Latin America: Close The Back Door! Does United States Southern Command's (USSC) FY03-05 Theater Security Cooperation Strategic Guidance (TSCSG) Sufficiently Address and Mitigate the Growing Threat Posed by Terrorists and Terrorist Organizations Resident in USSC's Area of Responsibility (AOR)

摘要

Latin America has historically been a region of instability and turmoil. It is known for institutional corruption, weak economies, abject poverty, extensive underemployment as well as unemployment, overpopulation, social discord, non-democratic governments, military involvement in civil affairs, human rights abuses, weapons proliferation, drug cartels and narco- terrorism. Additionally, Colombia's continued insurgency significantly exasperates the situation. The arrival of Islamic extremists and transnational terrorists can only increase the problems of the region and directly threaten the security of the United States as well as America's partners. The presence of militant extremist groups like Hamas, Hizballah and al- Qaida in the triborder area (TBA) of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil is a matter of serious concern. The Combatant Commander's TSCSG is a theater strategic planning document that is key in shaping, responding and preparing the region for security cooperation and peacetime engagement. Does US Southern Command's (USSC)FY03-05 TSCSG sufficiently address and mitigate the growing threat posed by terrorists and terrorist organizations resident in USSC's Area of Responsibility (AOR).