Drug war difficulties

MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s 4-year-old assault on drug cartels lacks a clear strategy and a modernized military, and suffers from infighting among security agencies, according to U.S. State Department cables leaked to WikiLeaks.

The cables call into question many of the efforts publicly touted by the two countries, from the use of the Mexican army, which is described as outdated, slow and risk-averse; to the United States’ $1.4 billion Merida Initiative, which is seen as ill-conceived and doing little so far to fight drug traffickers.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual sought to control the damage, explaining in a column published Friday that the cables “do not represent U.S. policy.”

“They are often impressionistic snapshots of a moment in time. But like some snapshots, they can be out of focus or unflattering,” Pascual wrote in the column, published in El Universal newspaper.

Associated Press