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peaceandlove · 03-09-2009, 05:24 PM

More articles regarding most recent Mexico Activity in chronological order.

Gates says US military can help Mexico in drug war

Mar 1, 9:45 AM EST

Source: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/wire.php?view=3109

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. is in the position to provide more help to Mexico in the fight against drug cartels operating near the U.S. border.

Gates says some of the old biases against cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican militaries are being set aside amid the growing violence. He sees the U.S. providing Mexico with training, resources and surveillance and intelligence capabilities.

In Gates' words, the border drug war is "clearly a serious problem."
Gates also praises Mexican President Felipe Calderon (fay-LEE'-pay kahl-duh-ROHN') for taking on the drug cartels. The Pentagon chief says one reason the situation has gotten so bad is that previous Mexican presidents wouldn't deal with the problem head-on.

Gates was interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press."

U.S. rattled as Mexico drug war bleeds over border

Mon Mar 2, 2009 9:42am EST

By Tim Gaynor

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Hit men dressed in fake police tactical gear burst into a home in Phoenix, rake it with gunfire and execute a man.

Article continues: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/wire.php?view=3244

EXCLUSIVE: 100,000 foot soldiers in Mexican cartels
Numbers rival country's army

Sara A. Carter (Contact)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico

The U.S. Defense Department thinks Mexico's two most deadly drug cartels together have fielded more than 100,000 foot soldiers - an army that rivals Mexico's armed forces and threatens to turn the country into a narco-state.

"It's moving to crisis proportions," a senior U.S. defense official told The Washington Times. The official, who spoke on the condition that he not be named because of the sensitive nature of his work, said the cartels' "foot soldiers" are on a par with Mexico's army of about 130,000.

The disclosure underlines the enormity of the challenge Mexico and the United States face as they struggle to contain what is increasingly looking like a civil war or an insurgency along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the past year, about 7,000 people have died - more than 1,000 in January alone. The conflict has become increasingly brutal, with victims beheaded and bodies dissolved in vats of acid.

Article continues: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/03/100000-foot-soldiers-in-cartels/

Thousands of Mexican soldiers pour into the country's most violent city in crackdown on drug gangs

By ANDREW MALONE
Last updated at 12:07 PM on 04th March 2009

Armed to the hilt, they came from land and air, determined to restore order to Mexico's most violent city.

Nearly 2,000 Mexican soldiers and armed federal police poured into the border town of Ciudad Juarez last weekend.

The city - just across from El Paso in Texas - has been ravaged by drug gangs. Just this month 250 people were killed there by hitmen fighting for lucrative smuggling routes.

Article continues: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/wire.php?view=3156

At least 20 dead in Mexican prison riot

Jo Tuckman in Mexico City
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 March 2009 01.23 GMT

Massacre in border city the latest of a series of bloodbaths in jails that have killed 83 prisoners in six months

At least 20 inmates died inside the high security area of a prison in the border city of Ciudad Juarez yesterday in what looks to have been a massacre carried out by members of one gang against rivals.

This is the latest of a series of bloodbaths in Mexican jails that have killed 83 prisoners in six months. They are associated with the drug wars outside which killed over 6,000 in 2008 and well over 1,000 so far this year.

The different cartels are fighting each other for supremacy in strategic cities and states around the country, as well as fighting an unprecedented military-led crackdown launched by president Felipe Calderón two years ago. Juarez, just over the border from El Paso, Texas, is currently the most violent front in the wider war.

Article continues: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...on-riot-deaths

Military may help Mexico fight drugs

Sunday, March 8, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama was briefed Saturday by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen about the drug wars in Mexico and wanted to know how the United States can help.

"Clearly one of the things the president was interested in was the U.S military capability that may or may not apply to our cooperation with the Mexicans," said a U.S. military official who requested anonymity because the discussions were private. "He was very interested in what kind of military capabilities may be applied."

Mullen briefed Obama Saturday morning about discussions with Mexican military leaders about the drug wars there.

Mullen, who was in Mexico on Friday, has referred to the recent spike in violence as a crisis. Mullen has said Mexico could borrow from U.S. tactics in the fight against terrorism as it battles a crisis of drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

On Saturday, the military official said the additional U.S. help could come in the form of U.S. equipment and intelligence-sharing.

"We're already sharing information with the Mexican military and have been looking for ways to expand that particularly in the realm of intelligence," the official said.

Article continues: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...os-drug-fight/

The War on the Border

March 8, 2009
by L. Neil Smith
lneil@netzero.com

"A bust has become a panic and is
well on its way to becoming a rout."

Distribute widely and attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise

Staggering under the crushing burden of two shooting wars in the Middle East, America now finds herself increasingly involved in a third deadly conflict, this one directly south of her border with Mexico. Nearly eight thousand individuals—goodguys (however you define the term), badguys, innocent bystanders—have been killed so far.

Reportedly, this third war, although it is said to have begun as a struggle over turf between Mexican drug gangs, is being waged between those gangs and the Mexican government, which stupidly stuck its nose in when the intelligent strategy would have been to simply police the sidelines, in order to minimize potential casualties among uninvolved non-combatants, and let as many violent gangsters kill each other as possible.

Now I suppose you will anticipate who, according to politicians and the press, the great villain is, in all of this. That's correct, the good old U.S.A. Two reasons are offered for this. (There may be others, but although I fancy myself as sort of a political profiler, I get headaches trying to "think" like a socialist for too long at a time.)

The first reason is that, supposedly, Americans are the biggest drug consumers on the planet. There may be some truth in this: it becomes more and more difficult, every day, to live inside the mess that the Democrats and Republicans have fashioned for us. Chemicals do help, indeed; I prefer tequila, another run-for-the-border import. The Ragnorak del Sud is over territory in Mexican states that butt up directly against California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, making it relatively easy to smuggle drugs into this country over (or under) the border.

Article continues and more links: http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle509-20090308-02.html

MEXICO UNDER SIEGE The drug war at our doorstep

Interactive Map - Updating volatile areas in Mexico.

7,337 DRUG - WAR - RELATED Deaths since January 2007

Includes links to more stories: http://projects.latimes.com/mexico-drug-war/#/its-a-war

03-09-2009, 05:24 PM	#12
peaceandlove Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Turtle Island Posts: 2,776	Re: Texas on High Alert with Mexico Updates More articles regarding most recent Mexico Activity in chronological order. Gates says US military can help Mexico in drug war Mar 1, 9:45 AM EST Source: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/wire.php?view=3109 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. is in the position to provide more help to Mexico in the fight against drug cartels operating near the U.S. border. Gates says some of the old biases against cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican militaries are being set aside amid the growing violence. He sees the U.S. providing Mexico with training, resources and surveillance and intelligence capabilities. In Gates' words, the border drug war is "clearly a serious problem." Gates also praises Mexican President Felipe Calderon (fay-LEE'-pay kahl-duh-ROHN') for taking on the drug cartels. The Pentagon chief says one reason the situation has gotten so bad is that previous Mexican presidents wouldn't deal with the problem head-on. Gates was interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press." U.S. rattled as Mexico drug war bleeds over border Mon Mar 2, 2009 9:42am EST By Tim Gaynor PHOENIX (Reuters) - Hit men dressed in fake police tactical gear burst into a home in Phoenix, rake it with gunfire and execute a man. Article continues: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/wire.php?view=3244 EXCLUSIVE: 100,000 foot soldiers in Mexican cartels Numbers rival country's army Sara A. Carter (Contact) Tuesday, March 3, 2009 CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico The U.S. Defense Department thinks Mexico's two most deadly drug cartels together have fielded more than 100,000 foot soldiers - an army that rivals Mexico's armed forces and threatens to turn the country into a narco-state. "It's moving to crisis proportions," a senior U.S. defense official told The Washington Times. The official, who spoke on the condition that he not be named because of the sensitive nature of his work, said the cartels' "foot soldiers" are on a par with Mexico's army of about 130,000. The disclosure underlines the enormity of the challenge Mexico and the United States face as they struggle to contain what is increasingly looking like a civil war or an insurgency along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the past year, about 7,000 people have died - more than 1,000 in January alone. The conflict has become increasingly brutal, with victims beheaded and bodies dissolved in vats of acid. Article continues: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/03/100000-foot-soldiers-in-cartels/ Thousands of Mexican soldiers pour into the country's most violent city in crackdown on drug gangs By ANDREW MALONE Last updated at 12:07 PM on 04th March 2009 Armed to the hilt, they came from land and air, determined to restore order to Mexico's most violent city. Nearly 2,000 Mexican soldiers and armed federal police poured into the border town of Ciudad Juarez last weekend. The city - just across from El Paso in Texas - has been ravaged by drug gangs. Just this month 250 people were killed there by hitmen fighting for lucrative smuggling routes. Article continues: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/wire.php?view=3156 At least 20 dead in Mexican prison riot Jo Tuckman in Mexico City guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 March 2009 01.23 GMT Massacre in border city the latest of a series of bloodbaths in jails that have killed 83 prisoners in six months At least 20 inmates died inside the high security area of a prison in the border city of Ciudad Juarez yesterday in what looks to have been a massacre carried out by members of one gang against rivals. This is the latest of a series of bloodbaths in Mexican jails that have killed 83 prisoners in six months. They are associated with the drug wars outside which killed over 6,000 in 2008 and well over 1,000 so far this year. The different cartels are fighting each other for supremacy in strategic cities and states around the country, as well as fighting an unprecedented military-led crackdown launched by president Felipe Calderón two years ago. Juarez, just over the border from El Paso, Texas, is currently the most violent front in the wider war. Article continues: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...on-riot-deaths Military may help Mexico fight drugs Sunday, March 8, 2009 WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama was briefed Saturday by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen about the drug wars in Mexico and wanted to know how the United States can help. "Clearly one of the things the president was interested in was the U.S military capability that may or may not apply to our cooperation with the Mexicans," said a U.S. military official who requested anonymity because the discussions were private. "He was very interested in what kind of military capabilities may be applied." Mullen briefed Obama Saturday morning about discussions with Mexican military leaders about the drug wars there. Mullen, who was in Mexico on Friday, has referred to the recent spike in violence as a crisis. Mullen has said Mexico could borrow from U.S. tactics in the fight against terrorism as it battles a crisis of drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. On Saturday, the military official said the additional U.S. help could come in the form of U.S. equipment and intelligence-sharing. "We're already sharing information with the Mexican military and have been looking for ways to expand that particularly in the realm of intelligence," the official said. Article continues: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...os-drug-fight/ The War on the Border March 8, 2009 by L. Neil Smith lneil@netzero.com "A bust has become a panic and is well on its way to becoming a rout." Distribute widely and attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise Staggering under the crushing burden of two shooting wars in the Middle East, America now finds herself increasingly involved in a third deadly conflict, this one directly south of her border with Mexico. Nearly eight thousand individuals—goodguys (however you define the term), badguys, innocent bystanders—have been killed so far. Reportedly, this third war, although it is said to have begun as a struggle over turf between Mexican drug gangs, is being waged between those gangs and the Mexican government, which stupidly stuck its nose in when the intelligent strategy would have been to simply police the sidelines, in order to minimize potential casualties among uninvolved non-combatants, and let as many violent gangsters kill each other as possible. Now I suppose you will anticipate who, according to politicians and the press, the great villain is, in all of this. That's correct, the good old U.S.A. Two reasons are offered for this. (There may be others, but although I fancy myself as sort of a political profiler, I get headaches trying to "think" like a socialist for too long at a time.) The first reason is that, supposedly, Americans are the biggest drug consumers on the planet. There may be some truth in this: it becomes more and more difficult, every day, to live inside the mess that the Democrats and Republicans have fashioned for us. Chemicals do help, indeed; I prefer tequila, another run-for-the-border import. The Ragnorak del Sud is over territory in Mexican states that butt up directly against California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, making it relatively easy to smuggle drugs into this country over (or under) the border. Article continues and more links: http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle509-20090308-02.html MEXICO UNDER SIEGE The drug war at our doorstep Interactive Map - Updating volatile areas in Mexico. 7,337 DRUG - WAR - RELATED Deaths since January 2007 Includes links to more stories: http://projects.latimes.com/mexico-drug-war/#/its-a-war Last edited by peaceandlove; 03-09-2009 at 05:27 PM.