Big Trouble in Little Mexico

Today's link-of-the-day post is a tag-team from Adam Elkus (writing at Red Team Journal) and Greg Milsaps regarding the security threat down south. Very little analysis will follow this because, well, I'm kind of lazy today and want to get back to reading War 2.0: Irregular Warfare in the Information Age. Hey, we're about to go home--we've got that last-day-of-school mindset right now (but seriously, be safe).

First, AE notes the following regarding the encroachment of Iranian influence in Latin America (and, although he doesn't specifically say Venezuela...yeah, Venezuela)

Granted, US room for maneuver in [Latin America] is very small. Like in Mexico, residual distrust of the US impedes a more active role in combating the threat. But the threat is real and serious thought should be devoted towards managing or containing the expansion of Iranian influence. The first–and most important–step that must be taken is to ascertain the nature of proxy penetration in Latin America. At least in the open source there is little concrete information about the extent of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) in Latin America, and a great deal of rumor and conjecture about the tri-border region, Mexico, and Iran.

The next is a collection of links from Goyo (Greg in Mexico) at The Suppliants. There are a number of great articles here, so I'm just going to quote him:

"America Fiddles in Asia While Mexico Burns on Our Very Border," @ Fabius Maximus

"Mexico: Emergence of An Unexpected Threat," @ STRATFOR Global Intelligence

"A 'New' Dynamic in the Western Hemisphere Security Environment: The Mexican Zetas and Other Private Armies," @ the US Army's Strategic Studies Institute

"Desertion, Low Morale, and Readiness: Assessing the Mexican Army's Involvement in the War Against the Cartels and Its Impact on Capabilities for Traditional Responses," @RGE Monitor