Thread: Mexico angry at US official's 'insurgency' remark

Mexico angry at US official's 'insurgency' remark

Associated Press
Posted: 02/09/2011 07:48:33 AM MST

MEXICO CITY (AP) - The Mexican government condemned comments by a top U.S. Defense Department official characterizing the drug gang violence here as a "form of insurgency" - remarks the official later apologized for and retracted.

The Mexican Interior Department said in a statement late Tuesday that it "categorically rejects" the comments by U.S. Undersecretary of the Army Joseph Westphal.

"It's regrettable that this official makes statements ... that do not reflect the cooperation that the two governments have been building," the statement said.

Westphal made his initial remarks Monday at the Hinkley Institute of Politics Forum. In a statement Tuesday he said that in response to a question, he "mistakenly characterized the challenge posed by drug cartels to Mexico as 'a form of insurgency.'"

"My comments were not and have never been the policy of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government toward Latin America," he added. "I regret that my inaccurate statements may have caused concerns for our partners and friends in the region, especially Mexico."

It is not the first time Mexico has accused U.S. government officials of exaggerating the situation in Mexico. Last year, President Felipe Calderon protested after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Mexico resembled Colombia two decades ago, when drug traffickers controlled sections of that country.

Drug gang violence in Mexico has reached unprecedented levels since Calderon deployed tens of thousands

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17335202

Web definitions for insurgency

an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Web definitions for insurgency

an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

By this criteria, the drug cartels are an insurgency group. They have already pretty much overthrown the government in Mexico. Many of the police departments are infested with cartel members. And now we have cartels operating in USA. I don't think the comment was far off the mark.