Universal Baton: why Trump announced his intention to recognize Mexican drug cartels as terrorists

Donald Trump said that the US authorities are preparing to add Mexican drug cartels to the list of terrorist organizations. This statement was made by the US president in an interview with radio host Bill O'Reilly.

"They will be declared (by terrorists. - RT ) ... I’ve been working on this for the last three months ... It's not so simple, we need to act as part of a special procedure, and we have plunged deep into it," Trump quoted the media as saying. .

As the head of the White House noted in an interview with O'Reilly, 100 thousand people in the United States annually become victims of the Mexican drug mafia.

President @realDonaldTrump tells me he is 90 days into the process of designating Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations - which would give US forces more leverage in taking them out. pic.twitter.com/ewSJMkt6rr

Under US law, a foreign organization or individual who threatens US security can be defined as terrorist and subject to special sanctions, The Washington Post notes. Any institution, for example, a bank dealing with an organization that the United States has recognized as terrorist, may also be subject to special sanctions.

Mexican Concerns

According to The Washington Post, Trump's statement on the recognition of Mexican drug cartels as terrorists could seriously concern citizens of this country, who fear that such a move could become a pretext for conducting US security operations in the state.

Trump himself in an interview with O'Reilly stated that he was offering military assistance in the fight against the drug mafia to Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador, but he refused.

“I, in fact, offered him to let us enter (in Mexico. - RT ) and conduct a sweep there (from members of drug cartels. - RT ). So far, he has rejected this offer. But at some point (something. - RT ) will need to be undertaken, ”said the head of the White House.

Recall that in early November, President Trump already suggested that the Mexican authorities start a war against the drug mafia, after three women and six children who had US citizenship were shot in northern Mexico. The dead belonged to the Mormon community.

“It's time for Mexico, with US support, to start a WAR against drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We are just waiting for a call from your wonderful new president! ”Trump then said on his Twitter.

This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president!

“The decision to classify Mexican cartels as terrorists may involve operational military operations in Mexico,” said Alexander Chichin, Dean of the Department of Economic and Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, in an interview with RT.

Reacting to Trump's statement, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he would not tolerate interference in the sovereign affairs of his country.

“Mexico will never allow any action that would violate its national sovereignty. We will act decisively. I have already informed the United States about this position, as well as its readiness to combat transnational organized crime. Mutual respect is the basis of cooperation, ”said the head of Mexican diplomacy.

Nuestra posición pic.twitter.com/H63ta4ezdX

A statement on the website of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Ebrard’s intention to soon hold talks on this issue with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Billions and corpses

Violence associated with the activities of drug cartels has for many years been a serious problem for both the Mexican authorities and the United States. The US market is attracting illicit merchants. As CNN previously noted, the Mexican drug mafia’s income from the illegal sale of drugs in the United States is estimated to range from $ 19 billion to $ 29 billion.

• DEA agents carry out an inventory of seized drugs
• Reuters
• © Mike Blake

Since December 2006, the Mexican authorities have tried to use army units against armed crime. The USA helped Mexico financially, although part of this money went to purchase American weapons, and sent instructors to Mexico to train local security officials.

At the same time, a significant part of the weapons for the drug mafia was supplied and, according to expert estimates, continues to be supplied to Mexico from the United States. In a 2011 congressional report, it was noted that 87% of the weapons seized in Mexico came from the United States. In 2016, according to the US Department of Justice, this figure was 68.7%.

In 2010, Al Jazeera, referring to American special forces, reported that in the 1990s, future members of one of the most brutal groups - Zetas - were trained at the Fort Bragg American Special Operations Forces in North Carolina.

Just like how the US trained ISIS commanders like Omar al-Shishani, and gave birth to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, then helped AQ in Libya and Syria, the US has also trained some of the cartel leaders terrorizing Mexico

US imperialism is the root of terrorismhttps: //t.co/BU1b4QwJ4J

The war on drugs only led to an increase in the number of victims, but did not stop the cartels that fought each other, armed groups of local residents, government troops and the police.

So, according to the research service of the US Congress, at this time in Mexico there was a significant increase in the number of murders. From 2006 to 2019, about 150 thousand people died in conflicts involving organized criminal groups in this country.

President Manuel Lopez Obrador, who came to power in Mexico in December 2018, announced in January that he had stopped the “war” on drugs. However, this did not stop the violence. Messages about murders and brutal killings in which the drug mafia is involved come constantly.

As the Mexican publication El Universal stated on the eve, referring to official government statistics, 2019 is breaking records for the number of killings in Mexico. From January to October, 29 574 people were killed in the country (during the same period last year, 28 868 people were killed).

Pressure on Obrador

According to Alexander Chichin, given the history of US assistance to Mexico “in the war on drugs” and the American experience in the fight against terrorism, it is difficult to expect that after the drug dealers are declared terrorists, Washington will be able to eliminate the drug threat.

“It’s not about caring for the safety of Mexicans or the fight against drugs per se,” the expert said. - This is dictated by the policy that the United States pursues in relation to the countries of Latin America. This is just an excuse to take some action against Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador. He pursues an independent policy. His last step, which the United States apparently lost his temper with, was to provide political asylum to Evo Morales. ”

Mexico had not previously joined a number of Latin American countries that recognized Venezuelan President Juan Guaido. The new president also collaborates with Cuba, which the White House considers one of its main opponents in the Western Hemisphere.

• President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
• Reuters
• © Henry Romero

According to experts, the United States is de facto hinting to Mexico that they can, if necessary, take military action on its territory. In addition, the United States can expand the possibilities of sanctions pressure.

Former Mexican Ambassador to the United States Arturo Saruhan told The Washington Post that the issue of adding drug cartels to terrorist lists was raised even under George W. Bush and Barack Obama. However, both presidents allegedly abandoned this idea after learning that it could adversely affect the economic cooperation of Mexico and the United States.

According to Sarukhan, if drug dealers are equated with terrorists, this will create difficulties for the Mexican government, in particular, obtaining loans from international financial institutions. Mexican imports into the United States may also decline.

“The United States, by declaring the drug cartels a terrorist organization, can impose bans, sanctions on all Mexican bank accounts, on all property that they think is suspicious. Then the sanctions will be imposed not against drug cartels, but against Mexico. Because the United States will not be required to agree with Mexico what they consider suspicious. All Mexican property and contributions in this situation fall into the risk zone, ”Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, said in a conversation with RT.

“The concept of terrorism is eroded”

According to Vladimir Bruter, it is possible that Trump’s statement on Mexican drug cartels is aimed at increasing his popularity among voters before the 2020 presidential election.

• Reuters
• © Daniel Becerril

“This is exclusively pre-election PR. Trump loves loud expressions and, as it were, loud acts, ”the expert believes. “Drug cartels, for all their odiousness, are not terrorists.” Therefore, Trump's proposal is, as always, a populist character. ”

A similar opinion is shared by Alexander Chichin, who notes that Trump has not fulfilled his election promise of 2016 - to build a “wall” at the expense of Mexico on the border with Mexico. There is no wall, and the structures that are being built are being built for American money.

In addition, experts note that by adding the drug mafia to the lists of terrorists, the USA further erodes the concept of terrorism and the principles by which they classify certain structures as terrorist. The de facto concept of terrorism loses its meaning, since the United States can call anyone terrorists when it suits them.

In Syria, Washington previously had serious difficulties in separating the "moderate opposition" from the terrorists. In this country, the United States collaborates with the White Helmets organization, which is accused of having links with terrorists. At the same time, in April 2019, Washington recognized the elite power structure of Iran - the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - as terrorist.

“The concept of terrorism is being eroded. It turns into a universal club, which can be beaten by anyone who does not like at the moment, ”summarizes Alexander Chichin.