| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: WoT |
| Reducing Guard Troops on US-Mexico Border -- 75% |
| 2011-12-21 |
| The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense confirmed during a Tuesday morning conference call with members of Congress that the administration will be reducing the National Guard troop presence on the border with Mexico by 75 percent, according to Texas Republican Rep. Ted Poe. The briefing featured U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner David V. Aguilar, Border Patrol Chief Michael Fischer and DOD Assistant Secretary Paul Stockton. The administration representatives revealed that the National Guard’s presence on the border will be reduced from 1,200 to 300 troops and their budget will decrease from $120 million to $60 million. “It is a mistake,” Poe told TheDC. “Last week Jason Altmire, Democrat from Pennsylvania, and I sent a letter to the president asking him not to reduce the number of National Guard troops. I’ve always thought 1,200 wasn’t enough. In fact I introduced legislation to put 10,000 at the border.” Poe pointed to statistics as the reason he opposes the planned reduction. “GAO, the General Accounting Office, says the border is only 44 percent secure,” said Poe. “Well, if we only control 44 percent, who controls the other 56 percent? It’s not Mexico, it’s not the United States, well who is it? It’s the drug cartels. So its an unwise decision.” DHS and DOD announced Tuesday that they will be transitioning to an approach more focused on mobile and aerial surveillance. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #1 Good, they cost a fortune to keep there and they don' let them do any interdiction. Just look through binoculars at them, maybe give em the stink eye? |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2011-12-21 17:23 |