Thursday, February 7, 2008

Mexico's Calderon to reduce army role in drug war


MEXICO CITY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on Wednesday he wants to phase out the army's role in fighting drug traffickers as the country works to reform its notoriously corrupt police forces.


"We must clean up and strengthen the police forces across the country so that the participation of the army in the fight against crime will become less and less necessary," Calderon said at an event with Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human rights.


Calderon has mobilized some 25,000 Mexican troops since taking office in December 2006 to try to crush powerful drug cartels that are warring over lucrative smuggling routes to the United States.




The Mexican President has called for a reduction of the Mexican Army's role in the fight agianst drug trafficking. Many officers have been killed in this struggle and the problems are only getting worse.

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