El Salvador asks America for help in their war on gangs

El Salvador has enlisted the help of Southern California police departments for techniques to handle their domestic gang problem. The Central American nation has also requested that the FBI help to investigate rumors that Al-Qaeda might be present and receiving assistance from the Salvadoran gangs to enter the U.S.

Gangs like Mara Salvatrucha formed from Salvadoran refugees in the U.S. who fled their country's civil war in the 1980s. At first, much in the manner of La Cosa Nostra, their formation was to protect themselves against native street gangs, but they soon turned to making a business out of crime. Today, these gangs are multinational and present a real problem for the Salvadoran government.

This week, the Salvadoran national chief of police, Ricardo Menesses Orellana, met with Southern California law enforcement officials to formulate a strategy to deal with the gang problem in his country.

El Salvador has been a loyal ally to the U.S. and has contributed to the War in Iraq. They should get every bit of American help and assistance that they require in their fight against the gangs.

Article Author: Mark Edward Manning

Mark Edward Manning grew up in Boston, MA and now lives in London, England. He wrote commentaries for The Boston Herald in the mid 1990s.

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