Whack-a-mole vs. Collateral Damage: Mexico's drug war: The elephant in the room

An article on the pending State Department human rights evaluation of Mexico. (My Mexican friends ask me, "So when does Mexico get to evaluate the United States?" )

Mexico's drug war: The elephant in the room: " Under (the rules of the Merida Initiative), 15% of the money is to be withheld unless Mexico meets four human-rights requirements, related to improving police accountability; talking to civil society; investigating alleged abuses by the police and army; and enforcing the ban on torture. Congress decides whether the requirements are being met each year based on a report from the State Department.

It’s report time. The State Department is expected to publish its findings within the next week or so, and Mexico can expect a bumpy ride.this year’s State Department report must not only provide evidence on Mexico’s progress, but reach a firm conclusion on whether the requirements are being met. “Based on the State Department’s own findings, there is no way they should conclude Mexico is meeting the requirements, and the funds should be withheld,” says Nik Steinberg of Human Rights Watch, a pressure group. At the same time, recommending the withdrawal of help is more or less unimaginable. Expect great feats of diplomatic draftsmanship when the report comes out in the next few days." August 22, 2010, The Economist