Front & Center with John Callaway: Mexico: The Way Forward

At the time of this recording, drug-related violence was spiraling out of control in Mexico, and martial law had been declared in Ciudad Juarez. But the problem was no longer confined by national borders—kidnappings, home invasions, and other violent crimes began to spill over into U.S. cities such as Phoenix, Tucson, and even Atlanta. In the midst of widespread police corruption, can the Mexican government enforce the rule of law? What approach is the White House taking to address this growing threat to our national security? And what role do U.S. weapons—and demand for illegal drugs—play in this ongoing tragedy? John Callaway and his panel of experts looked at the crisis in Mexico on Front & Center.

Richard E. Friedman received his education at the Harvard School for Boys; Grinnell College, where he received an AB in 1951; and at Northwestern School of Law, where he received a JD in 1956. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1953 (Lt.). He practiced law in Chicago, Illinois. From 1964 to 1969, he served as First Assistant Attorney General, State of Illinois and drafted the Illinois Charitable Trust and Charitable Solicitation Acts. Friedman was co-contributor to the book "The Future of Foundations" (1975). From 1971-76 Friedman served as the Regional Director (Midwest) for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. He received a Presidential Citation for his work on the IndoChinese Refugee Resettlement Program (1976). Friedman has also served on special assignment for the U.S. Department of State in Romania, on the U.S. Army Science Board Ballistic Missile Defense Committee, as a consultant to the government of Republic of Georgia for legislation regarding national security and economic matters, and has participated in strategic planning conferences for Central Asian Republics. Friedman currently serves as President and Chair, National Strategy Forum, Inc.; Counselor, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security; and as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs National Security Studies Program.

Roger Pardo-Maurer was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere from 2001-2006, the senior civilian official responsible for defense policy toward Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.  He also served as a reservist in U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan (2002) and Iraq (2006-2007).  Prior to serving in the Defense Department, along with the former chief of Mexico's NAFTA negotiation office he was managing partner of an international consulting firm with offices in Washington D.C. and Mexico City.  He is the author of Access Mexico, a 650-page reference book on business, trade, and investment in Mexico.

Ambassador Manuel Rodriguez-Arriaga was the Consul General of Mexico in Chicago, with jurisdiction in the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. He is a career member of the Mexican Foreign Service, having previously served as Ambassador of Mexico to the Kingdom of Norway and to the Republic of Iceland (1989-1993); to the People's Republic of China (1993-94); to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg (1998-2001), and Representative of Mexico to the Council of Europe (1998-2000); and Consul General of Mexico in Miami, with jurisdiction in the State of Florida (2001-2003). He has been decorated by the governments of 11 countries, and holds a Degree in Law with honors from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico, as well as a Masters Degree in Government from the University of Essex (UK), with post-graduate studies in Public Administration at the University of Warwick (UK) and studies on Social Development Planning at the Institute for Labor Studies (International Labor Office, Geneva).