The subtext here is simple: the Mexican military is just one more cartel in the cartel war. Another subtext is that U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske wants the US and Mexico to focus on so-called prevention and treatment, etc etc. This is quite politically correct but it means even more interference in Mexican society than before: people will be sent to reeducation camps instead of to jail, etc etc. Therefore, the bait and switch is still on: the war on drugs is destroying Mexican society far more than the drugs ever could or would. The next step, if U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske has his way, is for it to begin destroying individual autonomy...

clipped from www.stratfor.com The Role of the Mexican Military in the Cartel War U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske is in the middle of a four-day visit this week to Mexico, where he is meeting with Mexican government officials to discuss the two countries’ joint approach to Mexico’s ongoing cartel war. In prepared remarks at a July 27 press conference with Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora, Kerlikowske said Washington is focused on reducing drug use in the United States, supporting domestic law enforcement efforts against drug traffickers and working with other countries that serve as production areas or transshipment points for U.S.-bound drugs. However, the renewed debate, combined with recent changes in the Mexican legislature, have set the stage for a general re-examination of the Mexican military’s role in the cartel war. And while it is still unclear exactly where the re-examination will end up, the eventual outcome could drastically change the way the Mexican government fights the cartels.