Mexican President Felipe Calderon unleashed the military on northern Mexico towns like Juarez, ordering troops to take over from local police and government officials. But drug killings have increased and have now spread to Mexico City and to Veracruz, on the Caribbean coast. It’s not likely that Calderon’s successor will be able to offer much hope of restoring order to Mexico for one main reason, according to intelligence experts at LIGNET.com.
Click HERE to read the full analysis of developments in Mexico at LIGNET.com.
Somalia: Militants Weakened But Not Defeated
Kenyan and Ethiopian troops are taking on al-Shabaab, the militant rebel group linked to al Qaeda that controls southern Somalia. But in order for the militants to be defeated, the transitional Somali government must unify and strengthen. If in 2012 the government cannot gain control of the south, it will be left to the militants who will continue to use it as a base for piracy, and worse.
Click HERE to read the full analysis of the fight against al Qaeda-linked forces in Somalia at LIGNET.com.
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| Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra meets with U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in Bangkok, January 20, 2012. (AFP/Getty Images) |
Thailand: Cabinet Reshuffle is Setback for Democracy
The new prime minister of Thailand’s controversial moves to reshuffle her cabinet to add cronies of her brother -- the former prime minister who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 -- is a setback for democracy in Thailand, according to intelligence experts at LIGNET.com. It’s possible that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is little more than figurehead being manipulated by her exiled brother. But it could be that something else is at play.
Click HERE to read the full analysis of at LIGNET.com.
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