Mexico's Drug War Adopts Al Qaeda Tactics

CBS ^ | July 23, 2010 | Bill Whitaker

[AuntB]

As America fights two wars overseas -- another one is raging, much closer to home.

Mexico's drug war is every bit as violent. On Friday 43 people were indicted in San Diego for murder and kidnapping, including a Mexican government official. Outside Monterrey, Mexico, 23 bodies were found Thursday at a dump site used by drug gangs

Mexico's drug war takes a dramatic and frightening turn. For the first time, drug gangsters used a car bomb as a weapon. The wounded man was a decoy dressed in a uniform to lure police to the bomb. An officer, a paramedic and the decoy died in the blast.

Then, over the weekend, strange and ominous graffiti appeared warning the U.S. FBI to investigate corrupt Mexican officials, or expect another car bomb.

"The use of the car bomb clearly represents a tactical escalation … We've seen the first car bombing, there probably will be more,'' said Brian Jenkins with the Rand Corp.

Recently President Calderon blamed the U.S. for Mexico's troubles, writing in an editorial: "The origin of our violence problems begins with the fact that Mexico is located next to the country that has the highest levels of drug consumption in the world."

"The way they see it, they are fighting our war on drugs,'' said Jenkins.

....there have been 140 drug slayings in Nogales, Mexico so far this year, more than all of last year.

Nowhere is bloodier than Juarez. This city just across from El Paso, Texas is more dangerous than Baghdad -- with more than 1,000 drug related slayings so far this year.

"The war that they are having is a tremendous, all-out war,'' says Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz.

An all out war, that now with a recent car bombing, just took a deadly turn for the worse.

[AuntB]

Even CBS can't ignore this any longer.

Photo Essay Mexico Border Violence

U.S. struggles to keep Mexican drug cartel violence from spilling across border.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-500144_162-4888767.html?tag=related

[b4its2late]

Yeah, I saw this a couple days ago.

[HiTech RedNeck]

it took THIS long, huh. before mexico imported the dirty tricks common in the west bank and gaza twenty and more years ago. and only ONE car bomb.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Yet “drugs” and “crime” are two words seldom seen in the political lexicon.

“Gay marriage” and “diversity” is much more important to most USA citizens

[newfreep]

Border? What border? Obozo says it’s unconstitutional to have a border.

[The Pack Knight]

Recently President Calderon blamed the U.S. for Mexico's troubles, writing in an editorial: "The origin of our violence problems begins with the fact that Mexico is located next to the country that has the highest levels of drug consumption in the world."

I hate to say it, but he's half right there.

Only half right, though, because that doesn't explain why we aren't seeing the same thing in Canada.

[Spok]

CBS must assume its readers are too feeble minded to make the connection between the drug war on the border and Arizona’s SB1070. They’re probably right.

[forgotten man]

“We are not a country defined by borders.” 0bama said these exact words in the prescence of Mexican President Calderon when the Mexican despot visited Washington D.C. and recieved a standing ovation from the Democrats. I wish somebody would make a campaign commercical using this actual statement of surrender to a foreign enemy.

[bgill]

Let’s hear it for open borders!!!!

/s

[AuntB]

““We are not a country defined by borders.” 0bama said these exact words in the prescence of Mexican President Calderon when the Mexican despot visited Washington D.C”

That isn’t surprising. What should make us ALL furious are John McCain’s words:

McCain: “America is still the land of opportunity, we’re not going to erect barriers and fences.”

*SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: I do not favor using troops because they are not trained for it. They don’t have the kind of qualifications necessary. I have strongly favored us using all the technical equipment that our military has including satellites, including aircraft and other technical means. May, 2001

*On the 2008 campaign trail: McCain had been asked how debate over the immigration bill was playing politically. “In the short term, it probably galvanizes our base,” he said. “In the long term, if you alienate the Hispanics, you’ll pay a heavy price.” Then he added, unable to help himself, “By the way, I think the fence is least effective. But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.”

* May 29, 2003 interview: McCain: “Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens.“

* Dec. 15, 2000 press release: McCain: ”I support the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act (LIFA). Negotiations between the White House and the leadership, which endorsed more limited immigration reform, have resulted in a compromise.... this bill makes meaningful but insufficient progress on amnesty for those wrongly denied it.“
Q: Should we change our Constitution to allow men like Mel Martinez, born in Cuba and Schwarzenegger, born in Austria, to stand here some night as candidates for president?
McCAIN: He and I have many similar attributes, so I have to seriously consider it.
Source: 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007

McCain: “ Those who live closest are the ones who can get here. Everyone in the world should have the opportunity through an orderly process to come to this country.”
Source: AZ Senate Debate, in Tucson Citizen Oct 16, 2004

*McCain actually said this just a few weeks ago.
“President Reagan granted amnesty to two million people and that was wrong,”

http://towncriernews.blogspot.com/

[ridesthemiles]

Yet, less than 72 hours ago, TV anchors were telling us that El Paso—Phoenis— & Los Angeles were the safest cities in the USA.

The lies are just getting more & more blatant.

Perhaps NObama & his minions have reclassified kidnapping as no longer a ‘violent crime’. Wonder how they classify beheading? Suicide????

[Americanexpat]

It will not be long before those car bombs are going off more frequently in El Paso, LA and Houston. Venezuela is importing Muslim terrorists, there are Mosque in every country between there and the Mexican border. <There are lots of Muslim support and Muslim sympathizers. When the terrorists are ready there will be a blood bath in this country and politicians from every administration in the last 60 years will have caused it by not sealing our borders.

[The Comedian]

Savages of a feather...

God gave America strength for a reason. It was to protect the peace and progress of reason and respect for the individual life.

We've got a foreign Marxist doing everything he can to give that all away, and empower 21st century cavemen everywhere.

The barbarians everywhere else only understand force.

After we get rid of the Kenyan and purge his rotten pseudopodia from the Republic, we're going to turn our attention outward to our enemies.

And on that day, there won't be a sombrero in the world big enough to hide under.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[The Pack Knight]

*SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: I do not favor using troops because they are not trained for it. They don’t have the kind of qualifications necessary. I have strongly favored us using all the technical equipment that our military has including satellites, including aircraft and other technical means. May, 2001

*On the 2008 campaign trail: McCain had been asked how debate over the immigration bill was playing politically. “In the short term, it probably galvanizes our base,” he said. “In the long term, if you alienate the Hispanics, you’ll pay a heavy price.” Then he added, unable to help himself, “By the way, I think the fence is least effective. But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.”

I generally can't stand McCain, and just about everything else he said in that post was crap, but I have to say he's kind of right on those first two bullet points.

The military really isn't trained for border security. They could be, but the time they spent training for and conducting border security is time they aren't training to fight - which is all they should be doing when they aren't in combat. It would probably take our entire active duty Army to fully garrison the border, and that would be a permanent, full-time assignment, which means we would essentially be left with no Army. If you want to put more men on the border, expand the Border Patrol.

On the next point, the political stuff is what it is (though I'm not at all certain that increased border security will alienate he majority of Hispanic American citizens).

I do share McCain's skepticism about a border fence. A fence simply is not going to keep thousands and millions of highly motivated people from finding a way to cross - they've amply demonstrated that they can bust through it, climb over it, or dig under it in a matter of minutes. If someone can find a way to get past it so they can pick lettuce and clean bathrooms, then you'd better believe they can find a way to maintain a multi-billion dollar business like the drug trade.

Just remember what Patton said, "Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man."

[Dallas59]

It’s racism to call anyone “terrorists” anymore according to Nappy and the Department of Homeland Insecurity.

[cranked]

What CBS, among news outlets, fails to analyze or postulate is the growing actual convergence between the Mexican drug cartels and terrorist groups, hence their ‘adoption’ of “al Qaeda”/terrorists tactics and/or methods. =.=

[time4good]

Amen! Yes, the drug-hungry snots here are guilty. But, the level to which it has gotten in Mexico would have never happened had good people in society AND to the highest levels of government not let the selfishness of corruption poison their culture. It's totally throughout. I hate it. But, as my wife's friends and relatives state - they have a numbness and apathy unless it hits down the street.

I do believe they can turn it around - after much good swift force is applied to chop the cobra's head and burn the wasps' nests. Just as Columbia did.

[Repeat Offender]

The military really isn't trained for border security. They could be, but the time they spent training for and conducting border security is time they aren't training to fight - which is all they should be doing when they aren't in combat. It would probably take our entire active duty Army to fully garrison the border, and that would be a permanent, full-time assignment, which means we would essentially be left with no Army

If you declare all invaders not utilizing an official checkpoint as "hostile," they can be shot/killed on sight. The military is definitely trained to kill people.

Secondly, I agree with expanding the Border Patrol. However, if it is integrated with Active Duty troops and National Guard it would be more effective. Lay a mine field, build the fence, leave a corridor large enough to drive vehicles and build a secondary fence..... man overwatch positions on the fence with machineguns. Pilots (rotary and fixed) can get their training flight hours engaging border jumpers.

Third, anywhere a physical fence can not be constructed, man it with troops. This includes STATE MILITIA (such as the Minute Men). In order to be considered a militia they must bear arms openly, have a type of uniform easily identifiable as state militia, follow ROEs (that are relatively unrestrictive), and answer to competent authority (ie a commander). In order for this to work, the militias would be authorized DETAIN authority with the ability to turn over detainees to ICE, the local sherrif, or the area combatant commander (active duty/Nat Guard forces).

[Doulos1]

Tell us again why Osambo is suing Arizona?

[AuntB]

“Tell us again why Osambo is suing Arizona?”

Socialist democrat needy/something for nothing tribes needed for his cause. That’s why.