Does Ciudad Juarez need UN peacekeepers?
Mexico has brought its army to bear on the battle against warring drug gangs, but local business leaders say it's not enough. They want international peacekeeping troops to come in and help out the 5000+ Mexican soldiers.
We're used to seeing blue helmets drop in on failed or close-to-failing states and so this call for peacekeepers to come to Mexico (and to a city within walking distance from the US) could be a worrying signal. The UN's other deployment in the Western Hemisphere is Haiti. Is Juarez headed that direction?
This is a short piece about UN peacekeepers at work in Haiti - it gives you a good sense of the level of challenge in a nation that they typically respond to.
A Blue Helmet in Haiti (Video)
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Groups representing maquiladora assembly plants, retailers and other businesses said they will submit a request to the Mexican government and the Inter American Human Rights Commission to ask the U.N. to send help.
"This is a proposal ... for international forces to come here to help out the domestic (security) forces," said Daniel Murguia, president of the Ciudad Juarez chapter of the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism. "There is a lot of extortions and robberies of businesses. Many businesses are closing."
We're used to seeing blue helmets drop in on failed or close-to-failing states and so this call for peacekeepers to come to Mexico (and to a city within walking distance from the US) could be a worrying signal. The UN's other deployment in the Western Hemisphere is Haiti. Is Juarez headed that direction?
This is a short piece about UN peacekeepers at work in Haiti - it gives you a good sense of the level of challenge in a nation that they typically respond to.
A Blue Helmet in Haiti (Video)
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- Who are the basij? A look at Iran's hard-line militia
- Is college worth the high cost? - The Real Recovery
- Pandemic in Ukraine - Is it swine flu?
- Who's unemployed in America? - The Real Recovery
- DC sniper John Allen Muhammad to be executed tonight
