"We've Lost Half the Country" to Organized Crime

Bricker: Former Mexican Intel Chief: "We've Lost Half the Country" to Organized Crime

April 16, 2009 Please Distribute Widely

Dear Colleague,

The regime of Mexican President Felipe Calderon has offered considerable pushback to studies and suggestions that Mexico is a “failed state” or has lost parts of national territory to organized crime. Journalist Kristin Bricker – citing newly released interviews with Mexico’s Attorney General and other top law enforcement officials – reports, however, that top Mexican law enforcers have outright admitted what has been so vociferously denied.

Bricker writes:

“In January, a Pentagon study declaring that Mexico is at risk of ‘rapid and sudden collapse’ made waves in the international press. US and Mexican officials, namely Hillary Clinton and Felipe Calderon, came to the Mexican government's defense.

“…Secretary Clinton and President Calderon, former Mexican intelligence directors, including current Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora, beg to differ. In a book entitled Cisen: 20 Years of History, former directors of Mexico's intelligence agency, the Investigation and National Security Center (Cisen in its Spanish initials), give frank interviews regarding Mexico's current security situation. The book, whose distribution was restricted to government officials and security experts, was leaked to the press.

“…While admitting that ‘clearly, what we have been doing has not worked,’ Clinton called Calderon's drug war "courageous" during her recent trip to Mexico, reports the LA Times. Unfortunately, Clinton’s admission that US drug policy isn’t working is likely referring to the idea that the US hasn't done enough to support the Mexican government in its ‘war on organized crime.’ Rather than announcing a new and innovative strategy to quell drug trafficking-related violence, Clinton announced that the US would send $80 million worth of Blackhawk helicopters to the Mexican government.”

Read Bricker’s full report online at Narco News:

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/kristin-bricker/2009/04/former-mexican-intelligence-director-weve-lost-half-country-organiz

From somewhere in a country called América,

David B. Briones Webmaster
The Narco News Bulletin
http://www.narconews.com
webmaster@narconews.com

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