This editorial appeared in The Biloxi Sun Herald.
The escalating drug-related violence in Mexico should be a matter of intense interest on the part of our government, including the military. National Public Radio has reported that the CIA and U.S. military planners fear the country could implode. The consequences could be extremely dire for America.
The violence seemingly grows greater with every passing week, and includes murders, kidnappings and armed battles between police and the narco-traffickers who often have superior weaponry to the local authorities, and even the Mexican army. Retired U.S. Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey who was the drug czar under President Clinton, said that thousands have been killed in the last year, and following a recent visit to Mexico he painted a most desperate possibility for the future. "The violence is simply shocking and we've got to help," he said
All of this has led the CIA to add Mexico to its most serious crises list, in the same category as threats such as al-Qaida.
Should Mexico become a failed state, it is thought that a massive migration of people into the U.S. would likely take place, fleeing before the violence. This could be on a scale far greater than anything we have previously seen, and could create a humanitarian crisis on the order of what has been seen in other parts of the world, such as Africa. According to the NPR report, our military, including the National Guard, would have to provide temporary shelter and food and water both inside Mexico and in the United States for those fleeing.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Biloxi Sun Herald.