Our neighbors to the south seem to be having some tremendous difficulties with the drug cartels. I do not believe it will be long before this issue becomes one of this country's most immediate challenges to it's security.
Perhaps it is time to allow Iraq to stand on it's own, forgo finding Osama Bin Laden by committing additional troops in Afganistan, (keeping intelligence and security assets in place to monitor that bas****'s activities) and consider focusing our attentions on what will likely become a direct and physical assault on American soil.
It is too bad that politics has ruined any chance we had at anniahaliting those drug entities back in the mid 1980's. We once had an organization of the Federal Government named CENTAC.(See footnote) It operated in the early 1980's, but was disbanded by Washington. CENTAC was run by a single individual who oversaw a relatively small investigative force, who infiltrated numerous drug cartels both here in the states, as well as abroad. CENTAC was very effective at removing the entirety of a drug organization by passing off the busts of dealers and drugs to DEA and local police organizations, choosing instead to progress up the chain of command within the organization to pluck the top people out, causing a collapse of the organization. CENTAC was abandoned by our government officials because it was actually too effective. DEA found it offensive that CENTAC was accomplishing what DEA was supposed to be doing but failing, and the State Department found that political pressure from countries like Columbia, (where much of their economy depended on these illicit US dollars) was too much for them to stand against in the defense of this country.
So it boils down to this... Self-centered, weak minded, spineless people run this country. They have no real interest in solving the drug problem, and that mindset has come back to haunt every citizen. Thanks guys! (Yes, sarcasm.)
Now that Mexico is being overrun by the cartels, it is too late to go about things that way anymore, and if we are to survive their onslaught, our government had better commit some military resources to President Calderon to save his country, and ours. And frankly, our government had better not attach any strings to that assistance. It is not for the sake of Mexico that we should become involved, but that of our own skins. Tweak Calderon's arm a bit to get it done? Ok. But once accomplished we need to get the heck out. And if Columbia or other associated countries collapse, well shame on them for depending on us for their illicit economy. This is how the war on drugs should be battled. Politics has failed to accomplish it, as a matter of fact, politics has prevented us from winning.
This is a more immediate threat to the safety and security of the citizens of the United States than anything Bin Laden could pull off with us just maintaining intelligence on him. Perhaps, if we crush the cartels with wild abandon, the rest of the world will take note, and people like Chavez will have reason to pause before opening their mouths against us.
In concert with this, we should perhaps cut Israel loose on Iran and stop trying to mitigate. If Iran desires Israel's destruction, let Israel handle it in their very capable ways. They, and we, should not have to live in fear of wanna-be dictators.
Then perhaps we can go get Bin Laden.
(footnote) Anyone desiring to read about the CENTAC organization may find a book written by James Mills, titled: The Underground Empire; Where Crime and Government's Embrace, (circa 1985)
