Calderon Escalates War on Mexico Drug Cartels, Using Troops

[WhiteTara]

and everything stays the same in Mexico
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20061229/pl_bloomberg/ac_v9sk54nn0_1
Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon is deploying new tactics in the war on drugs, using the army and navy to help police raid farms and arrest dealers.

Calderon's strategy contrasts with that of his predecessor,
Vicente Fox, who used an elite federal police unit to target the drug trade's kingpins. Flows of cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. continued largely unabated and violence among cartels soared during Fox's six-year term, which ended Dec. 1.

On Dec. 11, Calderon sent about 7,000 troops to his home state of Michoacan, where they destroyed about 238 hectares (588 acres) of marijuana, made more than 60 arrests and searched thousands of vehicles. The new president has assigned another 10,000 soldiers to help the federal police fight drug gangs and other criminals.

``Calderon is clearly trying to differentiate himself from the Fox administration, which was afraid of using force,'' said Riordan Roett, head of Latin American studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. ``You can't break the back of the drug dealers, but you can deal a decisive blow that halts their expansion.''

the only industry in Mexico is the military.

[musiclawyer]

1. I thought they legalized all drugs there

That would be the quickest way to end their problems

[Nevernose]

4. Never actually went into effect

Plus, it was only for very small amounts, what could be called "personal use." The thinking was that it would then free up police resources to go after big time drug dealers.

And it would do nothing to end their problems. Their problems stem from the massive criminal organizations feuding over importing illegal drugs into the US. The United States wold have to legalize them, and THEN it would have an affect on this aspect of Mexico's drug problem.

[Kagemusha]

2. The usual reason for not using the military like this is corruption

because the officers get to see how much damned money these people are making, up close and personal, and wonder, what's in it for them?

[Zorra]

3. ".....7,000 troops.....searched thousands of vehicles."

Ain't that just wonderful?

Ah, the familiar smell of fascism growing like knapweed in the soil of a stolen election.