Terror In Mexico

[MA-Caver]

Indiscriminate drug killings sow terror in Mexico


By Lizbeth Diaz Lizbeth Diaz – Tue Dec 9, 12:47 pm ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081209/wl_nm/us_mexico_drugsTIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) – Gunmen are deliberately killing innocent people with random shootings at bars, restaurants and shopping malls in the city of Tijuana in a new scare tactic that takes Mexico's drug war to new depths.
Hit squads have killed at least 50 people, including around 10 children, since October in an escalation of violence in public places that security officials say is akin to terrorism.
The indiscriminate attacks, including shootings in cinemas, pool halls and restaurants, appear to be an attempt by the weakened Arellano Felix cartel to show security forces and rival gangs that it is still a force despite setbacks.
In one recent attack, gunmen in body armor and armed with assault rifles stormed into Tijuana's popular Crazy Banana pool hall and opened fire on customers, killing four men and a woman.
"We were playing pool and these masked men came in shouting and started firing at everyone," said day laborer Juan Miguel at the scene, wiping blood from his head after the attack. He declined to give his surname.
"Anyone close to them was immediately killed," he said.

This is really sad to be reading. These guys running around killing without specific targets is something indeed akin to terrorism.
Question really is why?
Drug dealers tend to go after anyone who (tries or successfully) screws them over or rival drug lords. Just going in and randomly killing doesn't sound like the typical MO of these vermin.
One wonders how long before this violence crosses the border?

 

[Carol]

I'd go as far as saying its not akin to terrorism....it is terrorism. Its a display of power and strength.

How long before the violence crosses the border...might be awhile. Much easier and cheaper to pay off the police in Mexico than it is here.

 

[Cryozombie]

How long before the violence crosses the border...might be awhile.

I dunno Carol... A lot of these dealers jump the borders and get tied into Street Gangs here... It could happen sooner than you think.

 

[Ninjamom]

I was back at the Univ of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, when the first of the Columbian 'Cocaine Cowboys' came to the Dadeland Mall just a few miles down the street for a hit on a rival gang member. They opened fire with automatic weapons inside the mall, killing their target and clearing out as many witnesses as possible. My roommate was inside the mall at the time, and fortunately, wasn't one of those killed or wounded.

That was 1979.

 

[clfsean]

I'd go as far as saying its not akin to terrorism....it is terrorism. Its a display of power and strength.

How long before the violence crosses the border...might be awhile. Much easier and cheaper to pay off the police in Mexico than it is here.

In some part of Texas along a stretch of the Rio Grande, at least one local Sheriff has given the OK to his deputies to return fire if fired on from the other side of the river (Mexico). It seems the druggies would fire on the "scare them off" & come across with the goods. Now the deputies are better armed & armored & have the OK to fire back.

Apparently from the report I saw on the tube, it's caused a couple of pretty good localized firefights. But it kept the druggies on their side of the river...

 

[CoryKS]

The indiscriminate attacks, including shootings in cinemas, pool halls and restaurants, appear to be an attempt by the weakened Arellano Felix cartel to show security forces and rival gangs that it is still a force despite setbacks.

As the article said, this is a desperate effort by a weak entity. It's the same kind of thing that al Qaeda in Iraq attempted to do - targeting the citizens as a way of imposing control. This will backfire on the drug cartel. A citizenry will be content to accept a certain level of violence as long as they believe that they can avoid it by adhering to a code of behavior; once that belief is gone, they will become antagonistic to the source of the violence. Anyone know what Mexico's gun possession/carry status is?