Mexican president facing pressure to change drug war tactics

(Washington Post) MEXICO CITY — President Felipe Calderón is under growing pressure to overhaul a U.S.-backed anti-narcotics strategy that many political leaders and analysts said is failing amid spectacular drug cartel assaults against the government.

There are now sustained calls in Mexico for a change in tactics, even from allies within Calderón’s political party, who say the deployment of 45,000 soldiers to fight the cartels is a flawed plan that relies too heavily on the blunt force of the military to stem soaring violence and lawlessness.

U.S. and Mexican government officials say the military strategy, while difficult, is working. Since Calderón took office in December 2006, authorities have arrested 76,765 suspected drug traffickers at all levels and have extradited 187 cartel members to the United States. Calderón’s security advisers said they have few options besides the army — as they just begin to vet and retrain the police forces they say will ultimately take over the fight.

Drug-related deaths during the 2 1/2 years of Calderon’s administration passed 12,000 this month. Rather than shrinking or growing weaker, the Mexican cartels are using their wealth and increasing power to expand into Central America, cocaine-producing regions of the Andes and maritime trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific, according to law enforcement authorities.

Think about that.  In thirty months there are almosttriple the number of civilian deaths in Mexico compared to US military deaths in Iraq in 77 months.

This is a fascinating piece that you should click over and read.  It also takes a look at how the cartels have won the hearts and minds of the people by playing “Robin Hood” and taking care of their increasingly impoverished neighborhoods.

Mr. Calderón, Mr. Obama, the war against supply and demand is one you cannot win.