Arizona’s Waziristan

Part of the difficulty in defeating the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is devising an effective strategy to neutralize the terrorist training camps in neighboring Pakistan.  One problematic Pakistani region in particular, Waziristan, is a mountainous area along the Afghanistan border and is a safe haven for Islamic militants waging war against U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Waziristan also happens to be the region where suspected Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad learned bomb-making skills before returning to the U.S. and attempting to carry out a terrorist attack in mid-town Manhattan.

Pakistan, concerned for its own security, has attempted past deals with Waziristan’s tribal leaders in hopes that the Islamic fundamentalists would not turn their focus toward the government in Islamabad.  Unfortunately, ceding territory and jurisdiction to the tribal leaders has only allowed the militants to strengthen their hold in Waziristan and mount a two-front war against the U.S. and Islamabad.

Another border region, overtaken by the drug trade, is home to permanent bases to protect cartel interests against the local authorities.  Violence in the region and under-equipped forces available to mount a counter-offensive have forced local law enforcement to declare the region unmanageable.  Furthermore, new intelligence reports indicate that suspected terrorists could be passing through the territory.  This territory, however, is not in Pakistan.  It’s in southern Arizona.

How could this happen inside the borders of the most powerful nation on the planet?

Simply, it’s a result of the crisis to our south.  The Mexican government can no longer maintain authority over its own country and the rule of law has given way to the rule of terror.  More than 23,000 people have been killed since the Mexican government declared war on the traffickers four years ago.  By comparison, there have been approximately 5,400 U.S. casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan over eight years.

The statistics alone illustrate the drug cartels’ very real threat to the Mexican government’s credibility and authority.

What’s more frightening are the tactics employed by the cartel henchmen.  In the past, the murderers would dispose the enemy bodies in vats of acid to hide any incriminating evidence.  But their strategy has turned more brazen as they have gained greater power.

The cartels, taking a page from the Islamic terrorist handbook, are increasingly decapitating their victims and leaving the bodies in the streets for the public to see.  Jorge Chabat, a criminal justice expert in Mexico City, explained, “These guys are copying the methods of al-Qaeda.”  Chabat noted that the cartels are even posting videos of the grisly deaths on the Internet.

According to Monterrey security consultant Arturo Arango Duran, “Dissolving the bodies in acid didn’t bring them the same spectacular results.  This is all part of a plan to control territory through terror.”

Defeating the drug cartels hinges on the Mexican government’s will and integrity.  Drug smuggling across the border is a $50 billion per year industry for the cartels and they have made it painfully clear that they’ll use terror as well as corruption in the political ranks to protect their interests.

Cancun Mayor Gregorio Sanchez was arrested last month for allegedly working on behalf of the cartels.  His arrest has added to the fears that the cartels have infiltrated the government.  Many investigators and analysts believe the problem is widespread.  Anabel Hernandes, an award-winning Mexican journalist, is writing a book suggesting that the government is protecting the cartels.  Hernandes suggests that many of Mexico’s high-ranking politicians are raising campaign funds through cartel bribes.

Authorities have discouraged tourists from visiting the park after an uptick in violence

Startling events this past week indicate that the cartel influence and territory is no longer limited to Mexico.  The aforementioned territory under siege in southern Arizona is a 3,500-acre wildlife refuge that U.S. and state authorities have effectively closed to tourists because visitors can no longer be protected against heavily-armed drug smugglers.

These days, cartel operations in Arizona are highly coordinated.  A report earlier this week stated that the cartels now have permanent lookout bases atop Arizona hills so that the drug scouts can monitor law enforcement activity.  Sources reported ‘cartel scouts galore’ all the way from the border to Interstate 8.  Even more worrisome is that drug smugglers are now threatening ‘sniper fire’ on Arizona law enforcement officials that bust shipments while off-duty.

Military-style patches recovered along the border read 'Martyr' and show a plane flying into tall buildings

Additionally, it’s worth noting that it’s not just the drug smugglers who are taking advantage of our porous southern border.  Homeland Security officials have confirmed that border patrol agents in southern Arizona have detained individuals from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon and the Sudan.  Could some of these individuals have terrorist motives?  Border patrol agents recall finding military-style patches on clothing that suggest so.  One patch reads “martyr” in Arabic and another shows a plane flying into tall buildings.

In Washington, border security is a bargaining chip for the Obama administration to pass comprehensive immigration reform.  But the threats to our national security are not imaginary and serious attention must be given to the crisis on the border.  Without a secure border, there can be no effective immigration reform.