DRUG WARS: MEXICO PREPARES NEW STRATEGY

So, Mexican President Felipe Calderon is changing strategy in the
failing attempt to curtail drug violence.

He's planning to send 2,000 more federal police officers to Juarez
this month. But instead of just being reinforcements for the police
and troops already there, they will focus on stopping the extortion
and kidnappings that are rampant just across the border.

It's probably worth a try. The current strategy of flooding Juarez
with soldiers and police is not working. Last year ended with a record
number of deaths, and the violence has continued into 2010 without a
let-up.

All of the assembled manpower and weaponry has had little, if any,
effect.

Currently, Juarez is being patrolled by about 11,000 law enforcers --
6,200 soldiers, 3,000 municipal police officers, 1,800 federal
officers and 200 state officers. That's a pretty hefty armed presence,
and yet there are no positive effects.

It's almost as if they're being ignored by the Sinaloa and Juarez drug
gangs as they battle for control in the brutal drug war that has seen
women and children killed and almost unimaginable savagery.

Whichever gang controls the drug trade in Juarez stands to make a lot
of money, and that money -- along with power -- are two main factors
that drive the violence.

But even with violence everywhere, the government has been unable to
make headway toward eliminating the problem.

It's clear that some kind of new approach is needed. Perhaps going
after the extortions and kidnappings that reach across all strata of
the population will have some effect.

But those problems are only two parts of the whole picture. There
still remains the overarching situation of drug cartels fighting for
power.

There are multiple killings every day, Juarenses living in constant
fear for their lives, innocent people falling victim to the violence,
and people on the northern side of the border wondering when and if
the violence will spill over.

It appears that the Mexican government is preparing to try a new
strategy. But will it be enough?