General: Mexico violence poses U.S. threat

[unhappycamper]

General: Mexico violence poses U.S. threat
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, March 18, 2009

WASHINGTON — The commander of U.S. Northern Command warned Congress on Tuesday that increasing violence in Mexico poses a threat to U.S. border towns, but stopped short of backing plans to mobilize guardsmen to help with security.

Gen. Victor Renuart Jr. did not dismiss the idea completely, noting that guardsmen’s training and expertise with unmanned aerial vehicles could help stop illegal border crossings and smuggling into the United States.

But he told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that a research group of military and civilian law enforcement officials has not decided on a comprehensive approach to the problem.

Last week, President Barack Obama said he would consider National Guard deployments as part of border security efforts, and the governors of Arizona and Texas have both publicly requested guardsmen to help with growing problems along their border.

In the last year more than 7,000 people have been killed in fighting in Mexico as the country’s military battles drug cartels entrenched throughout the country.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61407