorities to respect human rights and humanitarian concerns.

According to the decree, the fiscal-General of the International Criminal Court should submit every six months a report on the situation in Libya. The ICC investigates accusations of responsibility of Gaddafy for war crimes ranging from mass murder to torture. There are reports that the Libyan leader ordered the burial of people alive during the protests against his government.

Thousands of egyptians demand prosecution of mubarak, last Friday. Photo credit to Amr Nabil, AP

Since Mubarak’s fall, the movement that pushed to expell him from power has seen some fragmentation, as the military who ousted Mubarak pushed ahead with a quick timetable for new parliament and presidential elections to be held in September and November. That has sent various political parties and factions scrambling to get organized to contest the vote.

But the accusations of corruption around Mubarak´s regime provides a unifying theme that resonates among most Egyptians.

Many Egyptians want to see Mubarak and his entourage punished for years of corruption and repression, including widespread vote fraud during elections and security crackdowns.

Western Africa is the main cocaine connection into Europe

Spain remains being the hub for cocaine smuggling into Europe.

Also Spain tops european statistics of cocaine use, while around 1600 spaniards remain imprisoned abroad for drug-related crimes.

Experts say the price of cocaine sold on European streets has not increased and has remained stable during 2010,  indicating that the supply is meeting demand and that the European authorities in 2010 have not been successful in reducing the smuggling of cocaine to Europe.

The UNODC (United Nations Office specialized in fighting international criminal activities) has said that 3 of every 10 kilos of cocaine that are produced in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia (COPEBO area) are being smuggled into Europe using the “african connection” across West Africa via countries like Nigeria, Liberia , Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry,  Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.

Another country that is used as a connection between South American cocaine and the western african cartels is Cape Verde. The Republic of Cape Verde ( Portuguese Cabo Verde) is an island country. spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of  Western Africa.

The region of COBEPO produce around 1000 tons of cocaine per year.
International drug trafficking organizations may have connections to high levels within governments, police and armed forces of those african countries. Much of this organized crime is operated by Latin American drug traffickers, mainly Colombians.
If the situation does not improve, some of these african countries – some of the already affected by civil war-  would become narco-states, as might be the case in Guinea Bissau.

This requires more information and better intelligence on drug trafficking routes from South America.  Now a new route for the cocaine smugglers could be from Central America directly to the U.S. avoiding the mexican “war on drugs”.

For now, the four main routes of trafficking of Colombian cocaine are:

a) across the Mexican border through Central America
b) to the U.S. via the Caribbean .
c) directly to Europe via Venezuela and Brazil
d) indirectly to Europe via West Africa

The focus made on the mexican connection, shadowed the other “flourishing” three routes. Maybe that is the idea of the narco strategists.