OAS Shows Why We Don't Need CIFTA

CIFTA: Treaty Without a Purpose, Heritage Foundation Foundry, February 4, 2011. "CIFTA is a bad treaty: It poses serious risks to liberties guaranteed by the First and Second Amendments and would undermine U.S. sovereignty by legally binding it to fulfill obligations that some current signatories already disregard. The OAS’s latest statement on “Reducing the Threat of Arms and Munitions in the Americas” demonstrates that the treaty is pointless as well as bad."

CIFTA, Again

CIFTA: More Than A Bad Treaty, National Security Policy Proceedings, vol. 3, Fall 2010. "My subject today is the CIFTA Convention, which has been negotiated under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS). CIFTA, in turn, is a Spanish abbreviation for the “Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.” CIFTA is a bad treaty, but it is not simply a bad treaty. It raises three broader issues about the process and purpose of U.S. diplomacy that we should all be concerned about."

Action in US-UK Relations Happens Off the Field

Take Your Eye Off the Ball, Foxnews.com, June 12, 2010. "In one respect, the World Cup match between England and the United States is a study in symbolism. For Americans, it symbolizes, first, the fact of our exceptionalism. Unlike the rest of the world, we just don’t care very much about soccer. The fact that the U.S.’s first match is against England has brought out the second bit of symbolism: the U.S. media’s belief that England is the one nation against which American patriotism may legitimately be directed."

Once Again, Misleading Claims About Guns on the Border

President Calderon's Misleading Claim, Heritage Foundation Foundry, May 21, 2010. "In his speech before a Joint Session of Congress yesterday, President Felipe Calderon of Mexico made a bold claim."

Calderon's Visit and CIFTA

What We Shouldn't Be Doing to 'Help' Mexico, Foxnews.com, May 20, 2010. "Mexican President Felipe Calderón is in Washington for a two day state visit from May 19-20. He and President Obama have a lot to talk about, ranging from reaffirming a shared commitment to the North American Free Trade Agreement to the vital need for both countries to emphasize competitiveness, technological innovation, and creative entrepreneurship. In Mexico, these policies will increase growth and employment and reduce the economic pressures that drive illegal immigration across the U.S. border."

President Calderon's Visit and the OAS Convention

President Calderón’s Visit Should Not Lead to Support for the OAS’s Firearms Convention, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2905, May 19, 2010. "On May 19, Mexican President Felipe Calderón will arrive in Washington for a two-day state visit, during which he is likely to urge U.S. ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacture of and Trafficking in Firearms (commonly known by its Spanish acronym, CIFTA). The convention is purportedly necessary to stem the flow of firearms legally purchased in the U.S. and then illegally exported to Mexico."

The OAS's Firearms Convention

The OAS Firearms Convention Is Incompatible with American Liberties, Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2412, May 19, 2010. "President Barack Obama has called on the Senate to ratify CIFTA, the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacture of and Trafficking in Firearms, but the convention poses serious prudential risks to liberties guaranteed by the First and Second Amendments. The convention appears to be an end run around domestic obstacles to gun control. Furthermore, ratification of the convention would undermine U.S. sovereignty by legally binding it to fulfill obligations that some current signatories already disregard. The U.S. would be best served by continuing existing programs, cooperating with other countries on a bilateral basis, and making and enforcing its own laws to combat the traffic in illicit arms."