The Pentagon’s point man on continental security is asking Canada to step up its efforts to fight Mexico’s drug cartels.
“So much of what we do in the U.S. military must be done from a distance. I think Canada has a future in working with the two American neighbours to fight a common corrosive and growing threat to all of our societies,” Admiral James Winnefeld said during a Toronto speech on Thursday.
The head of U.S. Northern Command and the NORAD defence pact, Adm. Winnefeld told Canada’s Empire Club that he views growing violence in Mexico as one of North America’s most significant threats. “I look forward to the opportunities to work with our Canadian partners and to find a complimentary way to join with Mexico and master this serious challenge,” he said.
While Washington and, to a lesser extent, Ottawa, have started to do what they can to build up the Mexico’s police and military, the country may need a lot more help.
Mexican-based “transnational criminal organizations” are responsible for turf wars that have claimed an estimated 30,000 lives during the past four years, Adm. Winnefeld said.
Earlier this year, President Felipe Calderon praised Canada for sending eight Mounties to train police, and $4-million for programs meant to strengthen Mexico’s judicial system ....
