Worse things are coming

Every time that something terrible happens in Ciudad Juárez, we tend to think that nothing worse can happen. But as much as we think that, we realize that we haven’t reached the point yet where nothing worse can happen.

The killing of eight people yesterday –seven of them members of the police forces and one bystander– was a sign that the drug war has reached a point of no return. It also made evident that the federal police forces are not well prepared or well trained to face an enemy able to surprise and ambush them in the middle of the day and in a transited street. More than 300 bullets were shot during the confrontation, which gives us an idea of the brutality of the attack.

More than 5,000 federal police officers were sent to Cd. Juárez two weeks ago to take the lead in the city’s security and to replace the Mexican Army troops in the patrolling of the streets. The attack yesterday is the first one of its kind and represents one more open challenge from the organized crime to the state's institutions.

The tragic event is also a painful reminder about the vulnerability of Cd. Juarez’s citizens, who in spite of being surrounded by police and army forces, cannot feel safe at any place or time. Ironically, being close to a police vehicle can be now more dangerous than driving on a lonely road.

But we haven’t seen the worst yet. After Friday’s attack, the only thing that we can expect is an intensifying of violence and consequently the loss of many, many more lives. The question is until when.

Comments

[gabe]

It's going to take a Nato style force to go in and help clean this mess up. With all the corruption the Mexican Government has, this will never end. Mexico needs to swallow its pride and ask for help

[Hillary]

I agree, gabe. It's sad but it's come down to this: Mexico should invite NATO or the US to assist in a Fallujah-like street-to-street battle to retake Juarez and surrounding towns from the cartels and establish law and order (real law and order, not the corrupt law enforcement system that created this opportunity for the cartels in the first place). It's not PC but doing so is in the mutual interest or each county's national security.

The northern states of Mexico have become failed states and will continue to deteriorate. I agree this is only going to get worse. You know this is coming...

[Memo, US Army]

Now, I'm not saying that we can't handle something like this, but we're already stretched far and wide. It's not just Juarez that's experiencing this. Tijuana, Nuevo Laredo, and Matamoros are in the same boat. If a force were to intervene, it'd be on the ENTIRE US/Mexico border.
Let's consider this: Exactly who's going to be in this NATO or US force, the one on the street fighting, getting shot at? Will it be you, Hillary? Don't be so quick to volunteer someone else to do the dirty work. It's easy to say "we should go in there and ....." when YOU are not included in that "we". Enlist, then we'll see if you still feel the same way.

[gabe]

Nato style force does not need to include the US, it can include maybe other countries to do most of the leg work, the US can play a role with intel and logistics. Also the US does peace keeping missions all over the world, so why not do it to a country we border.

[Chris Lopez]

Ana Lourdes, your perspective and commentary is very valuable.

[Paul]

The so-called states of Mexico have always been failed states. They've always been fake crony extensions of the power elite, initially from the south, whether it was the PRI or the Catholic Church or whatever. Even sixty years ago when I lived in El Paso, having to deal with a Juarez cop was no different than being hussled by an alley thug. Having to deal with a Juarez lawyer and a Juarez judge was no different than asking for directions from a street pimp. The concept of law as understood in the United States was and is seen in Mexico as effete, hypocritical arrogance by the Mexican ruling classes. Expecting Mexican society and the Mexican government to serve as some sort of sacrificial barrier to our insatiable demand for drugs and cheap labor is gross stupidity on our part.

[jhilton]

having lived here for more than 25 years ,once for a job for years talked with people in juarez daily,once had many friends in or from juarez. this is a civil war with the federal govt finally trying to gain control of the many areas it never has controlled..all for money and power.have seen many stories lately that salinas de gotari wants the chaos so the PRI and his already handpicked candidate for 2012 presidential race will win no PAN no AMLO.the rich, old line,light skinned mexicans do not care how many darker skinned indios die.they also want to any way possible get american tax dollars to fund the 'clean-up' there is a saying in mexico ..'a poor politician is a bad or stupid politician' if the political powers that be can get money from all smuggling operations,people,drugs,exotic plants animals,copycat products'fayuca' and get money from the USA to ??stop??the smuggling so much the better..Juarez is being bled to death to fund the lifestyles of mexico's political elite as are many northern border towns and many other places in Mexico

[Bernard Michael Caulfield]

Eight people yesterday, how many tomorrow?
And so on and so on.

In my opinion, President Calderon is a complete failure and should resign pronto!

[Bernard Michael Caulfield]

Bring back the death penalty in Mexico!
It should curtail violence

[Eric]

Resolving this situation is indeed a monumental problem. However, I lament America’s indirect role in this situation which no one seems to mention. If Mexico was corrupt and violent before, we inadvertently helped them become hyper-corrupt and hyper-violent. By squashing the cocaine trade in the Transit Zone, the Colombians cartels turned to overland routes, i.e. Mexico. That helped birth the Mexican cartels. That was one factor among others. Our National Drug Control Policy insists on Militarization and security assistance despite its colossal failure for the past 40 years. The DEA's SIUs didn't work except to give new weapons and training to the cartels. We have perpetuated this situation by not instituting drug policy reform: how many blue-ribbon panels, expert testimonies, and newspaper revelations do we Americans need before we bend the government to the public will? If we shifted a decent portion of the budgeted money away from law enforcement and into treatment/maintenance (as awful a compromise as that is), we would remove the cartel revenue source. Decriminalization and treatment/maintenance of drug abuse could help Mexico de-escalate the horrible violence that will spread with increasing rapidity into America. Maybe then, the people will have some well-deserved peace. My heart goes out to the poor families of innocent victims.

[joe b]

I side with some of the intelligent comments here. Forget the US military! They are trained killers, not peace officers. What difference is it to be slaughtered by the cartels, or by an occupying force that cares not one bit if they have to butcher every innocent Mexican to get one or two "evildoers"? Witness our two wars that may cost trillions, and millions of lives, before we are done. If you can't recognize the enemy, everyone is the enemy. We have at least 9 bases in Columbia -counting the 7 in construction- 4 in Afghanistan, where heroin is made. If we are unconcerned about the production at the sources, how do we stop it in Mexico? Or our own country? We don't get serious about drugs partly because it makes billions of dollars for many poor countries a year. Drugs touch the lives of tens of millions of Americans, where many see it as a social drug, as do Britons. We keep doing the same things, expecting new results. Loco.

[Terro]

All the violence is to control the El Paso border area so that drugs and things can get into the US. The US should seal the border. No one goes in or out for say 100 miles on either side of El Paso.

Then the violence will eventually end. As long as people can cross the border there, the violence will continue. Build the fence. Make it high. Police it. Then the violence in Juarez will end. It is the only way.

[Eric]

Terro, I appreciate your sentiments to curb violence; however, sealing the border may have unintended consequences. Sept. 21, 1969--Operation Intercept. The Border was shut down for 20 days. Two things the US learned: there was increased air traffic because while the car/foot traffic was stopped the smugglers switched to using small aircraft. And the second thing that happened: increased use in heroin. Marijuana supplies shrank temporally so those users switched to heroin. A balanced approach to this problem is needed.

[Fight Stupidity]

There are some really horrible suggestions on this site. The author seems like a very intelligent person, the problem is that for some reason the Mexican drug war attracts some of America's most vile and ignorant to follow it.

NATO is the worst suggestion followed by sealing the El Paso border. First off, lets be clear, it was police state tactics that pushed Mexico into the brink. If you are truly sincere about wanting to see an end to the drug war- Then END THE DRUG WAR.

Legalize Marijuana and you take away a majority of the finances. 80% of the drugs are Pot because Americans are smoking it and have been for a very long time- and guess what, they will be smoking it for a very long time. It is time to end prohibition and regulate it like we do other drugs ie tobacco and alcohol, which are far more dangerous for you then marijuana.

It time to get real people.
The drug war is responsible for this bloodshed.
Legalize it and it will fix itself plus we could use the tax revenue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQZl_LQLrf4

[Focus Factor]

I have visited hundreds of websites but no one can give information as much as yours,great posting!thank you! Can you tell me of other source of this information? Thank you very much and have a great day!

[FightStupidity]

You Have To Read This Article

"Is The CIA Behind Mexico's Bloody Drug War? "

http://www.eurasiareview.com/2010/04/is-cia-behind-mexicos-bloody-drug-war.html

[Panchopesos]

For sure, 'fighting stupidity' is the real 'mother of all battles' and a long life 1 for anyone that undertakes it.

From what i see happening in the US economy, wall street may try legalizing the MJ, whatch MariJuana Inc. from msnbc.

However, the CIA,DEA,FBI and NSA will most likely blocked them least they reach an agreement on profit sharing.

Yes, this 3 letter foursome has been behing the propagation of mind altering weapons since after ww2. One need only understand that the USA is an consumption & war dependant economy and would otherwise collapse.

She's a big Pimp and needs plenty of hores to keep the Cadi running. This is were the 4 horsemen come in. They work in every state to make hores out of states that have strategic value and make opposition party's by destroying their economies.
The ensuing results make a way for American arms dealers to sell them weapons.

I agree that full legalization of MJ and Coke is a solution. I am not a pot smokers but i know plenty of people that are, all of them Americans.

[Petros]

There needs to be a world-wide death penalty for sexual harrassment, then mostviolent men will be already taken care of on this one count of indecency alone.