Narcoterrorism or Marcoterrorism?


2:44 PM Monday.

Here is the list of questions I asked Google Gemini early this morning about the Trump Cabinet's war on Latin American narcoterrorism:

  • How has Rubio responded to UN allegations of "extrajudicial" US killings in war on drug terror with Latin American gang cartels?
  • Is there a credible case to be made that the military framing is deterring deadly illicit drug trade and saving American lives?
  • Is there no legal precedent for the destruction of shipping vessels in international waters during a drug war?
  • Are the illegal drug traffickers arguably engaged in extrajudicial killings of innocent American victims?
  • Are the overdose deaths intended by the drug traffickers or just a "cost of doing business" to them - how do we know their true motives?
  • Are Latin American governments doing enough to interdict these traffickers or do they have incentives to look the other way?
  • Is there any credible evidence that Maduro is involved in the illegal drug trade as a kind of "narco-state" kingpin possibly with Hezbollah alliances?
  • Would any Hezbollah involvement in this situation likely be independent or on the orders of the IRGC?
  • Are fentanyl precursors getting to Latin America from China or is that a myth?
  • Is the fentanyl crisis primarily linked to the China-supplied Mexican cartels a totally separate front from the cocaine trafficking nexus in Venezuela or are they strategically linked by intelligence hostile to America?
  • Are international legal experts critical of the US boat strikes aware of these IRGC terrorism-linked concerns and how if at all do these concerns affect the legal questions?
  • Was Duterte successfully prosecuted by ICC for something similar?
  • Are US personnel under any risk of ICC prosecution in this situation?
  • What do international drug crime experts argue should be done instead to change the unacceptable drug fatality status quo?
  • Are marginalized people of color in the US at higher risk of an overdose fatality from this illegal drug trade or not at all?
  • Do international drug crime prevention experts generally focus on the demand side only?
  • This is a sensitive and controversial question, but Obama authorized "extrajudicial" strikes on terrorists in Pakistan isn't it possible for Trump to argue the drug boat strikes are more directly related to imminent homeland defense?
  • Are armed gang and cartel members like in FARC considered armed combatants?

Here is the full thread:


This is a serious debate. 


I support both Secretary Rubio and Volker Türk - they have important jobs to do - but I don't think Rubio should be saying "narcoterrorism" unless it's absolutely necessary. How about "Axis-backed chemical warfare"? Is this what we are looking at, or is this a bit too much paranoia?

End 3:20 PM.

Comments

Post a Comment