The Z Spot

I watched Felipe Calderon, the Mexican President, on CSPAN today. I was very impressed. His basic view is that yes, the drug wars are a U.S. and international issue, not just a Mexican issue. In particular, he said something that few, if any American politicians will ever admit. The entire reason that organized crime and drug-related violence exists is because Mexico shares its border with the world’s largest drug market.

Calderon also acknowledged that dealing with this issue will require both a U.S. and an international response, not just a Mexican one. He was, however, very clear about the fact that this does not necessarily mean a multinational military or law enforcement response. He stressed that the ideal approach here is for the U.S. to do what we have to do from El Paso and San Diego northward, and let Mexico do what they need to do from Juarez and Tijuana southward. Yes, from an intelligence standpoint, we need to cooperate and work together. But international military and police forces are not the answer.

I was very impressed with Calderon’s comments overall.

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