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| Border Patrol's new Tucson head: watch against terrorists key |
| 2005-01-29 |
| EFL The new head of the Border Patrol's busiest sector said yesterday his primary duty as the Homeland Security Department's chief agent along the Sonoran border is to watch out for terrorists and terrorist activity. Chief Patrol Agent Michael C. Nicley, new head of the Tucson sector, said that although the agency arrests thousands of illegal immigrants and dozens of drug smugglers each year, since 9/11 the Border Patrol's aim is to keep Americans safe from terrorism. If Border Patrol agents apprehend a terror suspect, the public will never know, Nicley added. The sector has 2,200 agents. He said it is possible that one or more terror suspects have been picked up along the Arizona-Mexico border, but disclosing that would let terrorists know too much and the safety of all Americans supersedes the public's right to know in such cases. Nicley said unmanned surveillance aircraft tested recently by the Border Patrol proved enormously successful as a deterrent to drug traffickers and illegal immigrants. "Now they know that if they see the bird up there, a guy in a green shirt is coming to make an interdiction," he said. He said that although the trial period for drones is over, he expects they will be used again here because they can get to remote areas and stay there, unlike helicopters, which are subject to pilot fatigue and refueling demands. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #10 RC-I wanted to heave out of disgust not because of a weak stomach. The feds' ineptitude in performing their primary duty, which is to protect our borders and our sovereignity, makes me sick. I'm paying enough taxes to the feds without having ordinary citizens doing their little hodge podge thingies to protect our border. Anon- Mexican migrants are really not that threatening Islam is making big strides in establishing its presence in Mexico and attracting Hispanic converts: http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Park/6443/LatinAmerica/mexico1.html "Mexico discovers Islam" Mexico may be well on its way to a monotheistic revolution. This new trend is emerging from recent developments, and reflects a similar change evident in other South American nations - people are embracing Islam by the thousands, jettisoning the Catholicism imposed upon their ancestors in Spain. The prayer congregation has tripled since Mexico City's Centro Cultural Islamico de Mexico (CCIM) first opened its doors 6 years ago. The numbers could be even higher. However, most Mexicans still have almost no knowledge of Islam. CCIM is spreading the Oneness of Allah at all levels of society and translating Islamic publications into Spanish. It also has several native-born active Da'wah graduates from Saudi Arabian universities who speak fluent Arabic. The Center's Islamic public radio program had to be suspended because of financial constraints. In the last 3 years, CCIM built two new mosques in two cities close to the capital. Its ultimate goal is to establish full-time mosques in every major Mexican city. Also "invasions" come in versions other than just guns and ammo. There's also "attacks" on our country's social, cultural, financial fabric. Check out articles about illegals "contributions" to violent crime, drug trafficking, gangs, drain on social & medical & welfare services, crowding in schools, polluction, drain on limited resources like fuel and water. border area is enormous, far more than could be policed by even four full-time military divisions. We have our troops defending the sovereignity of nations around the world. Those nations' taxpayers are getting a free ride. Bring our troops home and there will be more than enough military to back up our border guards: U.S. troops in other countries: Portugal: 3,000 Italy: 11,190 Great Britain: 11,207 Japan: 40,159 South Korea: 38,565 Turkey: 2,008 Germany: 69,203 (for 58 years post WW II) Afghanistan: 12,000 border police and 177 checkpoints Total: 187,332 - from columnist Mike Blair. they *do* become Americans as fast as any other immigrant group How can illegal Mexican aliens apply for US citizenship? I sincerely hope this is not happening! they contribute far more than they take,.. I don't think so. Provide me with some supportive statistics of your claim. I did a quick google search and the opposite seems to be true. Here's one that came up on one statistic that came up as one of my first hits: "A recent study by the National Research Council found the average immigrant lacking a high school education imposes a net ficsal burden of $89,000 on U.S. taxpayers. Coupled with an estimated $9 BILLION spent yearly on health care for illegals, the tab is substantial." - Investors Business Daily, February 4, 2004 and to improving the economy of Mexico Like Bomb said - at our expense. Also this functions as a safety valve for oligarchs like Vicente Fox and his pals who are not forced to change their greedy ways to allow Mexico to pull itself up from being a corrupt Third World feudal society. And on the subject of "migrants" coming to the US ( don't you mean ILLEGAL ALIENS?) to "fill jobs which no Americans want to do," also known Jorgas' Big Fib: A 1997 GAO report (H-2A Agricultural Guestworker Program: Changes Could Improve Services to Employers and Better Protect Workers), reported there is no shortage of farmworkers in the United States. At the peak of the employment season, about 43% are jobless. - Report by attorney Michael Holley, Texas Rural Legal Aid,"Disadvantaged by Design ..." |
| Posted by: 2xstandard 2005-01-29 6:58:10 PM |
| #9 Mexican migrants are really not that threatening,.. Not very relevant. Second thing is that that border area is enormous, far more than could be policed by even four full-time military divisions. Not a problem. Guards go in the areas that are less inhospitable, which naturally are easier to cross. If the mojados and terrorists try to cross in a desolate area, they gamble with their lives. Third is that these Mexicans provide a huge amount of labor to the US. Not an issue. They can either follow our laws or stay the hell out. It's already bad enough we have our own home-grown lawbreakers, and because some industry is hungry for cheapo labor, standards should be lowered for that? No dice. Fourth is that they *do* become Americans as fast as any other immigrant group. Debatable. With various businesses (and government, in many cases) pandering to them by offering up Spanish language interfaces (paperwork, signage such as those at Food Maxx, or ATMs with a Spanish option, for example), there's not much incentive to "become American" (which includes learning to speak and understand our language). A month or so ago, I was at the local laundromat and I overheard two people talking between themselves in a manner that seemed to indicate they were U.S.-born and educated. The hitch was that every other sentence or so was in Spanish. There wasn't any apparent reason to be speaking Spanish, and the subject matter wasn't something that required one to be discreet in conversation. Not a very encouraging observation, that's for sure. ..they contribute far more than they take,.. Tell that to hospitals in AZ's border area, or in Los Angeles. ..and to improving the economy of Mexico. Unfortunately, it's at at OUR expense. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-29 6:05:15 PM |
| #8 I have no interest in US citizens like yourself paying "bounties" to Mexicans for tips on how many hundreds of terrorists are in the "regular" daily contingent of 3000 illegals coming over our border. There's something very weird and rather tragic in that image. Pardon me while I puke. Get a stronger stomach and look in the Constitution for "letters of mark and reprisal". Same idea, applied to a modern problem. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-01-29 4:02:49 PM |
| #7 2x: It all makes sense from many different directions. First of all, Mexican migrants are really not that threatening, so much so that an argument can be made for free passage across the US-Mexico border. Second thing is that that border area is enormous, far more than could be policed by even four full-time military divisions. Third is that these Mexicans provide a huge amount of labor to the US. Fourth is that they *do* become Americans as fast as any other immigrant group. Fifth is that any additional benefits they are now getting from living in the US are strictly at the whim of government, but on the whole, they contribute far more than they take, both to the US and to improving the economy of Mexico. Compare this to terrorists trying to cross that border. There is no ready comparison. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-01-29 3:53:35 PM |
| #6 Anon, I have no interest in US citizens like yourself paying "bounties" to Mexicans for tips on how many hundreds of terrorists are in the "regular" daily contingent of 3000 illegals coming over our border. There's something very weird and rather tragic in that image. Pardon me while I puke. One thing you got right though. Our open southern border is a terror attack waiting to happen. It is beyond outrageous that our President and Congress concede there are terrorist threats to America and yet they lay a welcome mat at our southern border and continue to posture about how our military is out and about around the globe protecting American interests. Huh? The most obvious place to start "defending" America is to defend our own darn borders!!!!! And I don't particularly want little laymen types implementing their own hair brain schemes to protect our borders. Don't you think it sends a bad message to terrorist wannabes that our borders are so porous that US citizens have resorted to paying out of pocket "bounties" to Mexican nationals for help because they have lost confidence in the US federal gov't? Senor Bush and El Congress have enough $ to blow on foreign aid, 800 foreign located military bases and 2 foreign wars "to spread and defend democracy" but they have no $ for border control to defend this country's democracy? The WH could not even come up with $ to pay for 2000 extra border agents. That makes no sense whatsoever. |
| Posted by: 2xstandard 2005-01-29 2:10:25 PM |
| #5 This type of bounty is perfectly legal. All you are doing is paying Mexicans to give information about non-Mexicans trying to sneak across the US border; and then that information is given to US authorities. Then once the non-Mexicans are apprehended by US authorities, you pay the Mexicans who gave you the information leading to their arrest. That is as legal as it gets. Importantly, this separates this issue, terrorist infiltration from the much broader problem of illegal immigration, which needs its own, different solutions, no matter what they are. We have been debating what to do about illegals for 30 years now, and that debate will continue, like it or not. But we need a solution to terrorist infiltration now, or it could cost the lives of thousands of Americans. And to stop it now, for just a tiny amount of money, makes all the sense in the world. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-01-29 1:23:17 PM |
| #4 The best part is that it would be perfectly legal for a private citizen to pay the bounty Say what? Tell that to the new Attorney General and his name isn't Smith. Here's the very best part. You are going to love this because this may be news to you. The federal gov'ts constitutional responsibility is to provide national security, to protect our sovereignity. Unbeknowns to the folks at DC, we pay taxes for the federal gov't to properly defend our borders. So even if bounties were legal, which I am sure the ACLU and the AG would tell you in no uncertain terms are not, we are paying enough money to Senor Bush and El Congresso to provide BORDER GUARDS, BUILD FENCES, DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. Iraq has better defended borders than us. |
| Posted by: 2xstandard 2005-01-29 12:24:28 PM |
| #3 Once again, I'll propose the "bounty" idea. To be paid for any non-Mexican trying to sneak across the border when they are caught. If they turn out to be a "person of interest", then the bounty gets a x2, x3, or x5 bonus. If you paid $1000 per head, that border would be as tightly sealed as a pressure cooker to non-Mexicans. There would be brigades of Mexicans patrolling their side, hoping to observe a non-Mexican and make a phone call. The best part is that it would be perfectly legal for a private citizen to pay the bounty! So, for maybe $20-40,000 a year, no terrorist could cross that border without fear of immediate arrest. Sounds a LOT better than a multi-billion dollar system that doesn't work. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-01-29 9:48:23 AM |
| #2 Well it has become the busiest because of the efforts made along the TX and CA borders, channeling the traffic to AZ. The NM area isn't as busy, yet, because it is largely open desert which leads to more desert. The one major northern route is covered by BP and Customs. Everything else feeds east, TX, and west, AZ. |
| Posted by: Crereper Thomble7321 2005-01-29 9:45:35 AM |
| #1 Patrol proved enormously successful as a deterrent to drug traffickers and illegal immigrants. yeh, sure it did! I'm convinced. So why is it, "the Border Patrol’s busiest sector" duh. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-01-29 8:45:21 AM |