Daniel Little
(RIEAS Senior Advisor)
Copyright: www.rieas.gr
On the RIEAS website, I authored an article titled, “Revisiting Global Security from the Western Hemisphere: The Potential U.S. Military Presence in Mexico.”
The reason for writing the article was my pondering over how the U.S. military could return home after a decade of fighting, regenerate itself but still support its aims as well as those of the world community.The more I looked at it, the more I realized that all of the reasons that the U.S. went to war against Iraq and Afghanistan also applied to the lawless regions of cartel-controlled Mexico. By some strange coincidence, the preponderance of U.S. military bases that generated many of these combat forces overseas happened to be within a day’s drive of the Mexican border.
I want to assure the readership that I respect Mexican sovereignty and do not feel that the U.S. military falls within the “all of the above” default solution to remedy the world’s ills. I do believe that the situation in the article does place an important decision directly on the shoulders of the Mexican government. Reports are circulating that the Mexican cartels aided the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (1) in attempting to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador in Washington. Further, there is a linkage between the Mexican cartels aiding Hezbollah to infiltrate the United States. (2) Without trying to shout ‘Fire!’ in a crowded theater, most Americans have long thought the porous southern border served such a purpose.
When I wrote “The Great Schism Revisited: The Underpinnings of Division between Hamas and Hezbollah” (3) some two weeks ago, my thinking was isolated to the Sunni-Shia divide as it related to these groups and the countries in the region. Now the connection between the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) and the Mexican drug cartel triggered a synapse I had not previously considered. First, this is now something more than Israel seeking political cover from Washington to pre-emptively strike outside Qom – a surgical, pinpointed bombing similar in fashion to the attack at Osirak, Iraq on 7 June, 1981. (4)
Second, President Obama signed an Executive Order on 16 March, 2012 called “National Defense Resources Preparedness,” a War Powers Act to consolidate the entire U.S. economy towards war production. Not to mince words it states that,” in case of a war or national emergency, the federal government has the authority to take over almost every aspect of American society. Food, livestock, farming equipment, manufacturing, industry, energy, transportation, hospitals, health care facilities, water resources, defense and construction - all of it could fall under the full control of Mr. Obama.” (5)
Third, after Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain visited President Obama, the focus now shifts to the NATO Summit in Chicago (6) and the simultaneous G-8 summit at Camp David. This places the issues of Syria, Iran and Afghanistan amongst others squarely within the decision cycle of the world’s leaders during May 2012.
Fourth, Mexico will run presidential elections on 1 July, 2012. While this could spell the possible end of the 12-year reign of the National Action Party (PAN), the new president will not take office until December, meaning that the new administration will not even be fully holding the reins of power until 2012. (7)
Going back to the original premise, this represents an official world agenda that is more deliberate, methodical and focused in its complexity. If the exposed flank of the U.S. border falls within the calculus of the ‘war that keeps on giving,’ certainly the Obama Administration would be pressed to underwrite the security of the southern U.S. border itself. To withdraw from Afghanistan would support, not detract from this aim. To be sure, those that are branded neo-conservatives or Tea Party activists may well get the secure U.S.-Mexican border they wished for from the leader they openly distrust.
Despite conspiracy theories over election-year politics or ‘one world government,’ the die was cast well over a decade ago. Iraq and Afghanistan are yet additional entries in the lineage of despotic countries where the bundling of humanitarian and security issues occurred to justify intervention. While this may appease the broadest or most polarized demographics in society, the results have to date not fully concluded to everyone’s satisfaction. Mexico for many Americans is too close to ignore. Less anyone believes the United States would detract from heading south, anyone can confirm that the U.S. military went into Central America because one leader connected to the drug trade. That’s right, one guy – Manuel Noriega and OPERATION JUST CAUSE. What Americans and their allies have to consider is whether any notion of victory is real and tangible or instead another decade of more entanglement. (8)
Endnotes:
(1) Tomlinson, H. (2011). “Revolutionary Guard ‘Running Iran Drug Trade.’” Originally published online at the Times, 18 Nov 2011, [Accessed 23 Mar 2012 on http://kurdpa.net/english/chap.php?id=764 ]
(2) Starr, P. (2012). “Former DEA Chief: Hezbollah Eyeing Southwest Border, ‘Hell to Pay in the Not Too Distant Future.’”
CNSNews.com, 2 Feb 2012 [online], [Accessed 22 Mar 2012], http://cnsnews.com/news/article/former-dea-chief-hezbollah-eyeing-southwest-border-hell-pay-not-too-distant-future
(3) Little, D. (2012). “The Great Schism Revisited: The Underpinnings of Division between Hamas and Hezbollah.” Research Institute for European and American Studies [online], 11 March 2012, http://www.rieas.gr/images/mideast.pdf
(4) (4) BBC. (n.d.). “1981: Israel bombs Baghdad nuclear reactor.” BBC Archives [online], [Accessed 23 Mar 2012] http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/7/newsid_3014000/3014623.stm
(5) Kuhner, J. (2012). “Obama’s Power Grab: Executive Order Expands Presidential Prerogative.” The Washington Times, 22 Mar 2012 [online], [Accessed 23 Mar 2012] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/mar/22/obamas-power-grab/
(6) Brannen, K. (2012). “McCain: Syria, NATO Expansion Should Be on Summit Agenda.” DefenseNews, 20 Mar 2012 [online], [Accessed 23 Mar 2012] http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120320/DEFREG02/303200011/McCain-Syria-NATO-Expansion-Should-Summit-Agenda?odyssey=nav|head
(7) Stratfor. (2012). “Annual Forecast – 2012.” 20 Jan 2012 [online], [Accessed 23 Mar 2012] http://www.stratfor.com/forecast/annual-forecast-2012
(8) Lustick, I. (2006). “Trapped in the War on Terror.” University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia.
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