Monday, January 12, 2009

The Western Hemisphere Struggles on the Edge of an Abyss

By Jerry Brewer

From the standpoint of a situational threat assessment of Latin America as a whole, it is impossible to not link North America with Canada as a necessary part of the entire acute focus of this vast hemisphere.   An operational and strategic analysis of events of death and violence associated with narcoterrorists, criminal syndicates, guerrillas, and related radicalized insurgents from Argentina to Canada demonstrate this continued potential.

Over the past fifteen years Canada has witnessed a trend of terrorists involved in procurement and fundraising, as well as planning and preparing terrorist acts from Canadian territory.  Although violence on this scale is very uncommon in Canada, terrorist movement and related supporters are described as "using intimidation and other coercive methods in immigrant communities."  Too, Canada is described as a "primary venue of opportunity to support, plan, or mount terrorist attacks."

The threats from transnational and radicalized criminal syndicates are just as real against citizens of these countries overseas as well as at home.  Over the past few years there have been terrorist attacks against U.S. and other Western interests within the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, Turkey, and northern Africa.  These attacks have included U.S.-based businesses and non-governmental organizations.

A significant incident occurred in Mumbai, India, with the latest attack on landmark hotels and a Jewish community center, among others.  This showing increasing terrorist threats not just in India, but too it represents broader concerns for visitor industry safety worldwide.

A world stage is now the primary target for the enemy armed combatants. It is a global phenomenon.  Recent variations and new modus operandi include maritime piracy off of the coast of Somalia within the Gulf of Aden.  Over 120 such incidents were reported in 2008.

This is similar in potential for Latin American shipping and tourist lanes.

Murder with impunity by Mexican drug cartels against police officials, government officials, and innocent women and children have been prolific.  The cowardly grenade attack at a national holiday event clearly demonstrated their propensity for uncivilized and barbaric acts of deviance.  Nearly 6,000 people were reported to have been killed at the hands of these narcoterrorists in 2008.

The response by Mexico's security and senior political officials against the criminal syndicates has been justifiably reported as "remarkable leadership, courage, strength, and dedication as they seek to assert the rule of law throughout the state…."  President Felipe Calderon has demonstrably challenged the cartels for what is described as a mortal threat to the rule of law across Mexico.

A failure to contain and successfully engage the organized criminals has severe repercussions to each of Mexico's neighbors and each country's national security.  This failure to end the lawlessness and ever increasing death toll could possibly result in a mass exodus of refugees fleeing for their lives.  The democratic nation is indeed fighting for survival.

Proactive and innovative tactical police operations and strategies in Brazil are paying off.  In recent times Rio de Janeiro slum areas were essentially occupied and murderously controlled by drug gangs.  Their superior firepower simply ran the responding police off.

The Brazilian strategy involves what is called "saturation and containment."  In essence, the police move in, take back the streets, and occupy them.  The criminal elements are not necessarily defeated but they are quickly moved out or displaced.  Reactive and specialized units pursue, along with neighboring jurisdictions.  Criminal influence and ability to profit on any level from their previous bases of operation are taken away and subsequently denied.  It is humiliating to the criminal element, and the power structure is reformed to the rule of law. Police are reporting a decline in murders, robberies and other crimes.

The strategy is one that some savvy U.S. law enforcement leaders have implemented within their jurisdictions, as did the U.S. military eventually in Iraq.

One successful model in Chihuahua City, Mexico, allows human rights workers "24-hour access to live images of prison life," as police within that jurisdiction gain an advantage in securing accountability and a "rare reputation for honesty and competency" within the municipal jail.  The municipal police were actually structured, monitored, evaluated, and awarded accreditation by a U.S.-based law enforcement certification process for above average performance and standards.

Disrupting, deterring, and defeating organized criminal networks of gangs, narcoterrorists, rebel-type guerrillas, and radicalized transnational insurgents requires a linear process of creative, strategic, aggressive and tactically driven initiatives.  The political leadership within the respective nations in the western hemisphere holds the future resiliency of their populace by their ability to take back their country street by street.

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Jerry Brewer is Vice President of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global risk mitigation firm headquartered in Miami, Florida.