The U.S. Army

Published in La Crónica
(Mexico) on 5 March 2009
by Juan Manuel Asai (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Talisa Anderson. Edited by Katy Burtner.
Welcome Mr. Gates

“The U.S. offers its army to Mexico to fight narco-trafficking,” states the principal news of The Chronicle last Monday. When has that service been volunteered here? During the course of the interview for NBC, Secretary of Defense of the Obama administration Robert Gates, who curiously served under the Bush administration, said that they are ready to help Mexico more than they have in the past. “Old prejudices against the military cooperation between both countries have been put aside,” he added.

One may say that they are stuck in the past, but many Mexicans still reserve old prejudices against the actions and intentions of the North American army whose dreadful fame on a global scale is not gratuitous, nor did it sprout spontaneously in one generation. It is the result of innumerable bitter experiences all over the world.

The situation regarding the shared border is of high risk. The violence of organized bands of crime dedicated fundamentally, but not exclusively, to drug activity is out of control. It is difficult to even be up-to-date on the executions. The situation is dramatic and we do not gain anything by denying its existence. But before opening the doors to a foreign army, it is important to know the level of responsibility of the North Americans to arrive at this state of deterioration. It would not be the first time that they have created a problem and later volunteered to solve it, sending the marine infantry out first.

The joint responsibility of the U.S. is in plain view. First of all, they are the drug addicts, the ones who consume the drugs that the Mexican cartels are selling. Tons of narcotics - marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and psychotropic pills - circulate daily through the streets and freeways of the American Union. Everyone is aware of this, including Barack Obama. Drugs pass in industrial quantities to the North American territory because they allow them to enter. There is no turning the page on this one. We should also lay the blame on ‘gringos,’ the intimidating fire power of the Mexican gunmen that have at their disposal in Texas and Arizona all the firearms that money can buy. Firearms that they use to kill our soldiers and police officers. Has the North American government shown a real commitment to eradicating the demand for drugs and detaining the traffic of arms? Clearly not. Not to mention it incurs the money of the narco business that happily circulates through the financial circuits of the neighboring country.

North Squad in Monterrey

The fact is that the Pentagon strategists are not interested in the subject of drugs. They are focused on the issue of national security. What they are interested in is taking advantage of the weaknesses of the Mexican state, exposing it to the world as the failed organism of the violence of drug dealers and assuming control to shape a preventive area of contention in its southern border. They want to set up barracks in the North Squad in Tijuana, Juarez, Reynosa, and why not, also in Monterrey, that would have the facade of anti-narcotic offices, but the real purpose would be to protect the United States from their multiple international enemies.

Generating suspicion that they will not be able to release the few resources promised in the Merida Plan, they already want us to give loads. Why don’t we leave the issue of the marines for later and begin with the other aspects, such as the consumption of drugs, the selling of arms, and money laundering. Can they explain to us how it is possible that drugs enter their territory and reach counties in the most remote regions of such states as Alaska? North American soldiers already operate in Colombia, which has not stopped the flow of cocaine from there to Mexico; is the same is going to happen when their initiatives take place in, let’s say, Matamoros?

Bi-national police

I propose that the plan presented by current Secretary of Agriculture Alberto Cardenas, during the last internal campaign of PAN for presidency, is taken, which deals with the formation of a bi-national police force. A body that works hand-in-hand alongside the length of the border, each at his own side of the river, but with a permanent exchange of information in real time. The strength of the bi-national police force would not be the arms, but rather the latest intensive technology used to avoid the passing of drugs, money, and arms and succeed in capturing hired assassins. It would be feasible to organize it in the short term when there exists a real interest in putting an end to drug trafficking. But this, unfortunately, is not the point.


Bienvenido Mr. Gates

“EU ofrece su ejército a México contra el narco”, dice la nota principal de La Crónica del lunes pasado. ¿De cuándo acá tan ofrecidos? En el curso de una entrevista para la NBC, el secretario de la Defensa de la administración Obama, Roberto Gates, que curiosamente es el mismo del gobierno de Bush, dijo que están dispuestos a ayudarnos más que en el pasado. “Algunos viejos prejuicios contra la cooperación entre militares de ambos países se han hecho a un lado”, agregó.

Se dirá que están anclados en el pasado, pero muchos mexicanos todavía conservan viejos prejuicios contra las acciones y las intenciones del ejército norteamericano, cuya pésima fama a nivel mundial no es gratuita ni brotó por generación espontánea. Es consecuencia de incontables experiencias amargas en todos los rincones del planeta.

La situación en la frontera común es de alto riesgo. La violencia de las bandas del crimen organizado, dedicadas fundamentalmente, pero no de manera exclusiva, al trasiego de drogas, está fuera de control. Es complicado incluso llevar una relación puntual de las ejecuciones. La situación es dramática y no ganamos nada con negarlo. Pero antes de abrir las puertas a un ejército extranjero, es necesario conocer el grado de responsabilidad de los norteamericanos para llegar a este punto de deterioro. No sería la primera vez que crean un problema para después ofrecerse a solucionarlo; enviando a los infantes de marina por delante.

La corresponsabilidad de EU está a la vista. Por principio de cuentas son los drogadictos, los que consumen las drogas que venden los cárteles mexicanos. Toneladas de estupefacientes, mariguana, cocaína, heroína, pastillas sicotrópicas, circulan cotidianamente por calles y freeways de la Unión América. Todo mundo le ha entrado. Incluso Barack. La droga entra en cantidades industriales a territorio norteamericano porque la dejan pasar. En eso no hay vuelta de hoja. A los gringos también debemos achacarle el intimidante poder de fuego de los pistoleros mexicanos, que tienen a su disposición, en Texas o Arizona, todas las armas que el dinero puede comprar. Armas con las que matan a nuestros soldados y policías. ¿El gobierno norteamericano ha mostrado un compromiso real por abatir la demanda de droga y detener el tráfico de armas? Claro que no. Mención aparte merece el dinero de los negocios del narco que circula alegremente por los circuitos financieros del vecino país.

Comando Norte en Monterrey

Lo cierto es que los estrategas del Pentágono no están interesados en el asunto de las drogas. Ellos están concentrados en el tema de la seguridad nacional. Lo que les interesa es, aprovechando la debilidad del Estado mexicano expuesto ante el mundo como organismo fallido por la violencia de los narcos, asumir el control para conformar una zona preventiva de contención en su frontera sur. Quieren poner cuarteles del Comando Norte en Tijuana, Juárez, Reynosa y, por qué no, también en Monterrey, que tendrían la fachada de oficinas antinarcóticos, pero cuya verdadera tarea sería proteger a los Estados Unidos de sus múltiples enemigos internacionales.

Genera suspicacias que no puedan liberar los pequeños recursos comprometidos en el Plan Mérida y ya quieran echarnos montón. Por qué no dejamos para el final el tema de los marines y comenzamos con otros aspectos, como el consumo, la venta de armas y el lavado de dinero. Podrían explicarnos ¿cómo es posible que la droga se interne en su territorio y llegue a los condados más apartados de todos los estados, incluyendo Alaska? ¿Los soldados norteamericanos ya operan en Colombia, lo que no ha detenido el flujo de cocaína de ese país hacia México; pasará lo mismo cuando sus efectivos tomen posiciones en, digamos, Matamoros?

Policía binacional

Propongo que se retome el proyecto presentado por Alberto Cárdenas, actual secretario de Agricultura, durante la pasada campaña interna del PAN a la Presidencia, relativo a conformar una policía binacional. Un cuerpo que opere con mandos unificados a lo largo de franja fronteriza, cada quien de su lado del río, pero con un intercambio de información permanente, en tiempo real. La fortaleza de la policía binacional no serían las armas, sino el uso intensivo de tecnología de última generación destinada a evitar el paso de drogas, dinero, armas y lograr la captura de los sicarios. Sería factible instrumentarla en corto plazo, siempre y cuando existiera un interés real en acabar con el tráfico de drogas. Pero ése, por desgracia, no es el punto.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

Hot this week

Afghanistan: State Capitalism in the US

Mexico: The Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Venezuela and President Nicholás Maduro

Japan: US President and the Federal Reserve Board: Harmonious Dialogue To Support the Dollar

Peru: Blockade ‘For Now’

Hong Kong: Cordial Cross-Strait Relations Will Spare Taiwan Trump’s Demands, Says Paul Kuoboug Chang

Topics

Afghanistan: State Capitalism in the US

Mexico: Urgent and Important

Peru: Blockade ‘For Now’

Japan: US President and the Federal Reserve Board: Harmonious Dialogue To Support the Dollar

Austria: The EU Must Recognize That a Tariff Deal with Trump Is Hardly Worth Anything

Mexico: The Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Venezuela and President Nicholás Maduro

Hong Kong: Cordial Cross-Strait Relations Will Spare Taiwan Trump’s Demands, Says Paul Kuoboug Chang

Germany: The Tariffs Have Side Effects — For the US Too*

Related Articles

Cuba: Summit between Wars and Other Disruptions

Germany: LA Protests: Why Are So Many Mexican Flags Flying in the US?

Mexico: US Pushes for Submission

Mexico: The Trump Problem

Afghanistan: Defeat? Strategic Withdrawal? Maneuver?