http://news.yahoo.com/grenade-attack-mexican-casino-kills-least-2-002026547.html MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - President Felipe Calderon declared three days of mourning on Friday and demanded a crackdown on drugs in the United States after armed men torched a casino in northern Mexico, killing at least 52 people. Under intense pressure as violence soars, Calderon said he would send more federal security forces to the city of Monterrey, where gunmen set fire to an upmarket casino on Thursday in one of the worst attacks of Mexico's drugs war. Lashing out at corrupt officials in Mexico and "insatiable" U.S. demand for drugs for fomenting the violence, Calderon urged Congress to stamp out drug consumption and stop illegal trafficking of weapons across the border into Mexico. "We're neighbors, we're allies, we're friends, but you are also responsible," a somber and angry Calderon said to the United States in a speech after meeting his security advisers. Pledging to step up the fight on organized crime, Calderon said Mexico was under attack from "true terrorists", and told all Mexicans to come forward and denounce those responsible. "They aren't and cannot be the ones in charge of our streets, our cities and our future," he said, shortly before departing to Monterrey to take stock of the situation. President Barack Obama called the attack "barbaric" and said his government stood shoulder to shoulder with Mexico in the battle against the gangs. "We share with Mexico responsibility for meeting this challenge and we are committed to continuing our unprecedented cooperation in confronting these criminal organizations," Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. Washington provides money and resources to Mexico in the drugs war, but joint cooperation has been damaged by mistrust, a botched U.S. plan to track down weapons smugglers and the killing by suspected hitmen of a U.S. customs agent in Mexico this year. Calderon first ordered a crackdown against the cartels when he took office in late 2006 and several senior traffickers have been arrested. However, turf wars between rival cartels have killed about 42,000 people, battering Mexico's reputation. The president insists his campaign has weakened the cartels but critics say it simply brought a surge in violence and has done little or nothing to slow the flow of cocaine, marijuana and other drugs into the United States. The carnage has hurt support for Calderon's conservative National Action Party (PAN), which already faces an uphill battle to retain the presidency in elections next July. BITTER BLOW The casino attack is particularly bitter for Calderon because the victims were mainly well-to-do civilians with no link to the conflict, in an area that has traditionally been a electoral stronghold for the business-friendly PAN. Monterrey, which lies about 230 km (140 miles) from the Texas border, is a relatively wealthy city of about 4 million people and is home to some of Mexico's biggest companies. It was for many years seen as a model of economic development but it has been ravaged by the drugs war over the past two years. The president was unrepentant on Friday and sought to pin blame for the violence on corrupt judges and politicians in "certain parts" of the country. It appeared to be an attack on the main opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which controls the majority of Mexico's states. With a big lead in opinion polls, the PRI is on track to oust the PAN from power next year and analysts expect the ruling party to intensify efforts to discredit its bitter rival as the presidential vote nears. Survivors from Thursday afternoon's attack said armed men burst into the Casino Royale and threatened gamblers before dousing gasoline on the carpets and setting it on fire. "My wife came here for a celebration," a weeping man told Milenio TV. "She was having dinner with her friends." Media reports said the majority of the dead were women. Security camera footage showed four vehicles pulling up outside the front of the casino and waiting while the assailants went into the gambling hall. Within three minutes, black smoke was billowing from the front doors and people could be seen fleeing in panic. I wonder if Calderon and obama have the same disease. Blaming everyone but themselves.
"I wonder if Calderon and obama have the same disease. Blaming everyone but themselves." What a ludicrous and pitiful attempt to make political points with a tragic criminal act. It was a horrible incident perpertrated by the drug cartels whose business is supplying the U.S. with illegal drugs. It would seem that President Obama and people like you are incapable of accepting responsibility. It would also help a lot of the U.S. government quit supplying the cartel members with weapons. How's that investigation going? Has the NYT shut it down yet with smears on Rep. Issa?
[QUOTE=PatrickT;4380178What a ludicrous and pitiful attempt to make political points with a tragic criminal act. It was a horrible incident perpertrated by the drug cartels whose business is supplying the U.S. with illegal drugs. It would seem that President Obama and people like you are incapable of accepting responsibility. It would also help a lot of the U.S. government quit supplying the cartel members with weapons. How's that investigation going? Has the NYT shut it down yet with smears on Rep. Issa?[/QUOTE Responsibility...! When has Mexico give a crap about responsibility? Mexico's president is making a killing from the drugs that come out of that place.
Casinos gettin' raided in Mexico after drug cartel arson... Mexican Army, Federal Agents Raid Casino After Deadly Arson Attack August 27, 2011 | Hundreds of soldiers and federal agents are raiding casinos in this northern city, authorities said Saturday, two days after an arson attack on a gambling house killed 52 people and stunned a country that had become numb to massacres and beheadings.
I wonder how many other narco states the Americans are supporting besides Mexico and Afghanistan? Oh yeah. California.
Stamp out drug consumption? He may as well ask the US to eliminate crabgrass. The US Congress could no more stamp out drug consumption than Calderon could stamp out drug transportation.
I think it would be easer to start in Mexico (drug cartel and traffickers) than in the US. When fighting a fire you fight it from the bottom.
You can't eliminate the distribution while ignoring the market. The market drives drug the drug trade, not the reverse. Remove one source and the market will find another. The US gets drugs from a number of sources besides Mexico so there's no shortage of suppliers.
[sarcasm]I wonder if those Mexicans bought their grenades in Texas and smuggled them back across the border. I heard the KMart in El Paso had a blue light special alst week on hand grenades and fully automatic AK 47's [/sarcasm] sarcasm tags added so that the libs won't go posting on other boards how you can buy hand grenades at KMart
Canada is close and is one of the big suppliers of pot to the US. Drug use simply cannot be stamped out by government intervention. If it could be done the US, where the most resources are applied to the effort, wouldn't have so much as a joint lying around. If the market can't be eliminated the supply can't. Calderon knows this and his comments were aimed for his electorate - blame the Americans and throw the ball over the border hoping that his own people don't notice he's made the problem worse.
Thats a fair assumption that I can agree with. But did 30000 people die in Canada from the same situation in Mexico.
