Pentagon: Central America 'deadliest' non-war zone in the world

[^_^ 5,021]

The drug war has grown to rival the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the scale of violence, spending, and weapons in Mexico and Central America have made it one of the most dangerous areas in the world, say US military officials.

...

US drug users contribute roughly $40 billion a year to Latin American cartels, Admiral James Winnefeld, head of the US Northern Command, in charge of US homeland security, added in testimony. The amount of US money that goes to Mexican cartels is so considerable that “if you ranked it among the world’s militaries, it would come into the top ten.”

...

The so-called Northern Triangle of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras “is the deadliest zone in the world outside of active war zones,” Fraser added.

In the past four years, as many police and soldiers have died in Mexico alone as in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Collateral damage is also comparable: since 2006, nearly 35,000 Mexicans were killed in drug-related violence, compared to 21,000 Afghan civilians killed in the war during that same period of time.

...

Diplomatic cables posted by Wikileaks revealed the US embassy in Mexico criticizing the Mexican military for failing to act on intelligence tips, causing an outcry in Mexican political circles.

...

After the Wikileaks revelations, Mexican political leadership retreated somewhat from working with the US, after a couple of years of relatively close partnerships.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2011/0411/Pentagon-Central-America-deadliest-non-war-zone-in-the-world

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Maye Palin or Trump can start a war there if they get elected.