The War Just Across The Border

(CBS)  To show they're making headway against the hyper-violent drug cartels, soldiers in Tijuana trumpeted their latest big arrest: Stew Man - a cartel lieutenant who confessed to disposing of 300 bodies by dissolving them in vats of acid, CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports.

But there's even more evidence the cartels are operating with near impunity as they wage bloody battle for control of lucrative smuggling routes into the U.S. It's only 28 days into the new year and already there have been 400 drug-related slayings across Mexico.

Last year ended with a grisly flourish: 12 soldiers were found decapitated with this note: "For every one of us you kill, we'll kill 10."

"These criminal kingpins are not afraid of government authority," said Rand Corp. terror expert Brian Jenkins. "They're willing to take it on directly."

The cartel carnage and brutality are escalating so rapidly - and the authorities are so besieged - that some U.S. analysts are warning that Mexico is in danger of collapse, leaving a lawless, failed state right across the southern U.S. border.

A recent Pentagon report warned that if trends continue into the next decade, the U.S. must be on alert for the possible "rapid and sudden collapse" of Mexico.

"We are not inclined to think of our relationship with Mexico, or our southern border as a national security problem," Jenkins said, "but if this trajectory continues, it will become so."

"Well, I certainly don't think it is a failed state," said Jorge Casteneda, former foreign minister of Mexico, who adds that the Obama administration can't afford to let it become one. Casteneda also has other concerns. "I'm very scared about threats and danger to American interests in Mexico."

Meeting with Mexico's president two weeks ago, then-President-elect Obama pledged cooperation.

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon says the solution will be found by working together.

"We need to combat together this common problem, our fight with organized crime," he said.

Casteneda says Mexico needs "much more U.S. support and involvement. Much more money, much more effort, much more intelligence-sharing."

And that's on top of the $400 million for hardware, software and training the U.S. has already pledged to help Mexico fight the cartels.

It's yet another challenge for the new president: help stop this bloodbath before it drenches both sides of the border.

[honestabe8]

if we want prohibition, this is one of the UNAVOIDABLE side effects. at some point, we are going to have to seriously ask ourselves if the "benefits" of our current drug policy outweighs the negatives, prominent among them is bad actors with huge financial incentives who will do all sorts of nasty and frankly quite rude things to keep their money coming in.

[frankinaz]

"The cartel carnage and brutality are escalating so rapidly-and the authorities are so besieged-that some U.S. analysts are warning that Mexico is in danger of collapse, leaving a lawless, failed state right across the southern U.S. border."
So, what else is new? It''s been on the road to failure for decades.
"A recent Pentagon report warned that if trends continue into the next decade, the U.S. must be on alert for the possible "rapid and sudden collapse" of Mexico."
Well, Mexico brought these problems, through many generations of
corruption at all levels of government, upon itself.
%u201CWell, I certainly don''t think it is a failed state,%u201D said Jorge Casteneda, former foreign minister of Mexico, who adds that the Obama administration can''t afford to let it become one. Casteneda also has other concerns. %u201CI''m very scared about threats and danger to American interests in Mexico."
Well, despite all the money the US pumps into Mexico
on a yearly basis, it''s wealth generated by oil, other natural resources, and various industries, nothing ever changes there-All levels of Government are corrupt, a vast majority of it''s people are poor, and it''s people from Mexico are all but encouraged to emigrate here illegally, further burdening this country''s taxpayers. This country needs to cut-off all aid to Mexico-Let their government take responsibility, financial and otherwise, for their own people.

[honestabe8]

popstom: indeed, i have organic hemp protein every morning in my breakfast, either in a banana/vanilla soy milk/berry-pomegranate hemp shake or in my my ultimate meal green drink. made myself hungry (munchies). i am going to make myself a smoothie. be good, everyone. if you disagree with me, let me know...

[honestabe8]

claydowner: you can also legalize weed here and take away the huge profit incentive for the bad guys to be bad guys. this will have the following benefits

1. it will allow people to grow their own/companies to grow pot to be taxed on their income.

2. it will allow farmers to grow industrial hemp, which is likely the most versatile plant in the world. it has hundreds of uses, can be grown without pesticides and enriches the soil


3. it will allow law enforcement to concentrate on stopping those who would harm us, rather than enforcing bull$hit laws that make us less secure

4. it will give americans a less addictive, less toxic alternative to alcohol with which to alter their consciousnesses. marijuana is not at all associated with the kind of aggression or violence long (rightfully) associated with alcohol.

Prohibition did not work in for alcohol, and it will not work for "drugs".In any case, if you prohibit something people want, bad (often violent) guys will come in to supply it. the nancy reaganesque "just say no" does not work.

[claydowner]

I believe the US government needs to offer more aide to President Calderon''s government. The Mexican government is out gunned by narco-drug lords with more hired gunman than local police or even the Mexican Army can muster. They are ruthless and violent beyond doubt. Over 5,000 Mexicans have been killed in brutal gang warfare last year. Mr. Calderon is a brave man but the odds are against him. No country can maintain the institutions that keep society glued together with this level of violence. There is strong potential that Mexico could fragment apart into waring factions like it did during the 1910-1920 revolution responsible for at least one million lives. In the near term this seems unlikely but if this level of violence, corruption, and decline for the rule of law continue for a number of years we may be facing a failed state on our Southern border.

We can help Mexico by reducing drug demand here. We must stop the flow of arms from the US side into Mexico. I support more law enforcement, more Border Patrol, more courts and detention facilities and permanently stationing the National Guard along our border in much greater numbers. There were plenty of security problems in the last Revolution resulting in General Pershing''s expedition in 1916. The only way to prevent this type of problem from happening again is to beef up security along the border now in a big way.

[honestabe8]

rudedog: lids? you must be *** near as old as me

[honestabe8]

rudedog: enjoy the corn on the cob. i want nothing to do with KFC

[honestabe8]

rudedog: not to mention doritos. or, in my case (i''m a veggie), pasta

[honestabe8]

MrNegrodmus: I agree that heroin, meth and crack are bad news. Do you think prohibition is a successful policy?

[honestabe8]

weed isn''''t a drug...it grows naturally and does not need to be imported

rudedog: same with magic mushrooms