[release][B]In an effort to increase its capacity to crack down on Latin American drug syndicates, the U.S. government has set up a handful of DEA commando teams to carry out attacks across Central America and the Caribbean.[/B]
As The New York Times reported earlier this week, the so-called FAST teams, which is short for Foreign-deployed Advisory Support Team, were initially established in 2008 to go after drug traffickers in Afghanistan, but have since been deployed much closer to home.
“The DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] now has five commando-style squads it has been quietly deploying for the past several years to Western Hemisphere nations — including Haiti, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Belize — that are battling drug cartels, according to documents and interviews with law enforcement officials,” the newspaper writes.
The role of the groups, which each number ten agents, is not one of passive observation. As the Times reports, one of the FAST teams participated in a recent gunfight in Honduras in which two alleged drug traffickers were killed, and one Honduran security official was wounded.
The U.S. government has long played a direct, though covert, role in combating drug traffickers in their home countries, and the FAST teams are in many ways the heir to that tradition.
As Mark Bowden documented in his book Killing Pablo, soldiers with the U.S. Army were instrumental in the effort to track down and ultimately kill Pablo Escobar, the erstwhile head of Colombia’s Medellin Cartel and considered by many to be the most powerful drug trafficker in history. More recently, the DEA played a significant role in the tracking of Mexican boss Arturo Beltran Leyva, who was killed in a shootout with Mexican marines in December 2009. Additionally, a program similar to FAST was used in Peru and Bolivia in the 1980s.
Despite the long history of similar efforts, the deployment of the FAST teams is not without its risks. One is that of a nationalist backlash. While the nations mentioned may not be as automatically suspicious of American designs as Mexico, reports of U.S. agents running around the country are likely to inspire resentment, especially if there is any collateral damage.
U.S. security agencies also have a long history of abuse in Central America. The U.S. military was instrumental in training the death squads that terrorized much of the isthmus during the 1980s, but the widespread ill repute of the gringo empire extends back far longer; American troops carried out scores of occupations of different Central American nations during the 20th century. In one of the more recently disclosed examples of American misconduct, government scientists infected more than 700 Guatemalans with syphilis during the 1940s. The lingering cloud of such a history could make local populations more suspicious of the FAST teams.
Since the FAST teams are also carrying out a training function, it’s worth asking what kind of vetting process will accompany the enhanced skills imparted to the local agents. In the past, U.S.-trained units in Mexico and elsewhere have subsequently deserted so as to work for illegal gangs. The Times report offers no indication of any defections, but nor does it say that there haven’t been any such incidents. Furthermore, the program has only been in place for three years, so this is a problem that could emerge well into the future.
It’s also not clear that the FAST teams represent a significant attempt to address the deeper defects in state function that allow the drug trade to flourish in Central America. While the ability to track a wanted trafficker or win a firefight against superior numbers is both exciting and useful, these are ultimately insignificant compared to the larger obstacles, such as an inefficient trial system, a dysfunctional prison network, a weak labor market, and paltry tax collection. The FAST teams’ training could play a role in creating marginally more capable local security forces, but even in a best-case scenario, with such small teams, the overall impact would be negligible.
Finally, as analysts like James Boswell have pointed out, the lack of openness of the FAST program continues an unfortunate pattern. Time and again in recent years, official schemes to crack down on organized crime have been initiated in a veil of secrecy that is eventually breached, leaving everyone involved with egg on their face. Sometimes, the plan itself is not so horribly conceived--the U.S. drone flights over Mexican territory, which were made public earlier this year, is a good example of that. In other cases, such as the ongoing Fast and Furious scandal, the programs were ill-planned, and the secrecy allowed a poor idea to become a reality.
But in all of the cases, the fallout is worse because the governments initially tried to keep them secret. A bit of secrecy is certainly required in counter-drug operations, but too often, the clandestine nature of a given program stems more from habit than necessity.[/release]
Source: [url]http://insightcrime.org/insight-latest-news/item/1831-dea-commando-teams-deployed-in-central-america[/url]
Finally
So basically, THE A-TEAM!!!!
[QUOTE=valkery;33253286]So basically, THE A-TEAM!!!![/QUOTE]
Well not really.
[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;33253307]Well not really.[/QUOTE]
Oh, don't be so sure
[quote]Additionally, a program similar to FAST was used in Peru and Bolivia in the 1980s.[/quote]
The timeline fits
They're actually protecting the drug syndicates because they give money to U.S. Government officials as bribes.
Why do they think this is going to do anything other than make the violence worse and cost the lives of even more civilians
[QUOTE=seano12;33253329]They're actually protecting the drug syndicates because they give money to U.S. Government officials as bribes.[/QUOTE]
Where is your evidence.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;33253348]Why do they think this is going to do anything other than make the violence worse and cost the lives of even more civilians[/QUOTE]
From the article
[quote]the secrecy allowed a poor idea to become a reality.[/quote]
Actually the bottom half discusses why it's not the best idea
Curiously enough, haven't heard of this so far. Not like it's going to make any difference.
I wonder if we're going to start seeing a lot of cliched movies again in the vein of all the central America evil cartel action movies that we saw back in the '80s.
Apart from the fact that they are trying to deal with crimecoming into their own country what about the approval of the governments of the other southern americ....Oh who cares it's not like they follow any law or respect borders in the first place.
Dammit just make weed and DMT legal for people 21 and older. Other drugs should be outlawed, in fact, destroy every single trace of it so they do not exist(cocaine, meth, pcp, ect) Heroin should only be in hospitals as pain reliever. Nut this won't happen.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;33253810]Dammit just make weed and DMT legal for people 21 and older. Other drugs should be outlawed, in fact, destroy every single trace of it so they do not exist(cocaine, meth, pcp, ect) Heroin should only be in hospitals as pain reliever. Nut this won't happen.[/QUOTE]
Uh, if those drugs should be legal why should everything else be illegal
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;33253810]Dammit just make weed and DMT legal for people 21 and older. Other drugs should be outlawed, in fact, destroy every single trace of it so they do not exist(cocaine, meth, pcp, ect) Heroin should only be in hospitals as pain reliever. Nut this won't happen.[/QUOTE]
Weed was able to be made in to paper, which back in 1900's wood companies wanted to make money and decided to attempt to abolish the drug. Even after that the U.S Government found the drugs to be a money maker, that can get you rich in just weeks of dealing. So they went ahead and forbade every known drug.
[QUOTE=lolo;33253885]Weed was able to be made in to paper, which back in 1900's wood companies wanted to make money and decided to attempt to abolish the drug. Even after that the U.S Government found the drugs to be a money maker, that can get you rich in just weeks of dealing. So they went ahead and forbade every known drug.[/QUOTE]
That's an absurdly simplified version
[editline]13th November 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;33253878]Uh, if those drugs should be legal why should everything else be illegal[/QUOTE]
Why not indeed.
If you can safely use one drug, why not all the others you can safely use?
[editline]13th November 2011[/editline]
[quote]destroy every single trace of it so they do not exist[/quote]
Geez, if only we had thought of this before!
I wonder what the War on Drugs was doing for the last 40 years
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;33253810]Dammit just make weed and DMT legal for people 21 and older. Other drugs should be outlawed, in fact, destroy every single trace of it so they do not exist(cocaine, meth, pcp, ect) Heroin should only be in hospitals as pain reliever. Nut this won't happen.[/QUOTE]
Benefits of legalizing [B]ALL[/B] drugs.
Gangs lose revenue, you get a right to your own body, you can't get arrested for doing something only to yourself, they're easier to get if you use them, less people use them(not that using them is bad in the first place), drug cartels aren't as powerful, no more deaths from the war on drugs, and people can't use drugs as a way of controlling people if they're widely available.
Legalizing all drugs would be stupid. Cocaine and heroine for example are stupidly destructive.
I been living in Guatemala for 15 years, I can tell you that if an American soldier fucks up in the country-side (killing a innocent civilian or even worse, a kid), he can expect to be lynched by an angry mob in the moment, our country-side people are known for lynching people.
The situation at the capital is pretty different tho, in the country-side all the people know each other and they protect each other from the gangs and the drug-dealers, but in the capital the gangs are huge and everyone is scared to do anything. Gangs charge war-taxes to all the stores and the public buss system, if you don't pay you get killed. The president was bought by the drug cartels since day 1 and he has done nothing to help the police get better equipment to fight the crime.
Some people in the capital are so desperate they are already doing "social-cleaning"(That is done normally in the country-side), by killing obvious gang-members(people with the 13 tattooed on their body or head for example) because the police cant do anything to help them, hell, not even when they help it works because the Jail system is fucked and killers get free after 3-4 weeks of been jailed if not sooner and to top this, when a police man does his job, and shots a criminal dead, he goes to jail for years because Human Rights claims they deserve it even when it was the only choice.
I don't know if some DEA teams here gonna be of any difference, but knowing the drug cartels they are in for a horrible time.
[QUOTE=Santz;33254381]Legalizing all drugs would be stupid. Cocaine and heroine for example are stupidly destructive.[/quote]
As if alcohol and nicotine are not destructive in stupid ways?
[QUOTE=Santz;33254381]when a police man does his job, and shots a criminal dead, he goes to jail for years because Human Rights claims they deserve it even when it was the only choice.[/QUOTE]
Unless the policeman's life is threatened by the criminal, they have no right to kill them, gunshot or otherwise. If it is a case of defense, then that's that, but under no circumstances should an officer who shot a criminal without having to get off scot-free.
I know a police man cant shot without a proper reason, I'm talking about shot-outs between the police and the gangs, if a police man shots a criminal dead in a shot-out(the criminals shooting first by the way) the police man goes to jail.
Also, I never met or heard of someone who uses heroine and cocaine in a controlled fashion, as it is nearly impossible.
[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;33253364]Where is your evidence.[/QUOTE]
It's common knowledge. The DEA wasn't made by the government to enforce drug laws, it was made to protect major drug assets.
[QUOTE=lolo;33253885]Weed was able to be made in to paper, which back in 1900's wood companies wanted to make money and decided to attempt to abolish the drug. Even after that the U.S Government found the drugs to be a money maker, that can get you rich in just weeks of dealing. So they went ahead and forbade every known drug.[/QUOTE]
This is like a 13 year old's rendition of the truth.
[QUOTE=Santz;33254442]Also, I never met or heard of someone who uses heroine and cocaine in a controlled fashion, as it is nearly impossible.[/QUOTE]
That's probably because most situations someone uses them in are already one of an irresponsible lifestyle. It's possible to get into moderate alcohol consumption because it's approved and legal, but this is not the case with heroine or cocaine. I think if legal it'd be similar, harmful if used to the point of addiction, but otherwise not.
[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33254411]As if alcohol and nicotine are not destructive in stupid ways?
Unless the policeman's life is threatened by the criminal, they have no right to kill them, gunshot or otherwise. If it is a case of defense, then that's that, but under no circumstances should an officer who shot a criminal without having to get off scot-free.[/QUOTE]
Unless, IMO; they're a known murderer or some type and are fleeing.
[QUOTE=seano12;33254457]It's common knowledge. The DEA wasn't made by the government to enforce drug laws, it was made to protect major drug assets.[/QUOTE]
[quote=Official DEA Webpage]The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets.[/quote]
[QUOTE=Contag;33253913]I wonder what the War on Drugs was doing for the last 40 years[/QUOTE]
Stuffing all dat contraband into little caves in Montana.
About damn time
they need help, though I doubt major changes will occur
if they kill a big powerful drug lord the power vacuum will result in another taking his place
[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;33255534]About damn time
they need help, though I doubt major changes will occur
if they kill a big powerful drug lord the power vacuum will result in another taking his place[/QUOTE]
If the place was stabilized and the corruption dealt with, there wouldn't be room for a power vacuum.
And absoloutely no mention of Mexico whatsoever.
[QUOTE]crack down on Latin American drug syndicates[/QUOTE]
:v:
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