JOE in Mexico

The El Paso Times has discovered the Joint Operating Environment -- that's JOE& for short. In a story that's getting some attention, the paper cites JOE in asserting that Mexico is one of two countries that "bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse."

"In terms of worse-case scenarios for the Joint Force and indeed the world, two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico.

"The Mexican possibility may seem less likely, but the government, its politicians, police and judicial infrastructure are all under sustained assault and press by criminal gangs and drug cartels. How that internal conflict turns out over the next several years will have a major impact on the stability of the Mexican state. Any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone."

We of course had news on the JOE last year -- and the document itself.

JFCOM Study Examines Potential Military Challenges Over Next 25 Years
InsideDefense.com, Dec. 3, 2008 -- Over the next 25 years, the world is likely to see a global military buildup, increased tensions surrounding the demand for natural resources and a further need for the United States to create partnerships with other countries, according to a U.S. Joint Forces Command study.

DOCUMENT: JFCOM's 'Joint Operating Environment'
The Nov. 25, 2008, report from U.S. Joint Forces Command, subtitled "Challenges and Implications for the Future Joint Force" and nicknamed the "JOE," examines likely scenarios the U.S. military might confront over the next 25 years.