Mexican army involved in students disappearance 2 years ago: journalistNovember 26, 2016 - 10:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Mexican soldiers were involved in the disappearance and apparent massacre of 43 students two years ago, according to a leading journalist, implicating the military directly in a crime that has been blamed solely on corrupt police and drug gang members, according to Reuters. Anabel Hernandez, a well known investigative journalist, leveled the allegation in her soon to be published book, titled "The True Night in Iguala". The first chapters of the book, based on interviews with a drug lord and other direct sources, were released on the website Aristegui Noticias on Friday. In one excerpt, a source had described how members of the army were tasked by a drug lord with recovering two million dollars worth of heroin that was stashed in two buses taken at random by a hundred students. The students were seeking transportation to Mexico City for a protest, but were stopped by the police so that soldiers could search the buses, the book said. "As the military was retrieving the drugs from the buses, the students on board must have realized what they were taking from the compartments. That would have created the unexpected need to 'disappear' them so as not to leave witnesses," it said. Mexico's army has been accused of human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings in the past. Neither the Defense Ministry, nor the Interior Ministry responded immediately to requests for comment. The President's office declined to comment. More than a hundred people, including around 22 municipal police, have been detained and are awaiting trial in a case, which had earlier plunged President Enrique Pena Nieto's government into a political crisis, as street protest erupted over the handling of the investigation. Photo: AFP Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |