One U.S-Mexico Border Town Had More Civilian Casualties Last Year Than All Afghanistan
One U.S.-Mexico border town had more civilian casualties in its drug war last year than Afghanistan had in its entire country.
In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico--which sits across the Rio Grande River from El Paso, Texas—3,111 civilians were murdered in 2010. In all of the territory of Afghanistan, where U.S. forces are at war with Taliban insurgents, there 2,421 civilians were killed
More civilians were killed last year in Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican city across the border from El Paso, Texas, than were killed in all of Afghanistan.
There were 3,111 civilians murdered in the city of Juarez in 2010 and 2,421 in the entire country of Afghanistan—the majority of them by anti-government forces including the Taliban.
About one out of every 427 civilian inhabitants was killed in Juarez last year, while about one out of every 12,029 civilian inhabitants was killed in Afghanistan. (There are 1,328,017 people in Juarez, according to Mexico’s 2010 census, and 29,121,286 people in Afghanistant, according to the CIA’s World Factbook.)
The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan was compiled by the Congressional Research Service and published in a CRS report released on Feb. 3. The number of civilians killed in Juarez was compiled by Molly Molloy, a research librarian at New Mexico State University who maintains a count of murders Juarez and published it on the Frontera List Web site. Molloy’s work on civilian murders in Juarez was also referenced in a recent CRS report on Mexican drug cartels.
Much of the violence in Juárez is sparked by drug trafficking organizations battling over one of the major smuggling corridors into the United States.
The CRS said that of the 2,421 civilians killed in Afghanistan in 2010, more than 60 percent were killed by “anti-government elements, which include the Taliban and other individuals or groups who engage in armed conflict with the government of Afghanistan or members of the International Military Forces.”
“Pro-government forces caused 21% of the total civilian deaths,” said CRS.
- Edwin Mora's blog
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Comments
This administration is incompetent in re: Mexico
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 12:34pm.
As many of you know, I spent six months last year in Latin America, and fell in love with beautiful Mexico. It is an amazing place, full of the most gracious people on the planet. Its history is old and rich and amazingly fascinating (MesoAmerican ruins are everywhere), it is hugely diverse in its geography and ecosystems, the infrastructure is great and improving (high speed internet is a national priority), the country is a breadbasket, and full of natural resources such as oil, concrete, minerals, gold.
I wrote a short blog a few weeks ago.
The Drug Wars, as we all are aware, are rapidly spinning out of control. (I wouldn't go back today).
And we, the US, are responsible for much of it. First, we are their target consumers. Secondly, and most importantly, the open border policy of this administration aid and abet in the illegal flow of drugs and illegal aliens. It is apparently too much of a bother for Reno V.2.0 to do her job and enforce the border. To my way of thinking, the flow of illegal drugs and criminals into this country constitutes a huge threat to our national security.
The very first thing we must do is shut down the border. Then, as a high priority, prosecute our own drug war on these narco-terrorists inside of our own borders. As has been clearly demonstrated, there is a vast network for distribution, here in the US, for these Mexican drug cartels. We need to unmercifully track them down, from the kingpin level to the street dealer, and eliminate them. Furthermore, we need to prosecute with vigor those who buy product from these cartels.
Finally, our government needs to assist, with a very firm hand, the government of Mexico in prosecuting their own drug wars. I say with a firm hand because the corruption is rampant. Any equipment we "give" them eventually finds its way into the hands of the druglords. Therefore, I suggest we assist, with AWACS, drones, other aircraft and detection equipment, without ever giving full control of the equipment to the Mexicans. This will take a deft hand (IMO, not capable of being done by BHO & Crew).
I'm hopeful, however. I saw John Boehner on Greta the other night, and he seems to get it.
Those of us who are not in the border states should be as concerned as if you lived in El Paso. It's all of our problem. Please be sure to write your Critters, or better yet, voice your concern at a Town Hall.
Mexico is a good neighbor and a valued ally. We need to keep it that way, and as I said, this Drug War problem isn't theirs alone. We helped to create it, we need to help them fix it.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Fly in the ointment
Submitted by jon_torlin on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 1:28pm.
Ok, so it's worse than a fly in the ointment, but there's been reports that the terrorist group out of Lebanon known as Hezbollah has been helping out the cartels in a lot of ways.(some muslim types were reportedly caught going through the border and etc if I remember right)
That puts a dangerous game already there into a new level of danger with these guys.
Ye gads, what a mess.
-Jon
Now this is Journalism!
Submitted by Ashrak on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 1:14pm.
Outstanding piece!
And in an example of mainstream media Establishment journOlism, as the BATF&E knowingly walks guns across the border......
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
:crickets:
Ahsrak
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 1:25pm.
CNS does really quality work.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
A great post regarding Mexico, Blonde---
Submitted by matthewdean on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 9:16pm.
and as an update to Ashrak: It used to be the ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Then it became the BATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Now it is the BATF&E (sounds like a railroad) - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. As a member of an Arson Task Force, four years ago I sat through the most embarassing presentation I have ever witnessed by a supposedly sentient human being; a promotional ploy to cajole our local forces to work with the (then) BATF with the veiled promise to subsidize our local operations with federal funding monies. The supervising BATF agent making the presentation was an absolute dead ringer for the gal on Blonde's video, who was speaking in one of the Houses of Congress and talking up the Florida Gators. Only difference was, the Gator supporter was more coherent. As scary as goverment is when you can actually observe it's machinations, it is even more scary to think about the dead wood, dry rot, and dead heads, that make up entirely too much of the inner core.Frightening, md
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 2:19am.
The Feds are clueless to solve this problem. Not to shag my own blog, but I hope you read what I linked, above. I truly believe the leadership to solve the problem of the Mexican drug cartels and narco-terrorism will come not from The Chairman (you know I am sadly laughing as I type that, he couldn't lead his children out of a paper bag), rather, it will take the leadership of the border Governors.
We know what needs to be done. What is imperative, now, is that all of us push it to the fore, just as we have with this massive overspending. Because, I truly believe, the security of our southern border is just as important as reducing the deficit, and becoming energy independent. All of these issues are interrelated.
Who is going to get us there? I don't see anyone on the national scene, although I was quite pleased to see Speaker Boehner (how lovely is that, not to have to type "Popeye"?) give it some attention yesterday.
Time will tell, but we need to start pushing this issue.
<edit> For those of you who haven't seen it....here is the "embarassment" to which matthew refers. Dumb Critters, Dumb Feds...it's all the same.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)