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<blockquote type="cite" cite>Visionaries: Our neighbors to
the south are sending assistance to the</blockquote>
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Gulf States.</div>
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<div>Tom Trail<br>
</div>
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<blockquote>By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer<br>
Wed Sep 7, 5:11 PM ET<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
MEXICO CITY - Mexican army convoys and a navy ship laden with food,
supplies<br>
and specialists traveled to the U.S. Wednesday to help in the
Hurricane<br>
Katrina relief effort — a highly symbolic journey marking the first
time<br>
Mexico's military has aided its powerful northern neighbor.<br>
<br>
The convoy was expected to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border
Wednesday<br>
evening and cross into U.S. territory early Thursday, President
Vicente<br>
Fox's office said.<br>
<br>
Radio talk shows and newspapers in Mexico buzzed with excitement over
news<br>
that this country, long on the receiving end of U.S. disaster relief,
was<br>
sending a hurricane aid convoy north.<br>
<br>
The convoy represents the first Mexican military unit to operate on
U.S.<br>
soil since 1846, when Mexican troops briefly marched into! Texas,
which had<br>
separated from Mexico and joined the United States.<br>
<br>
It included military specialists, doctors, nurses and engineers
carrying<br>
water treatment plants, mobile kitchens, food and blankets.<br>
<br>
"This is just an act of solidarity between two peoples who are
brothers,"<br>
said Fox's spokesman, Ruben Aguilar.<br>
<br>
Army press office employee Francisco Aguilar said he did not have
details of<br>
the convoy's precise location. It originally was scheduled to arrive
in<br>
Houston to provide food for evacuees, but apparently had been rerouted
to<br>
Dallas.<br>
<br>
All of the convoy's participants will be unarmed. In July 2004,
Mexican<br>
troops interrupted the funeral of a Mexican-born Marine killed in
Iraq.<br>
They objected to the nonworking, ceremonial rifles carried by two
Marines<br>
who came from the United States for the ceremony.<br>
<br>
Mexico later apologized but said it has an obligation to enforce a ban
on<br>
foreign troops carryi! ng weapons in its territory.<br>
<br>
The convoy has "a very high symbo lic content," said Javier
Oliva, a<br>
political scientist at Mexico's National Autonomous University.
"This is a<br>
very sensitive subject, for historic and political reasons."<br>
<br>
Large Mexican flags were taped to many of the 35 olive-green Mexican
Army<br>
trucks and tractor trailers as they rumbled northward toward the
border<br>
Wednesday.<br>
<br>
The convoy includes two mobile kitchens that can feed 7,000 people a
day,<br>
three flatbed trucks carrying mobile water-treatment plants and 15
trailers<br>
of bottled water, blankets and applesauce. The 195 Mexicans taking
part<br>
include military engineers, doctors and nurses.<br>
<br>
"This is the first time that the United States has accepted a
military<br>
mission from Mexico" for such work, said Javier Ibarrola, a
newspaper<br>
columnist who covers military affairs in Mexico.<br>
<br>
The relief mission was controversial for some Mexican lawmakers, who
said<br>
the president should have sought Senate approval before! sending
troops<br>
abroad. But the Fox administration said no such approval was needed
for aid<br>
missions.<br>
<br>
The government was planning to send a second, 12-vehicle aid convoy to
the<br>
U.S. sometime this week and has sent a Mexican navy ship equipped
with<br>
rescue vehicles and helicopters to the Mississippi coast.<br>
<br>
The ship Papaloapan left the Gulf coast port of Tampico on Monday.
Fox's<br>
office was unsure when it would arrive, but said it would dock about
30<br>
miles south of Biloxi, Miss.</blockquote>
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<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Dr. Tom Trail<br>
International Trails<br>
1375 Mt. View Rd.<br>
Moscow, Id. 83843<br>
Tel: (208) 882-6077<br>
Fax: (208) 882-0896<br>
e mail ttrail@moscow.com</blockquote>
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<div>Dr. Tom Trail<br>
International Trails<br>
1375 Mt. View Rd.<br>
Moscow, Id. 83843<br>
Tel: (208) 882-6077<br>
Fax: (208) 882-0896<br>
e mail ttrail@moscow.com</div>
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