U.S. Sees Heightened Threat in Mexico

[mike r]

Source: Wall Street Journal

The Obama administration sees the drug-related violence sweeping Mexico as a growing threat to U.S. national security and has launched a broad review of steps the military and intelligence community could take to help combat what some U.S. officials describe as a narcoinsurgency.

U.S. and Mexican officials say the Pentagon's Northern Command, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies are discussing what aviation, surveillance and intelligence assets could be used — both inside Mexico and along the border — to help counter the drug cartels.

Officials say it is unclear how much of an expanded American role the Mexicans will accept. The scope of the U.S. effort is expected to grow but it is unclear how much. There is no consideration of sending U.S. troops other than in a training or liaison capacity, people familiar with the matter say.

Interagency talks about ramping up assistance have been discreet to avoid a public backlash in Mexico. But the review is tacit acknowledgment that the Merida Initiative launched in 2008, in which Congress allocated $1.3 billion over three years to help Mexican drug-interdiction efforts, has been insufficient to stem the violence.



Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703960004575482080017955838.html

[Sinistrous]

1. Isn't prohibition just wonderful?

It's a bloody shame nobody has the guts to take the one, simple step that would stop this nonsense.

[Bobbieo]

2. That's right! Prop 19 in CA would be a start!

[boppers]

4. Which simple step would that be?

Legalize all "hard" and "soft" drugs?

Eliminate the FDA?

Eliminate DUI laws?

[Sinistrous]

14. I see you have not been following what is the main income

source for the Mexican narco cartels.

[boppers]

18. I'm a born and raised 'zonie, so maybe I have a different perspective.

First of all, narcotic drugs aren't the problem, so calling them "narco cartels" is absurd to start with.

Secondly, they get their money and power from their ability to get traffic across borders....

Payload is secondary. It could be weed, it could be people, it could be meth, whatever.

So, is your "simple step" an open border?

[Sinistrous]

19. Your feeble attempts at being cute aren't making you look very smart.

The author of post#2 got my point exactly. Sorry you could not see that from your special "perspective". Maybe your status as a 'zonie makes you focus on the immigration issue to the exclusion of the other problem. Hint: the article on the OP was about narcotics trafficking, not people trafficking.

And yes, they are cartels engaged in selling and transporting illegal narcotics, i.e., in the vernacular, they are "narco cartels." Did the use of the term "narcoinsurency" by the WSJ bother you? Was that "absurd, also? So you fail there also.

edit to add: See this recent post.

[boppers]

22. Yes, if you legalized alcohol, that "simple solution" would end organized crime.

How's that working out?

[Sinistrous]

25. There isn't much money in rum running these days, so

I would say it worked out just fine.

[lib2DaBone]

3. Quit sending Millions of dollars to Mexico for the WOD....

[amandabeech]

5. Stop sending millions on dollars to Mexico to protect factories

that replaced ones here.

If those factories weren't there, and the transit routes from those factories to this country weren't so important, how much would anyone at the top here care?

Oh, and to DUers who use drugs, you are helping to fund this mess. Innocent people are being killed to support your habit. Decreasing demand for drugs will save many more people than will any dollars spent on interdiction in this country and in Mexico.

Please stop using drugs until drugs are legal. If you can't stop, seek help.

[shanti]

6. which drugs exactly

are you referring to?

[amandabeech]

7. Illegal ones.

If you ever had any interest in quitting, now's the time to do it.

[shanti]

8. oh, like cannabis?

:eyes:

[amandabeech]

9. Except as prescribed by a doctor, yes. n/t

[Occulus]

10. *snort* okay.

We'll get it from growers here. Next?

[amandabeech]

11. *snort* It's being grown in our National Forests in California

by Mexican gangs.

They use the worst agricultural practices imaginable, cut down redwoods and trash the place.

Smoke that Michigan skank if you want, but don't be responsible for the destruction of our national forests.

[Occulus]

12. And the goalposts lurch sideways n/t

[shanti]

13. and it's going on precisely

because it's illegal, hello! LEGALIZE IT!

[ProudDad]

15. Hey ASSHOLES, end the phony "war on drugs(tm)!!!" (n/t)

[KillCapitalism]

16. Here's an idea.

How about Predator drones flying above the border on patrol. Air force patrols would be good too, a few 2,000 pound bombs dropped on the narco gangs should do the job. We do this to the Taliban in Afghanistan, so why not to these narco gangs too? They are more of a threat to the US than the Taliban IMO.

[NickB79]

20. Can a Predator differentiate between narco gangs and immigrant workers?

A Hellfire missile smoking a truckload of men, women and children being smuggled across the border wouldn't look very good in the press.

Oh wait, we ALREADY have that problem in Afghanistan (we just don't want to acknowledge it).

[boppers]

23. Machines don't pull that trigger.

For a reason.

[NickB79]

26. Alright then, can a soldier piloting a Predator tell the difference?

Based on the near-weekly reports of wedding parties and civilian homes being targeted and destroyed, the answer appears to be a resounding "NO".

[boppers]

28. Agreed.

Sacred kids with triggers is a bad idea... so *UNARMED* drones makes a lot more sense.

[boppers]

24. You're late by about 5 years..

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1207/p02s01-usmi.html

[Rex]

17. Well of course they do! Mexico is thinking about legalizing drugs.

Can't have that! What would be next!? Free health care? Fergetaboutitalready. Not with corporate suits in charge.

[KillCapitalism]

21. I'm not sure that the answer.

They could legalize drugs, but the members of the drug gangs aren't going to all of a sudden become upstanding law-abiding citizens. They'll just find another "occupation" such as human trafficing or illegal arms dealing.

I'm OK with legalizing most drugs except for meth, but the best thing Mexico can do now is jail or kill the drug gang members.

[Uncle Joe]

27. Legalizing drugs would kill a major source of income for the drug gangs.

Poorer criminal gangs have less money for arms and recruitment.

If Mexico's government stabilized their economy and there was less violence, the motivation for people crossing the border in to the U.S. would be reduced and another source of income to the trafficking gangs would diminish.