Trump plans to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations

Roxxsmom · Nov 27, 2019

Mexican drug cartels are a serious issue, one that has cost countless lives on both sides of the border. They're despicable, disgusting excuses for human beings.

Still, their behavior and objectives don't seem to quite fit the definition of terrorism: "Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them," as defined by the United nations general assembly.

And designating them as such certainly raises the possibility of drone strikes or other military interventions in Mexico. I don't see how that could possibly end well.

"I will be designating the cartels," Trump said in an interview with former Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly, who raised the issue of the U.S. sending drones into Mexico. Trump did not comment on the idea, but he said the terrorist designation is underway.

"I have been working on that for the last 90 days. You know, designation is not that easy, you have to go through a process, and we are well into that process," Trump said.

Former diplomat and Mexico expert Jana Nelson told NPR that as Trump's comments have spread, worries have deepened in Mexico that the designation could lead to military action.

"It has generated some concern in Mexico that the U.S. will actually send the military into Mexico, and if not boots on the ground itself, then perhaps drones to combat drug cartels," said Nelson, a Wilson Center political analyst who is based in Mexico City.

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/27/7833...mexican-cartels-brings-fears-of-drone-strikes

Mexico views the US as playing a major role in driving the demand for drugs and for supplying the cartels with military-grade weapons.

Introversion · Nov 28, 2019

Bombing some brown people will boost Tmurp’s poll numbers next year.

Kaiser-Kun · Nov 28, 2019

Oh, we all know this isn't about the cartels. I expect he'll declare that bombing the cartels will stop illegal immigration or something like that. They'll probably drone-bomb a medium or small sized, unimportant city, a safe distance away from the border (like mine, come to think of it) to keep the drug traffic flowing.

Cobalt Jade · Nov 28, 2019

The drug cartels can easily take Trump or one of his family members out, depending on how strongly he's committed.

Brightdreamer · Nov 28, 2019

Yep, this smells like a play to his racist, xenophobic race ("all nonwhites are terrorists, especially them brown folk!"), and an excuse to ramp up both civilian incarceration and military presence on the southern border. Could even escalate to a call for active strikes, martial law, and suspension of the Constitution if the poll numbers look bad enough - wouldn't put it past the regime to do anything at this point so long as it secures them one more day and one more dollar of power. (And the fact that he's actively currying favor with extremists and war criminals in uniform while alienating/ousting anyone remotely level-headed isn't disturbing at all... not.)

Given that one of the main reasons there's a cartel problem is the ready drug market in America, it's laughably hypocritical, but since when has that stopped anyone?

Roxxsmom · Nov 28, 2019

Given how much like a (bumbling) crime boss Trump is, maybe all this is more about wanting to take out his competition?

Seriously, it feels like another of his administration's games of, "Oooh, look over there" to me.

cbenoi1 · Nov 28, 2019

Roxxsmom said:
Seriously, it feels like another of his administration's games of, "Oooh, look over there" to me.

More like "Gosh. 2020 is coming. What have I got to show for?"

*goes after the low-hanging fruits to quell the base*

-cb

Kaiser-Kun · Nov 28, 2019

It's actually a poor man's version of "declare war against Mexico". Like, "yeah yeah, we are going to shoot mexicans, but ONLY the bad guys".

Prozyan · Nov 28, 2019

Roxxsmom said:
Still, their behavior and objectives don't seem to quite fit the definition of terrorism: "Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public....

I would say that fits Cartel behavior pretty well.

Kaiser-Kun · Nov 28, 2019

Prozyan said:
I would say that fits Cartel behavior pretty well.

It used to, back in the Cartel Wars during 2010-2016, more or less. Now they are much more pragmatic and they mostly leave innocents alone.

Prozyan · Nov 28, 2019

Kaiser-Kun said:
It used to, back in the Cartel Wars during 2010-2016, more or less. Now they are much more pragmatic and they mostly leave innocents alone.

Yes, this is very true as well. I think the decline of the original Zetas has a lot to do with that.

Trump plans to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

Introversion

Pie aren't squared, pie are round!

Kaiser-Kun

!

Cobalt Jade

Brightdreamer

Just Another Lazy Perfectionist

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

cbenoi1

Kaiser-Kun

!

Prozyan

Are you one, Herbert?

Kaiser-Kun

!

Prozyan

Are you one, Herbert?