Barack Obama faces wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Hal Brands in World Politics Review, but he “would do well to pay equal attention to a third ongoing insurgency” as well—the “multifaceted narco-insurgency” in Mexico. Rich, well-armed drug cartels and the federal government have been “viciously fighting” since 2006, but the violence has escalated this year, claiming 5,000 lives since January. At this rate, Mexico “seems en route to becoming a failed state.”
“The idea of Mexico descending into anarchy or narco-dictatorship is frightening enough,” said The Arizona Republic in an editorial, but the insurgency also threatens “U.S. domestic tranquility.” We need to recognize that “U.S. demand for recreational drugs” is contributing to Mexico’s crisis, but also that our own security depends on making sure the cartels don’t win.
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