Feral Jundi

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mexico: The Market Of Force

Filed under: Law Enforcement,Mexico — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 3:06 PM

The purpose of this post is to present very clearly what the market of force is down in Mexico.  This is a country where millions of folks have risked life and limb to illegally cross over into the US to make a better life and earn more money. So with that said, the market of force is certainly a factor down in Mexico because jobs are so tight.  Not to mention the ‘plomo o plata‘ concept where the cartels use fear and intimidation to impose their will on the people.

These statistics also show why corruption is so bad.  The cartels are extremely intertwined with government, police, military, and society, and are expert at wielding their money to get what they want.  The may not have morality on their side, but they definitely have peer pressure and cash on their side. Meaning ‘if everyone else is doing it, to include my uncle and my cousins, then I might as well too–or get the wrath of the cartels’.  Who knows, but I do know that the cartels seem to have no problem with sicario recruitment. Especially if they can get these recruits addicted to drugs or threaten to kill their families.

So with that said, what I wanted to do is present the employment options for a hired gun down in Mexico. Or what I call the ‘Market of Force’.  As with most market of force analysis that I have seen in war zones, the side that pays the most, tends to have no problems with recruitment.

Worse yet, the one factoid that really stood out to me, was found in this quote:

However, instead of presenting himself as a victim of circumstances, the sicario describes his frustrations with powerlessness and his ambitions for a different path from the work-saturated lives of his parents. Despite being a bright student who earns scholarships and starts college, he begins to do drug runs at an early age. At 15, he meets the current head of the Juárez cartel, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, and as a young man he decides to drop out of college and enter the police academy – under the sponsorship of the cartel.
The sicario describes police academies as training grounds for cartel operatives, where cadets on the cartel’s payroll would even go to special FBI-hosted training in the United States.
The penetration of drug organizations into government institutions goes even further, as the sicario describes his duties delivering money to state officials, using patrol cars to move drugs, the old pacts with local governments to not sell drugs within their cities, and the presence of top military officials at narco-parties. -From Borderland Beat’s Review of the book El Sicario

The cartels grab these kids when they are close to police academy age, and probably have no police record, and then they get them trained up in the methods of law enforcement, complements of the state. This particular sicario seems like he chose this more as a career move. This kind of thing happens with the military as well. Basically using state sponsored training in order to be proficient at defeating the state’s police or military, and most importantly, defeating competing cartels. Very smart. It also explains why the cartels are always stealing police uniforms or military uniforms, so they can conduct pseudo operations. This act also destroys the trust that the local populations have in their law enforcement or military units.

As to solutions?  The first step is always in the government. It must be purified of any cartel influence. The next step would be to purify law enforcement, and pay them an excellent salary. The military too.  Give them all the best training, the best salaries, and do everything you can to keep these groups funded and well led.  Mexico should definitely be front and center on the asset seizure game, and figure out ways of spreading the wealth amongst their police and military so that salaries are competitive with the sicarios. If not, they will continue to be negatively impacted by the market of force. You see the same thing happening in Afghanistan between government and the Taliban, you see the same thing in places like Iraq between the insurgency and the government, and you see the same thing in places like Somalia where fishermen and naval officers chose piracy because of the reward and poor economy. –Matt

As of 2010 entry level security guard salaries start at approximately $70 to $100 (840 pesos to 1200 pesos-rounded up) a week. People holding mid level positions can expect to make between $150 to $250 and high level security protection employees can expect salaries of $1000 to $2000 a month. –From eHow

The war has certainly exposed the weakness of Mexico’s criminal-justice institutions. Numbers are not the problem: with 366 officers per 100,000 people, Mexico is better supplied with police than the United States, Britain, Italy and France, among others. But it is badly organised and corrupt. Policemen earn an average of $350 a month, about the same as a builder’s labourer, meaning that wages are supplemented with bribes. Carlos Jáuregui, who was Nuevo León’s chief security official until March, reckons that more than half the officers in the state were being paid by organised crime. A policeman in Monterrey can be bought for about 5,000 pesos ($400) a fortnight, Mr Jáuregui reckons.
“Police are treated as second-class citizens,” says Ernesto López Portillo, head of Insyde, a Mexico City think-tank. They are kept that way by the constitution, which separates police officers from other public servants, meaning they do not qualify for the standard minimum wage and the 40-hour weekly work limit. Police forces are in theory overseen by internal investigation units, but their findings are secret and, in any case, Mr López Portillo estimates that fewer than 5% of forces have such a body. –From the Economist

A new video shows an interrogation of a man identified as Aldo Rivas Torres, who is believed to be a member of the criminal organization Los Zetas. The video is signed by The M’s.
The incident occurred in the municipality of Santiago Papasquiaro, located in Durango and it is believed that the video was recorded recently.
Four armed commandos dressed in military type uniforms point their weapons at the obvious distressed Rivas, while he details his work as a sicario where he confesses that he was receiving a monthly salary of about 15,000 and 20,000 pesos ($1,200 to $1,600 dollars).
He claims that he received direct orders from his brother Jesus Rivas Torres, who serves as an Captain in the Mexican Army, but is also involved with Los Zetas where he is the head of the organization in the village and receives a monthly salary of 500,000 pesos (about $40,000 dollars).-Borderland Beat

Most of the detainees wore military-style clothing, a woman of 16 years of age indicated that training had just started, that they had been sent to the training camp so they could learn how to fight in order to fight for a plaza soon. She also said that they were paid 8,000 pesos a month.- Borderland Beat

However, instead of presenting himself as a victim of circumstances, the sicario describes his frustrations with powerlessness and his ambitions for a different path from the work-saturated lives of his parents. Despite being a bright student who earns scholarships and starts college, he begins to do drug runs at an early age. At 15, he meets the current head of the Juárez cartel, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, and as a young man he decides to drop out of college and enter the police academy – under the sponsorship of the cartel.
The sicario describes police academies as training grounds for cartel operatives, where cadets on the cartel’s payroll would even go to special FBI-hosted training in the United States.
The penetration of drug organizations into government institutions goes even further, as the sicario describes his duties delivering money to state officials, using patrol cars to move drugs, the old pacts with local governments to not sell drugs within their cities, and the presence of top military officials at narco-parties. -From Borderland Beat’s Review of the book El Sicario

The Army is under authority of the National Defense Secretariat or SEDENA. It has three components: a national headquarters, territorial commands, and independent units. The Minister of Defence commands the Army via a centralized command system and many general officers. The Army uses a modified continental staff system in its headquarters. The Mexican Air Force is a branch of the Mexican Army. As of 2009 starting salary for Mexican army recruits was $6,000 Mexian pesos, or about $500 US dollars per month, with an additional lifetime $10,000 peso monthly pension. -From Wikipedia

Colombian Sicarios
A more overt reference to Sicarii occurred in Colombia since the 1980s. Sicarios, professional hit men adept at assassinating, kidnapping, bombing, and theft, gradually became a class of their own in organized crime in Colombia. Described by Mark Bowden in his investigative work Killing Pablo, the sicarios played a key role in the wave of violence against police and authorities during the early 1990s campaign by the government to capture and extradite fugitive drug lord Pablo Escobar and other partners in the Medellin cocaine cartel. Unlike their ancient namesake, sicarios have never had an ideological underpinning. Perhaps the only cause that they were attributed to was the opposition to extradition of Colombian criminals. Though Escobar employed sicarios to eliminate his enemies, these assassins were active more as independent individuals or gangs than loyal followers of a leader, and there were plenty of sicarios willing to serve the rival Cali cartel. Nevertheless, many died in combat against police forces, indicating that they were not all inclined to bend to the wind. Indeed, long before Escobar’s time, Colombia in particular had a long legacy of professional kidnappers (secuestradores) and murderers, whom he emulated.
In Spanish the word ‘sicario’ is used to refer to both killers who have specific targets and underling hitmen. In Italian, it means “hired killer, hired assassin, cutthroat”.-From Wikipedia

Monday, September 6, 2010

Afghanistan: Taliban Paid Bounties For Kills, Thanks To Iran And Others

The money is said to come from protection rackets, taxes imposed on opium farmers, donors in the Gulf states who channel money through Dubai and from the senior Taliban leadership in Pakistan. 

*****

The Iranian companies win contracts to supply materials and logistics to Afghans involved in reconstruction. The money often comes in the form of aid from foreign donors.

The profits are transferred through poorly regulated Afghan banks – including the Kabul Bank, which is partly owned by President Hamid Karzai’s brother, Mahmood – to Tehran and Dubai.

From these countries, the money returns to Afghanistan through the informal Islamic banking system known as hawala to be dispersed to the Taliban fighters.

“This means the companies involved in funding the insurgency can cover their tracks easily. It makes it harder for us to trace the cashflow,” a senior Afghan intelligence officer said.

He said the Iranian companies had been formed with the intention of winning contracts funded by foreign aid so the donors’ cash could be channelled into the insurgency. 

*****

    In the past I have talked about this market of force concept in which the enemy is able to attract combatants that are contracted for the killing of our troops.  The Taliban pay better and they offer incentives that give the possibility of even more pay. The incentive here is bounties, and the money comes from foreign donor sources or from drug sales and extortion rackets.  In other words, the enemy is creating an industry that profits off the death of our troops. A system of bounties also attracts those that are the most proficient or creative in their abilities to kill, both local and foreign.

    Below I posted three stories that all highlight exactly how this Taliban market of force works.  From assigning values to equipment being destroyed, to individuals being killed. I am also speculating that these foreign mercenary sniper teams were not only contracted, but also allowed to receive bounties for each kill.  It would make sense, just because they too would be rewarded for their deadly skills and inclined to stay in the fight to rack up kills.

    Also, other Taliban fighters will be drawn to the most target rich areas of the country with the greatest chance of getting away with their kills. They will also go for the easiest kills possible, which would be either IED’s or sniping. In those cases, they need witnesses or video via cellphone camera, etc. to confirm the kill and get payment.

     If they attacked in force in some kind of coordinated effort, I am sure the entire unit would be rewarded and they would split the prize. In that case, those fighters interested in more profit would probably be interested in joining the best teams with the highest kill ratios. Much like how the best privateer companies attracted investors during the American Revolutionary War, or how the best pirate companies in Somalia attract wannabe pirates seeking a chance to get wealthy.

    The other thing that is attractive about a system of bounties is that a Taliban commander can use their averages as a means of recruitment.  He can tell potential recruits that he pays $245 a month, but his guys also have the highest bounty collections rate in the area. Everyone loves to join a winning team in this high dollar hunting game.

     I wonder though how suicide bombers are viewed in this game? I am sure if they were part of the attack, then I would assume the Taliban commander and his team would collect some payment for the deaths that these human bombs created? With that said, I am sure there is some form of a prize court that these guys go through in order to work these issues out. –Matt

Taliban paid bounties for kills

Four mercenary snipers hired by the Taliban are zapped from the air by British soldiers in Afghanistan

Taliban win £1,600 bounty for each Nato soldier killed

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Taliban paid bounties for kills

Miles Amoore

September 06, 2010

IRANIAN companies in Kabul are using their offices to covertly finance Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

They are paying bounties of $US1000 ($1090) for killing a US soldier and $US6000 for destroying a military vehicle, a treasurer for the insurgents says.

Afghan intelligence and Taliban sources said at least five front companies, set up in the past six months, provide cash for a network of district Taliban treasurers to pay battlefield expenses and bonuses for killing foreign troops and destroying their vehicles.

The Iranian companies win contracts to supply materials and logistics to Afghans involved in reconstruction. The money often comes in the form of aid from foreign donors.

The profits are transferred through poorly regulated Afghan banks – including the Kabul Bank, which is partly owned by President Hamid Karzai’s brother, Mahmood – to Tehran and Dubai.

From these countries, the money returns to Afghanistan through the informal Islamic banking system known as hawala to be dispersed to the Taliban fighters.

“This means the companies involved in funding the insurgency can cover their tracks easily. It makes it harder for us to trace the cashflow,” a senior Afghan intelligence officer said.

He said the Iranian companies had been formed with the intention of winning contracts funded by foreign aid so the donors’ cash could be channelled into the insurgency.

Western officials believe the network may have been set up by the al-Quds force, an elite branch of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard.

(more…)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Somalia: Al Shabab Using Taliban Playbook And Market Of Force To Kick Off ‘Massive War’

“One more thing we deeply share is the hatred of infidels,” the commander, Abu Dayib, told The Associated Press.

Some experts say the similarities are no accident.

“Al-Shabab is copying exactly whatever the Taliban was doing in the late 1990s, because they think the strategies the Taliban employed in Afghanistan were successful,” said Vahid Mujdeh, the Afghan author of a book on the Taliban. “There is no doubt that the Taliban are like heroes for al-Shabab.”

U.S. and other security officials worry about another common thread: Both the Taliban and al-Shabab have links to al-Qaida. 

*****

     In the past, I have highlighted successful strategies that were built upon mimicking either the enemy or whomever is the best.  Not only that, but to also add one little thing to that strategy to give you the edge when fighting an opponent that is also using that same model. That little thing could be the repeating firearm, the machine gun, or the UAV. That little thing might also be an operational method, like pseudo-operations. Or it could be the Letter of Marque and the creation of an industry that profits from the destruction of an enemy? There are all sorts of potential ‘little things’ out there, and it requires a creative mind to ‘build that snowmobile’ and develop that winning strategy.

    Which takes us back to Somalia.  I am still having a difficult time trying to figure out how the TFG government and the AU expects to defeat Al Shabab with their current strategy?  I am also scratching my head as to how the west plans on defeating Al Shabab with the current arrangement in Somalia?  If we are having a tough time battling the Taliban in Afghanistan with the world’s best militaries, then what hope does the TFG and AU have in their fight?

    The other thing that stood out to me, was the use of suicide assaulters again.  These guys wore police uniforms, swarmed the hotel, and fought their way into areas of human concentration.  Today’s defenses throughout the world, must answer the question of wether or not they can stop a swarm of suicide assaulters.  This is obviously a model of attack that is being copied throughout the jihadist world, and it will only go away when it is turned into a zero sum game. Meaning, defenses are strong enough to continually defeat this kind of attack.  As it stands now, this attack will probably do very well in poor countries, or countries that do not prepare for this kind of attack because of whatever reason.

     My final thought about this matter is how jihadists use their market of force. Al Qaeda and others use their market of force to greater advantage than the west, and I will explain.  We take retired SEALs or Green Beret’s, and give them static security/convoy/PSD jobs in this war, and we freak out if these men actually had to fire their weapons in defense of self or their client. With Al Qaeda/Taliban/Al Shabab, they will not only hire jihadist contractors to participate in the war, but also contract them to kill the infidels and conduct offensive operations. They are doing it all, from providing bounties in Pakistan for killing soldiers, to paying snipers to kill soldiers in Afghanistan or Iraq, to providing protective services for drug operations or for piracy operations.

     Probably the most prolific use of contractors for offensive jihadist operations, is the whole IED game.  They contract out the hole being dug, the bomb being constructed, the bomb being planted, and the guy that pulls the trigger on the device. Hell, for the sniping or bomb stuff, the jihadist contracting officer requires filming the kill in order to receive payment.  That is what our enemy does with their market of force, and to me they are far more advanced in contracting private force for the task of killing their enemies than the west.

     If you look at the west and how we are using our market of force, it is literally non-existent. We have not seen a company or individual contracted to kill or even capture an enemy combatant. Companies are not contracted to take down terrorist cells or take towns and cities. Individuals are not hired to hunt jihadists or do anything of harm to our enemies. Instead, we see retired special operations soldiers who were expert in tracking and killing enemy combatants in their military jobs, just sit at civilian guard posts, driving vehicles in convoys or protecting dignitaries. That stuff is important to do, but we have created an industry that does not at all take full advantage of our market of force.

     We also pay these folks an incredible amount of money for doing these basic ‘defensive’ tasks.  God forbid if that individual actually fired their weapon though. The possibility of that retired SF operator being sent home or fired would be high and if they accidently killed a civilian in the process of defending self or the client, they could face criminal charges. Al Qaeda and company kill and terrorize civilians with their market of force all the time, and it is just the price of doing business to them. I am not saying the we should use our market of force and not care about civilian deaths, but I do think our enemy is far more realistic about what really happens in war.  They are out there and fighting us based on a no holds barred mindset (no respect for law or borders), and their market of force is considered a serious element of their strategy. I have yet to hear about a jihadist commission on wartime contracting either? lol

     The west hasn’t a clue on how to use their market of force, nor are they getting a good return on investment for the force they are using. I have certainly pointed to examples of how we could use our market of force to a greater and more strategic extent, but I also realize that I am up against the ego of states and their dedication to the monopoly of force.

     Let’s flip this around and mix the players.  If Al Qaeda could contract the services of Xe, what do you think they would ask of Xe?  What do you think they would be ‘ok with’, or what would be politically correct for Al Qaeda?  I think we all know that AQ would probably ask a company like that to take on their most complex operations that require a disciplined force with skill and capability.  The only limitations to the contracts would be AQ’s money, and what Xe was willing to do for that money.(in this hypothetical, they would have no loyalties to or be controlled by any state)

    One example of how markets of force behave when both sides have no qualms about it’s use, is the drug cartels in Mexico.  All the cartels of the drug war are all copying each other, and all of them are tapping into markets of force to do all sorts of nasty things to one another. It is producing some extreme violence and methods of warfare that we can certainly learn from.  With this scenario, the Mexican government cannot even compete, and if anything, the drug cartels fear one another more than they fear the government. (as a side note, the Mexican government is not even using their market of force) It is just one example.

     The pirates of Somalia are another industry that fully exploits this market of force, and they get a really good return on investment with this force. The world’s best and most powerful navies have not been able to defeat this latest wave of piracy coming out of Somalia, and it is probably one of the most embarrassing things to witness as an observer of this whole deal. Guys armed with AK’s, buzzing around in motor boats, taking down mulit-million dollar vessels, and evading multi-billion dollar navies at the same time. This market of force is very enthused by the ‘incentive’ of this industry, and the pool of this force is only increasing because of this piracy model’s success ratio.

     So to finish this post, I guess all I have to say is that today’s enemies have developed a model of warfare that is a direct challenge to countries and their state sponsored armies. These enemies could care less about borders, laws, or political correctness and truly only care about winning by any means necessary. In Somalia, we are witnessing Al Shabab use this latest model of jihadist warfare which has achieved much for the Taliban in Afghanistan.  This model has many elements to it which makes it successful. One of the key elements that is ignored by all who study this war, is the enemy’s use of their market of force for the destruction of their enemies. I think they are better at it, and they get more of a return on investment with their market of force than the west ever will. Stuff to think about. –Matt

Islamist rebels attack Somali hotel, killing 32

Somalia rebels looking increasingly like Taliban

—————————————————————–

Islamist rebels attack Somali hotel, killing 32

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN and MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED

August 25, 2010

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Islamist militants wearing Somali military uniforms stormed a hotel favored by lawmakers in the war-battered capital Tuesday, firing indiscriminately and killing 32 people, including six parliamentarians.

A suicide bomber and one of the gunmen were also killed in the brazen attack just a half-mile (1 kilometer) from the presidential palace. The attack showed the insurgent group al-Shabab, which controls wide areas of Somalia, can penetrate even the few blocks of the capital under the control of the government and African Union troops.

Tuesday’s well-planned assault came one day after al-Shabab warned of a new “massive war.” Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage, an insurgent spokesman, said the attack by members of the group’s “special forces” targeted government leaders, foreign agents and “apostates” at the $10-a-night Muna Hotel.

Survivors of the hour-long slaughter described seeing bodies strewn throughout the hotel and people scrambling to safety through windows. An 11-year-old shoeshine boy and a woman selling tea were among the dead.

In an interview with The Associated Press, one parliamentarian said she was jolted awake by the popping sound of gunfire. Saynab Qayad said three fellow lawmakers staying on the top floor of the three-story hotel drew their guns while other guests fled out windows.

(more…)

Monday, August 9, 2010

Iraq: Al Qaeda In Iraq Offers Cash To Lure Back Sahwa Fighters

    Nowadays, the government pays the salaries of its estimated 650,000-strong police and army on time, including the estimated 20,000 Sahwa fighters who have been assimilated into the security forces.

    But the remaining fighters on the government payroll go without their checks, in some cases for as long as three months. The government cites lack of funds or bureaucratic snags for the delays.

    Another Sahwa complaint is that the government detained scores of its leaders on terrorism charges last year. Although most detainees were released — often because of U.S. pressure — the arrests were seen as a humiliation. 

*****

     You know, I don’t blame these guys for being pissed off.  These were the saviors of the surge, the Sons of Iraq, the Anbar Awakening!  But then we go and allow Iraq to screw it all up and treat these guys like dirt.  Yet again, the market of force dictates.  If you don’t pay your people as much or more than your competitor in pay or benefits, or treat them poorly, then you will lose that contractor/soldier to your competitor who understands these very simple business principles.

     Now there is always the idea that Sahwa guys are using this as a means of leverage. Nothing like a so called ‘statement’ from AQ that they are trying to lure people away with better salary, to put a little fire under Iraq’s ass about paying these guys.  But I tend to go with the option that it is true, and that AQ is recognizing a deficiency within the Iraqi government and trying to exploit it. (go figure)

     There is another reason why we should pay attention to this.  I don’t care what anyone says. If AQ is even able to get a hundred guys back on their team, that is 100 booger eaters we will have to deal with as the war transitions into this new phase.  That means more mortar and rocket attacks, more IED’s, more assassinations, and everything else you can think of that AQ loves to do at their parties.

     The other thing to remember is all of these Sahwa fighters know exactly what the Iraqi military is capable of now. There has been plenty of time for them to observe and feel this stuff out as guards.  They also wouldn’t have the US to worry about because of this congressionally mandated troop presence in Iraq of 50,000 folks.  All AQ has to do is put the word out and pay the Sahwa tribes a decent wage, and tell them how cool they are with a couple of ‘hey buddy, we will be your friends.. wink, wink’.

     Not only that, but these Sahwa fighters are also dealing with the Plomo O Plata Effect as well.  AQ has certainly been assassinating these guys, and providing plenty of plomo or ‘lead’ for the tribes to think about. Pffft. –Matt

——————————————————————-

Al-Qaida in Iraq offers cash to lure former allies

By HAMZA HENDAWI

August 7th, 2010

BAGHDAD — Al-Qaida in Iraq has begun offering cash to lure back former Sunni allies angry over the government’s failure to give them jobs and pay their salaries on time, according to Sunni tribesmen and Iraqi officials.

The recruitment drive adds to worries that the terror network is attempting a comeback after the deaths of its two top leaders in April and is taking advantage of a summer of uncertainty. The political stalemate in Baghdad is entering its sixth month after inconclusive elections, just as the U.S. military is rapidly drawing down its forces.

Al-Qaida’s strategy is to provoke the Shiite majority into launching revenge attacks — a development that could re-ignite open warfare, split the Iraqi security forces along sectarian lines and cement al-Qaida’s leadership role among Sunnis.

But if the extremists are unable to win back their former Sunni allies, it would be difficult for them to rebound as a significant threat — though al-Qaida could continue to be a deadly nuisance for years to come.

Al-Qaida’s overtures in recent weeks are notable because its militants have killed hundreds of former allies over the past two years, setting off blood vendettas between the Sunni extremist group and others in the Iraqi Sunni community. Many former insurgents also disliked al-Qaida’s imposition of a strict interpretation of Islam in areas under its control.

But tribesmen said the need for cash to feed their families is pushing some lower-ranking former al-Qaida in Iraq members to rejoin the terror group — and that al-Qaida’s presence is growing in Anbar province west of the capital.

“The government must help us counter the resurrection of al-Qaida in Anbar,” warned Mahmoud Shaker, an influential tribesman from the province’s Habbaniyah district.

(more…)

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