Keeeriiiiist, I think he just said that soldiers will be soldiers ...

There's continued violence in Sonora, Mexico. Yesterday I linked to this article: 20 dead following shootout in Sonora; gang had earlier killed four police in Cananea in the Sierra Vista Herald.

Today the Tucson Citizen passes on an Associated Press story about the continued violence. It appears that the military may be as bad as the 'criminals.'

Cops, copters pursue Sonora killers --City officers vanish after 5 executions, federal police

The official National Human Rights Commission said Tuesday that there was credible evidence that some of the newly deployed troops committed rapes, illegal search and other rights abuses.

"Soldiers are not trained to carry out police work," said Jose Luis Soberanes, president of the rights commission. "If you make them do it, they go overboard, and we see these type of cases."

But political analyst Oscar Aguilar said withdrawing the army from the countryside is not an option.

"It's one thing to say they've committed abuses, and entirely another to say 'send them back to their barracks,'" Aguilar said. "They are our last line of defense, our last bastion, and we know that."

Boys will be boys and soldiers will be soldiers? But we need them (in the way Iraq needs the US?) so let everyone else beware.

Closer to the border the Sierra Vista Herald writes: Sonoran violence concerns area mayors by Gentry Braswell

Borane traveled immediately to Agua Prieta for a briefing from Cuadras, then the Agua Prieta mayor traveled to Douglas for a meeting at Borane’s office.

The city government facilities in Agua Prieta are on very high alert, surrounded by police soldiers, Borane said. The same cautious attitude is taken by Douglas officials, he said.

Mayor of the border town of Douglas for 11 years, Borane maintains a close relationship with people in Mexico. Cuadros reported authorities in Cananea are still pursuing the people in the hills near Cananea, Borane said. He was escorted by armed guards, from the border to Cuadros’ offices for their meeting, Borane said.

Schools in Cananea, Sierra Vista, and Radebeul, Germany, interact with one another through a sister-cities program, and Sierra Vista Mayor Bob Strain said he sent a letter of concern and best wishes to the Cananea mayor Thursday. “Beyond that, I don’t know what it is, that we might have suggested to us,” Strain said.

Regarding any further assistance, Strain said, “I’ll admit the thought had crossed my mind, but I don’t know what it would be.”