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March 9, 2009

US Military Chief Backs Counterinsurgency for Mexico
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A top Pentagon official said Friday the US military is ready to help
Mexico in its deadly war against drug cartels with some of the same
counterinsurgency tactics used against militant networks in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chair of the US Joint Chiefs of
Staff, made the comment after meeting with high-ranking Mexican
officials in Mexico City. Mullen said he emphasized the Pentagon’s
readiness to provide new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
help, such as unmanned drones to spy on armed drug gangs, especially
along the US border. Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the
US military will increase its support of Mexico.

Robert Gates: “I think we are beginning to be in a position to help the
Mexicans more than we have in the past. Some of the old biases against
cooperation with our—between our militaries and so on, I think, are
being set aside.”

David Gregory: “You mean providing military support?”

Robert Gates: “Providing them with—with training, with resources, with
reconnaissance and surveillance kinds of capabilities, but just
cooperation, including in intelligence.”



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