Gang World Wars

Gangs and their ever growing movement towards political / religious centered ideologies in the US should be seen as what could be more ominous things to come. The difference between street gangs and rebel insurgencies can sometimes come down to only a matter of semantics.

In New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina or in the Los Angeles riots in the aftermath of the Rodney King trial, people in the middle of gang controlled areas would be hard pressed to disagree.

Many US gangs have transplanted themselves as a global phenomenon to places as far away as the Crips in New Zealand or the recent reports of Mara Salvatrucha in Spain. We must remember that MS13 themselves were originally comprised of former refugees and rebel fighters from El Salvador who came to the states and learned the ways of our urban street gang organizations. The same kind of influence can be reciprocal.

Gang units all over the US have been disbanded leaving many citizens vulnerable to escalating gang violence. Many of our gang unit resources were diverted to homeland security projects after 9-11. While homeland security should be a priority we should look to the evolving gang wars across the globe and remember one simple thing. Many insurgencies, rebellions, and coups originated first within the confines of the street gang mentality.

East Timor in the grip of machete gang war

By Marianne Kearney in Dili

(Filed: 31/05/2006)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/31/wtimor31.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/31/ixnews.html

Armed gangs continued to wreak havoc on the streets of Dili yesterday, as Australian troops faced growing criticism for failing to contain the violence.

As gangs of men equipped with machetes, knives, iron bars and stones roamed Dili's streets, burning and looting, terrified refugees took shelter beneath plastic sheets, under trees or in the hallways of the school rooms, in the Don Bosco Catholic centre.

He added that foreign soldiers had disarmed gang members, seizing high-powered rifles, shotguns, handguns, grenades, machetes and swords in recent days.

Many were co-ordinating their attacks via mobile telephones, keeping each other informed of when troops were in the area.

170 KILLED IN BRAZIL GANG WAR
19.5.2006. 09:21:31

http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=129298&region=4

Another 15 people died on the sixth day of clashes between a powerful prison-based gang and authorities in Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city.

The victims were 14 suspected attackers and a police officer. The death toll for the gang uprising that began last Friday now stands at 170.

Brazilian police pressed on with counter-attacks against the powerful Sao Paulo gang First C

apital Command that is blamed for starting the street war.

Ten massacred in Bihar gang war

Press Trust of India

Patna, May 18, 2006

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1700871,000900030002.htm

Ten persons were shot dead in two districts of Bihar in the worst incidents of gang war since the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar came to power about eight months ago.

"Nine persons were shot dead by members of Akhilesh Singh gang armed with sophisticated weapons at Gochak in Bihar's Nalanda district," Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Abhayanand said.

Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said the killing was in retaliation for the gunning of a sympathiser of the upper caste Akhilesh Singh gang at Barbigha village in Sheikhpura district by rival Ashok Mahato gang on Friday morning.

Both Ashok Mahato and Akhilesh Singh gangs are locked in a war...