The Impact of President Felipe Calderón’s War on Drugs in the Armed Forces: The Prospects for Mexico’s “Militarization” and Bilateral Relations (Enlarged Edition)

by George W. Grayson, The Strategic Studies Institute

2013 · Lulu.com

As if combating vicious narco-syndicates were not a sufficiently formidable challenge, the Mexican government has assigned such additional roles to the Army and Navy as overseeing customs agents, serving as state and municipal security chiefs, taking charge of prisons, protecting airports, safeguarding migrants, functioning as firefighters, preventing drug trafficking around schools, establishing recreational programs for children, and standing guard 24-hours a day over boxes of ballots cast in recent elections. This expansion of duties has sparked the accusation that Mexico is being "militarized." A creative outreach program includes parades and other ceremonial extravaganzas, pilots encourage adults and children to hop into the seat of a helicopter; other wide-eyed youngsters grasp the controls of anti-aircraft weapons; admiring onlookers are invited to shake hands and have photos taken with nationally prominent military athletes; in Veracruz and other ports, residents are given tours of ships...

DELEGITIMIZING AL-QAEDA: A JIHAD-REALIST APPROACH

by Paul Kamolnick, The Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College

2013 · Lulu.com

Disrupting, dismantling, and ultimately defeating al-Qaeda based and inspired terrorism is a declared policy of the U.S. Government. Three key strategic objectives have been identified for accomplishing this: attacking al-Qaeda's terror network, undermining radicalization and recruitment, and hardening homeland defense. The present monograph proposes a distinct "jihad realist" approach for undermining radicalization and recruitment to al Qaeda. First, a brief discussion of six means for ending terrorist organizations is provided. Second, the premises of a jihad realist approach are described. Third, a jihad realist shari'a case against al Qaeda's terrorism is presented. In conclusion, key assertions are summarized, and several specific policy recommendations offered for national security personnel charged with formulating and executing counterterrorist messaging strategy.