MEXICO COULD POSE SECURITY THREAT TO U.S.

Could Mexico become a greater security risk for the United States
than the Mideast powers who host terrorist cells? That's a question
being taken seriously in Washington.

In fact, Mexico already is seen as one of the world's biggest
security risks by many experts. And there are plenty of reasons to
draw that conclusion.

There are few days south of the border where there isn't news of an
indiscriminate kidnapping, a daily beheading or examples of gangs
that mock and kill government agents.

That's scary when "south of the border" is just across the river from
the state you live in. If this trend continues in our neighbor's
yard, it won't be long until the uninvited party is moved to our house.

In fact, it's already here. Rival Mexican gangs have waged shootouts
in the United States and drug smuggling remains a huge business.
Drugs are a business that not only ruins the lives of our youth, but
always keeps violence within arm's reach.

Many experts' worst fears are that Mexico could melt into total
lawlessness.

We admire Mexico President Felipe Calderon for trying to fight this
impending menace to his country. When Calderon took office, he
immediately sent troops across the country to attempt to regain
control. However, soldiers and police are outgunned and outnumbered,
and cartels have responded with unprecedented violence. Warring
cartels still control vast sections of Mexico, despite Calderon's
two-year crackdown, and have spawned an all-pervasive culture of violence.

During briefings for President Obama, the U.S. Joint Forces Command
lumped Mexico and Pakistan together as being at risk of "rapid and
sudden collapse." The report said, ''the Mexican government, its
politicians, police and judicial infrastructure are all under
sustained assault and pressure by criminal gangs and drug cartels.
How that internal conflict turns out over the next several years will
have a major impact on the stability of the Mexican state.''

Should Mexico fall to the drug lords -- or should they even keep a
stronghold there -- the United States couldn't avoid absorbing a wave
of violence and barbarity never seen in this nation. Ultimately, we
will have to face Mexico's challenge. That wave of lawlessness coming
from thugs, gangs and drug cartels is headed for the U.S. If and when
it arrives north of the border, it will become our biggest war.