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Leah Hop

BBC News - Mexico's drugs gang 'death squad' - 0 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...world-latin-america-11189017

Mexico Drug BBC

shared by Leah Hop on 17 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • come into existence some seven years ago, when leaders of the Gulf cartel of illegal drugs traffickers took it on as their security network.
  • The gang was called Los Zetas after the Mexican word for the letter 'z', as this was the radio call sign of one of their first leaders, former Mexican Special Forces Lieutenant Arturo Guzman Decena.
  • Mr Guzman took 30 other personnel from Mexico's Special Forces Airmobile Group to work with him for the Gulf cartel.
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  • The original group trained new members, and quickly became known for its ruthlessness, in particular for beheading their victims.
  • The Mexican Defence Ministry has described the cartel as "the most formidable death squad to have worked for organised crime in Mexican history".
  • By 2007, after the extradition of Gulf cartel leader Osiel Cardenas-Guillen to the US, the Zetas are said to have begun running their own drugs smuggling operation from Mexico to the US.
  • In February and March 2010, between 200 and 250 members of rival cartels were killed as they battled to control regions in Mexico's north-east.
  • It says he was a corporal in the Airmobile Group before being recruited by the Zetas in 2002, and it has offered a $5m (£3.2m) reward for his capture.
  • Ten members of the Zetas are on the DEA's most-wanted list, with total rewards offered amounting to $50m.
  • The Zetas have apparently switched their operations from the west coast state of Michoacan to Tamaulipas on the east coast, and down to Cancun in the Yucutan Peninsula.
  • As the Zetas have tried to take over territory controlled by other gangs, there has been a sharp increase in murders of rival gang members.
  • According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in 2009 the leader of the Zetas was Heriberto Lazcano-Lazcano.
  • In addition to drugs, the Zetas have specialised in human trafficking,
  • The Zetas are said to charge $1,000-$2,000 for each man and woman smuggled across the border. The business also gives them contacts throughout Central America, and in the US, where they are suspected of committing a number of murders.
  • In late August 2010, they are thought to have been responsible for the deaths of 72 Central and Southern American illegal migrants
  • They have also become notorious in Mexico for breaking out of jail when they are caught and imprisoned.
  • In May 2009, 53 inmates of Cieneguillas prison in Zacatecas state escaped, freed by gunmen thought to be Zeta members.
  • Some analysts say that Mexican government's hardline tactics, such as the recent raid which ended with the deaths of 27 alleged Zetas near the US border in Tamaulipas, have seriously weakened its capacity.
  • in July 2010 in the northern city of Monterrey, when Zetas leader Hector Raul Luna Luna was captured by the authorities.
  • there are as many as 30,000 youngsters aged between 18 and 24 who have no work apart from the easy money offered by groups such as the Zetas
  • Some 28,000 deaths have been blamed on organised crime since President Felipe Calderon came to power in 2006.
  • He has drafted as many as 50,000 members of the security forces into the fight against the cartels, but is facing increasing criticism because of the surge in deadly violence throughout Mexico.
  • Leah Hop on 17 Feb 11
     
    Research Question: What is the cause of all the violence associated with the Mexican drug trade? Source: Caistor, Nick. "Mexico's drugs gang 'death squad' ." BBC News. N.p., 4 Sept. 2010. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11189017 Summary: The Zeta drugs gang, formed around seven years ago, is known as the most ruthless and threatening death squad in Mexican history. Ten members of the Zetas are on the DEA's most-wanted list with rewards reaching $50m. As a result of the Zetas trying to take over more territory, there have been a rapid increase in murders of rival gang members. "President Felipe Calderon has drafted nearly 50,000 members of the security forces into the fight against the cartels, but is facing increasing criticism because of the surge in deadly violence throughout Mexico." Reflection: To be honest I didn't know a lot about the Mexican drug trade, and had never heard of the Zetas. It's unfortunate to see how influential and dangerous this group has become over the course of just seven years. It disgusts me to read about how ruthless this gang is; particularly for beheading their victims. Also, I read about what Mexico's president is trying to do, however he is being criticized because of the increase in violence. Thinking more about President Felipe Calderon makes me want to look more into what Mexico is trying to do to stop such violence. This article helped me understand more about the Zeta gang but didn't specifically help answer the cause of my research question. Questions: 1) What is the most effective way of trying to reduce violence throughout Mexico? 2) Are the Zetas targeting certain areas or specific gangs? 3) Why do the Zetas want to conquer more territory so badly? 4) Because the Zetas committed some murders in the US, is the US doing anything to stop this from happening?
megan lemmen

Introduction to Gangs: Opposing Viewpoints - 0 views

ic.galegroup.com.references.herrickdl.org/...ReferenceDetailsWindow

gangs mexico drug

shared by megan lemmen on 28 Mar 11 - No Cached
    • megan lemmen
      megan lemmen on 28 Mar 11
       
      Response: There obviously is no place where we can draw a line to where the violence stops. The drug cartels are crossing over into America because this is where their drug market is; are we directly causing the violence and deaths in Mexico? Money should be used to stop drug addictions rather than to add to the violence. Why is the United States funding Mexico to create more violence with weapons and training? I agree that the United State's money should primarily be used to help weed out government corruption. The citizens of Mexico deserve our help, protection, and support. Questions:1) I'm curious as to how many innocent citizens have died in the US and Mexico due to these drug cartels? Not just the number dead-but solely innocent civilians.2) Has there been an improvement in the violence since the US gave money to help Mexico?3) How many gangs in the US are related to those in Mexico?4) Is the violence spreading across Mexico's other borders into Guatemala?
  • megan lemmen on 28 Mar 11
     
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: "Introduction to Gangs: Opposing Viewpoints." Gangs. Ed. William Dudley and Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 2 Feb. 2011. Summary: Not only is the Mexican drug trade affecting Mexican citizens, but also those in America. The violence has crossed the borders and affected immigration patrol, gangs in the US, and other citizens. Mexico provides most of the cocaine and meth to the United States-about 90%. The expansion of the drug market has allowed for gangs to take higher risks for themselves, and thus higher risks for Mexicans and Americans. Because the United States is the main consumer of these drugs, we are fueling the violence. Politicians who were previously liberal on the border policy might become more conservative to protect their constituents. The US is giving money to Mexico to "help Mexico's military purchase weaponry and fund training" as well as "reform its judiciary system." Some believe that this money should actually be used to stop the government corruption instead. *the rest is on a sticky note on this page
Leah Hop

How Mexico Can Stop Losing The Drug War - 0 views

www.businessinsider.com/top-losing-the-drug-war-2011-3

Mexico drug war

shared by Leah Hop on 09 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Mexican President Felipe Calderon is losing his war on the drug cartels.
  • More than 35,000 people have died in the conflict - 15,000 in 2010 alone - and drug-related violence continues to spiral to new, horrifying levels.
  • Mexican production of marijuana, heroin and meth continues to ramp up.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • Mexico cannot win its war against the cartels unless the U.S. does more to curb insatiable American demand
  • Weak democratic institutions, a corrupt and ineffective judicial system and underdeveloped infrastructure have made it virtually impossible for the Mexican government to break up the country’s vast and flexible criminal networks.
  • Calderon would be better advised to focus on more attainable goals; like implementing judicial reforms, expanding access to credit, growing the middle class, and promoting government accountability and transparency.
  • Restoring a semblance of order to Mexico’s civil and political society would be a good first step toward reversing the country’s slow economic growth and declining global competitiveness.
  • most of Mexico’s major cartels do not have a political or social agenda
  • The fight against drug traffickers - and the militarization of domestic security - is eroding Mexico’s democracy
  • escalating violence and terror is endangering business growth and fledgling civic networks.
  • using the Mexican military to fight the drug war point to the army’s success capturing drug kingpins and cartel cell leaders
  • drug war has destabilized the cartel leadership and led to the atomization of powerful criminal organizations into smaller, more regionalized gangs.
  • If left alone, these weaker organizations will wield considerably less influence over local governments and law enforcement than their predecessors. Stronger democratic institutions and a reformed criminal justice system would further marginalize and weaken these gangs.
  • Calderon could recall the 45,000 troops he sent to fight the drug war and call for a ceasefire between the Mexican army and the cartels
  • Money, not power, is the goal for the vast majority of Mexican traffickers. The cost of fighting a multi-front war seriously cuts into profits.
  • As long as American demand exists, the drug trade will thrive south of the border. But as the cost of doing business in Mexico increases, the nexus of power will shift to other Latin American countries.
  • Leah Hop on 09 Mar 11
     
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Wyler, Grace. "How Mexico Can Stop Losing The Drug War." Politix. Business Insider, 5 Mar. 2011. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. Summary: Mexico is losing the war on the drug cartels and can't win its war unless the U.S does more to stop our drug addiction. More than 35,000 people have died due to drug related violence and this fight against drug traffickers is eroding Mexico's democracy. In the last decade, Mexico has made steps to fix their slow economic growth but still have a long, long way to go. Also, the Mexican military has captured drug kings and cartel cell leaders, which has helped destabilize cartel leadership and create smaller/regional gangs. Having smaller/weaker organizations will have less of an influence over local governments. Reflection: I agree with this article in the fact that the U.S needs to lose our greedy demand for drugs in order to help stop the drug war. The corrupt and ineffective judicial system as well as the underdeveloped infrastructure has made it basically impossible for the Mexican government to stop these drug gangs. I think if Mexico really wants this drug war to end, then they need to iron out their government so that they can become stronger on a democratic and judicial level.. Questions:  1) Is there any way the U.S can decrease their demand for drugs? 2) Can Calderon do anything to rebuild the corrupt government? 3) If Mexico's government was less corrupt, would their still be a drug war?
megan lemmen

BBC News - Crunching numbers in Mexico's drug conflict - 0 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...world-latin-america-12194138

Cruching BBC Mexico

shared by megan lemmen on 15 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • According to the new database, the total number of people killed in the conflict between December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon came into power, and the end of 2010, stands at 34,612.
  • Last year was by far the bloodiest since Mr Calderon launched his head-on military confrontation with the cartels, with 15,273 deaths.
  • At least 89% of the fatalities are suspected gang members killed in turf wars between the different organisations that compete for control of trafficking routes into the US.
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  • That one city of less than 1.5 million people was the location for more than 18% of the total number of deaths nationwide in the same period.
  • The state is home to Ciudad Juarez - the city across the border from El Paso, Texas - where 6,437 people have lost their lives in drug-related violence since late 2006.
  • In 2007, there were 244 drug-related deaths. The same figure for 2010 was of 4,427 victims - it grew by an astonishing 1,800%.
  • Meanwhile, in states like Tlaxcala, only 13 people have been killed in the conflict since 2006; in Yucatan, the total figure is 26.
  • In fact, 70% of the homicides, the database shows, have taken place in only 85 of the 2,500 municipalities around Mexico.
  • At least 12 mayors were killed by alleged gang members in 2010, while in the first two weeks of 2011, two more died in incidents related to the drugs conflict.
  • From a list of 37 "wanted" drug barons issued by the government in March 2009, 17 were captured or killed by government forces - including Arturo Beltran Leyva, head of the Beltran Leyva cartel, in December 2009 - while two were killed in clashes between criminal groups.
  • Security forces have confiscated almost 100,000 weapons from the cartels, while the value of the seized narcotics amounts to more than $10bn (£6.3bn).
  • Government security spokesman Alejandro Poire points out that the number of drug-related murders decreased by about 10% in the last quarter of 2010, and officials hope this will become a long-term trend.
  • In a recent nationwide survey by the National Statistics Bureau, more than 70% of respondents said they felt the overall security situation had worsened in 2010 compared to the previous year. More than 30% believed the situation would get worse in 2011.
  • Meanwhile, 41% admitted they did not feel safe to walk alone between 4pm and 7pm in the area where they lived.
  • megan lemmen on 15 Feb 11
     
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Miglierini, Julian. "Crunching Numbers in Mexico's Drug Conflict." BBC News. N.p., 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. <>. Summary: This article stated a number of facts that related to the number of killings since 2006 and their continued increase into 2010. The more shocking and accurate death tolls have recently been released, sending the Mexican government and people into more of a crisis than before. Not only have gang members been killed in the war against drug cartel, but civilians, police,and soldiers as well. This fight against drug cartel could possibly have increased the violence instead of diminishing it. The violence is not located all throughout Mexico; it occurs much more densely in certain areas like Ciudad Juarez, which accounts for 18% of the total number of deaths nationwide during a certain time period. Drug barons have been captured or killed, but so have mayors and journalists. The Mexican people do not feel safe; what can the government do about this?
megan lemmen

Drug Trafficking, Violence and Mexico's Economic Future - 0 views

knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm

trafficking drug violence

shared by megan lemmen on 08 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • In August, the bodies of 72 migrants were found in northern Mexico. They had been shot after refusing to work for a drug gang. Days later, a prosecutor and police officer investigating the crime disappeared.
  • Its largest market, the U.S., sources 90% of its cocaine from Mexico.
  • Drug trafficking is a lucrative activity for the Mexican cartels, generating estimated annual revenues of US$35 billion to US$45 billion for Mexico, with a profit margin of approximately 80%.
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  • Currently, seven powerful drug-trafficking organizations occupy different regions of Mexico -- La Familia Michoacán, the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, the Beltrán-Leyva Organization, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel, and the Juárez Cartel.
  • For example, the Mexican government is working to improve the effectiveness of its federal police force, planning to hire 8,000 additional police investigators during 2010, while at the same time trying to purge the force of corruption.
  • In August 2010, nearly 10% of the federal police were fired for failing lie detector, drug, or other tests that form the "trust control exams" designed to identify officers with ties to organized crime.
  • In addition, Plataforma México, a recent reform related to information management, aims to create real-time interconnectivity within Mexico's police force by developing a national crime database to facilitate tracking drug criminals.
  • More importantly, the government is taking the punishment of convicted drug criminals seriously and has increased extraditions to the U.S.
  • An estimated 7,000 people died in Mexico in 2009 as a result of the drug war -- significantly more than the 1,300 people who are believed to have died in 2005 before the war began. There were also an estimated 1,200 kidnappings in 2009.
  • Pemex, the state-owned petroleum company, has been a repeated target of the cartels. In 2010, the company experienced multiple kidnappings and theft by the cartels and corrupt employees. Reuters estimates that Pemex loses "US$750 million of fuel and oil from its pipelines each year" along with "valuable spare parts and equipment."
  • In August 2010, the far-reaching impact of Mexico's drug-related violence prompted Calderón to open debate on legalizing drugs.
  • For the past two years, American Chamber Mexico (AmCham) has conducted a survey of its members -- foreign and national managers -- to gauge their sentiment regarding corporate and personal security: 75% say their businesses have been affected by the country's insecurity.
  • Nearly 60% of the respondents felt less secure on a personal level in 2009 than in 2008; but the same respondents were equally divided as to whether their respective companies were more, less, or equally secure across the same period.
  • Of the third of the respondents who viewed their companies as being less secure than the year before, the most commonly noted contributing factors were the strengthening of organized crime activity, impunity in the judicial process, and activities associated with drug trafficking. Among those who felt their companies were more secure, 25% credited the work of the Mexican authorities, while 75% attributed the improvement to the results of efforts within their own companies.
  • As previously noted, vehicle armoring is a principal offering of the security industry, and it is not surprising that the growth of the market is most visible in this subsector. In Latin America, the armoring market has increased by 850% in the last eight years, and Mexico is now the second largest market after Brazil. Since 2008, the number of armored cars has increased by 25% in Mexico City and by 60% in the rest of the country. This market is expected to grow by 20% in 2011. Businesses have responded to this need: There are now 70 registered providers of armoring, compared to only three 15 years ago.
  • Kroll estimates the direct cost of insecurity to the government, businesses, and citizens to be US$65 billion, or 8% of GDP.
  • focuses
    • megan lemmen
      megan lemmen on 08 Mar 11
       
      Reflection: There is no possible way to completely eliminate corruption, even in the United States; the fact that Mexico realizes, however, that there is a problem is a step in the right direction. While it's great that Mexico is making efforts to decrease corruption in the police force and government, it's a task that will take a long time to complete. It's horrifying to think that a birthday party-a normal, friendly activity-could be so terribly interrupted by the drug cartel. As to legalizing the drugs, I think that it would cause more problems than it would solve. Yes, it would decrease the price of drugs and decrease the demand from drug cartel, but then how would they get their money? They would go to other means of earning a living; men who can be violent like this would have no problem getting money through other horrifying crimes. Questions:1) What are all of the positive and negative effects of legalizing drugs?2) Is there a better way to screen government and police officials in order to decrease corruption?3) What are other safety measures that the typical citizen can go through to be more safe?4) What else can be done to decrease the drug cartels?
  • megan lemmen on 08 Mar 11
     
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Duff, Devon, and Jen Rygler. "Drug Trafficking, Violence and Mexico's Economic Future."Knowledge @ Wharton. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. . Summary: Mexico is making efforts to cleanse their police force by performing drug tests, lie detector tests, and other exams to make sure that the officers are being honest. There is also a new program called "Plataforma México" that will try to connect the police force better in order to catch criminals. Many Mexican businesses are suffering due to the violence; drug cartels are using theft or kidnapping to gain power or profit. A birthday party was even interrupted by the drug cartel-the violence is now affecting the citizens. Legalizing drugs has been considered as a means to decrease the price of drugs, and thus get rid of the drug cartels. Some think, though, that this will increase their violence in order to earn more of a profit. Private security has increased due to the lack of trust in Mexico's public security. Tourism has decreased, not only due to the violence but swine flu as well in 2009.  ***rest of info is sticky noted on this page
Brielle DeFrell

Nigeria and Oil - Global Issues - 0 views

www.globalissues.org/...nigeria-and-oil

oil nigeria effects

shared by Brielle DeFrell on 11 Mar 11 - Cached
  • There is a symbiotic relationship between the military dictatorship and the multinational companies who grease the palms of those who rule….They are assassins in foreign lands. They drill and they kill in Nigeria.
  • Human Rights Activist Oronto Douglas
  • Niger Delta in Nigeria has been the attention of environmentalists, human rights activists and fair trade advocates around the world. The trial and hanging of environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni ethnic minority made world-wide attention. So too did the non-violent protests of the Og
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  • oni people
  • Ogoni, Ijaw and other people in the Niger Delta, those who have been worse affected for decades have been trying to stand up for themselves, their environment and their basic human and economic rights.
  • divide communities by paying off some members to disrupt non-violent protests.
  • threaten the livelihood of neighboring local communities. Due to the many forms of oil-generated environmental pollution evident throughout the region, farming and fishing have become impossible or extremely difficult in oil-affected areas, and even drinking water has become scarce. Malnourishment and disease appear common.
  • loss of property, price inflation, prostitution, and irresponsible fathering by expatriate oil workers.
  • Organized protest and activism by affected communities regularly meet with military repression, sometimes ending in the loss of life.
  • While the story told to consumers of Nigerian crude in the United States and the European Union—via ad campaigns and other public relations efforts—is that oil companies are a positive force in Nigeria, providing much needed economic development resources, the reality that confronted our delegation was quite the opposite
  • oil company operating in the Niger Delta employing inadequate environmental standards, public health standards, human rights standards, and relations with affected communities.
  • Far from being a positive force, these oil companies act as a destabilizing force, pitting one community against another, and acting as a catalyst—together with the military with whom they work closely—to some of the violence racking the region today.
  • Oil For Nothing: Multinational Corporations, Environmental Destruction, Death and Impunity in the Niger Delta, Essential Action and Global Exchange, January 25, 2000
  • in the killing of Ken Saro-Wiwa to Chevron-marked helicopters carrying Nigerian military that opened fire upon protestors,
  • The military have been accused of thousands of killings, house/village burnings, intimidating people, torture and so on.
  • oil companies have neglected the surrounding environment and health of the local communities
  • oil spills that are not cleaned up, blatant dumping of industrial waste and promises of development projects which are not followed through, have all added to the increasing environmental and health problems.
  • corruption and religious tensions between Muslims and Christians
  • into 2004
  • Shell companies have worsened fighting in the Niger Delta through payments for land use, environmental damage, corruption of company employees and reliance on Nigerian security forces.
  • Shell companies and their staff creates, feeds into, or exacerbates conflict.
  • Voilence in the Niger Delta kills some 1000 people each year,
  • With over 50 years of presence in Nigeria, it is reasonable to say that the Shell companies in Nigeria have become an integral part of the Niger Delta conflict
  • Human Rights Watch’s 2010 report. They note although free speech and independent media remain robust and there have been some anti-corruption efforts. However, this is overshadowed by religious and inter-communal violence that has seen Muslims and Christians killing each other and by Nigeria’s political leaders’ “near-total impunity for massive corruption and sponsoring political violence”.
  • latest escalation of violence began in early 2006, hundreds of people have been killed in clashes between rival armed groups vying for illicit patronage doled out by corrupt politicians, or between militants and government security forces. Armed gangs have carried out numerous attacks on oil facilities and kidnapped more than 500 oil workers and ordinary Nigerians for ransom during this period
  • June 2009, followed a major military offensive in May against militants in the creeks of Delta State, which left scores dead and thousands of residents displaced.
  • — Nigeria, World Report 2010, Human Rights Watch
  • Brielle DeFrell on 11 Mar 11
     
    Research question: What are the effects of the competition with oil in Nigeria?  Shah, Anup. "Nigeria and Oil." Global Issues, Updated: 10 Jun. 2010. Accessed: 10 Mar. 2011. Reflection: The more I research the problem the more I realize how big of a problem this really is. There are so many environmental issues and protests that have come with drilling in Nigeria.  Summary: The presence of oil companies have hurt many of the communities on the Niger Delta in Nigeria including environmental pollution, farming and fishing difficulties because of oil spills, drinking water is getting scarcer and scarcer, and malnourishment and disease is showing up more and more. Not only is it bring environmental issues, but economic and societal one too including loss of property, price inflation, prostitution, and bad fathering by oil company workers.Many people have lost their lives to the violence that goes on with both violent protests and non-violent ones. The government is corrupt and there are religious tensions going on between Muslims and Christians in the midst.  Questions:  *What would be best? To stay and get oil or to get out to stop the violence? *Is there a way to stop the violence? And should we take the step in doing so even though it may hurt us? *How many oil spills have happened in Nigeria?
Ji-Yoon Jeon

Fault line of faith: six pastors killed, 40 churches razed in Jos's most recent violence - 0 views

find.galegroup.com/...retrieve.do

Islam Peace Violence

shared by Ji-Yoon Jeon on 13 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • NIGERIA Murderous rioting reportedly sparked by Muslim attacks on Christians and their property in late November destroyed 40 churches and left six pastors and at least 500 others dead, according to Nigerian church leaders.
  • What began as outrage over suspected voting fraud in local elections quickly crossed over Jos's religious fault line between the Islamic north and Christian south.
  • When angry Muslims took aim at Christian sites (rather than at political targets), Christian gangs responded in self-defense
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Islamists in turn killed more than 100 Christians.
  • Among the Christians killed was Joseph Yari of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), who died helping other Christians repel Muslim fanatics bent on burning down Christ Baptist Church.
  • the pastor's widow, said she had forgiven the killers.
  • In 2004, an estimated 700 people died in Yelwa, also in Plateau state, during Christian-Muslim clashes.
  • Ji-Yoon Jeon on 13 Apr 11
     
    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Fault line of faith: six pastors killed, 40 churches razed in Jos's most recent violence." Christianity Today Feb. 2009: 11. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&amp;contentSet=IAC-Documents&amp;type=retrieve&amp;tabID=T003&amp;prodId=STOM&amp;docId=A193452567&amp;source=gale&amp;srcprod=STOM&amp;userGroupName=lom_accessmich&amp;version=1.0 Summery: A suspected voting fraud in local elections made Muslims in Nigeria furious, and there began the bloody fight between Islamic north and Christian south. The Muslims took their angry and started off to explode their anger to Christians, rather than the political targets. They killed each others and more than 25000 persons were displaced in the violence. Among the killed Christians, there were Joseph Yari, who died helping other Christians repel Muslim fanatics. And his widow said that she had forgiven the killers, because they didn't know Jesus and had no idea of their deeds. Reflection: This article show that Islam is a religion of violence. Muslims got angry and wrong people. Their fraud of election wasn't Christian people's fault. They should have argued to political people instead of attacking Christians. They burned down the churches and properties and killed hundreds of pastors. They wasn't thinking deep enough before the situation got out of the hand. This shows that Muslims are extremists and Islam is the religion of violence. Questions: 1. Was there any killed Muslim's widow saying that they have forgiven the killers? 2. Who was the leader in this riot? 3. Does other Muslims also think that the voting fraud is Christian's fault? 4. What was the aftermath of
megan lemmen

Mexico Finds Dozens Buried in Mass Graves - 0 views

ic.galegroup.com.references.herrickdl.org/...NewsDetailsWindow

Mexico graves drug

shared by megan lemmen on 28 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • soldiers have found at least 51 bodies dumped in mass graves after what appeared to be a series of executions by drug gangs in northern Mexico.
  • The bodies were buried in several graves scattered over an area the size of three soccer fields in an isolated zone east of the city of Monterrey, Mexican officials said
  • There were so many bodies that the authorities were using refrigerated trucks to hold them.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • Many of the dead, he said, appeared to have been tortured. ''Some were tied up with rope, others taped up with their hands bound with tape,'' he said. ''There are others with handcuffs. Most of them have tattoos.''
  • Photographs showed charred spots on the ground, suggesting some bodies may have been partially burned.
  • Mexico's drug cartels sometimes use corrosive liquids, fire and other methods to dispose of victims or make it harder to identify the bodies.
  • A state government spokesman said the bodies had been found both whole and in parts, with some buried in pits and others at or near the surface.
  • Officials said it appeared that the victims -- 48 men and 3 women -- had been dead about 15 days.
  • The area around Monterrey, Mexico's industrial capital and an important site for American investors, has become a central battleground in the country's drug wars over the past 18 months, with drug traffickers able to block roads and paralyze the city at will.
  • In May, investigators found 55 bodies in an abandoned silver mine shaft in the Pacific Coast state of Guerrero, near Taxco, a favorite tourist spot.
  • megan lemmen on 28 Mar 11
     
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Malkin, Elisabeth. "Mexico Finds Dozens Buried In Mass Graves." New York Times 25 July 2010: A10(L). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 2 Feb. 2011. Summary: Fifty-one bodies were found in mass graves in northern Mexico, east of Monterrey. This area is extremely industrial for Mexico and is a main point of violence for the drug wars. The bodies seemed to be tortured, tied up, or burned-they had been dead for approximately fifteen days. "There were so many bodies that the authorities were using refrigerated trucks to hold them." The bodies were found both whole and in parts, and at different depths in the ground.  Reflection: My first reaction was "Wow!" this seems like something from a CSI episode. Horrific mass-murders like these seem so distant to me. It's almost impossible to imagine digging up fifty-one bodies out in the middle of nowhere, finding them beaten and maimed. This is just one examle of the horrible violence that is occurring in Mexico.   Questions:1) Were these bodies of members of drug cartels?2) Have all of the bodies been identified?3) How many other instances like this have occurred?4) Was there any way to trace who killed these people?
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