Pentagon Exploring Border Control Patrols

AP/Yahoo News ^ | 5-11-06 | Lolita Baldor

[STARWISE]

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is looking at ways the military can help provide more security along the U.S. southern border, defense officials said Thursday, once again drawing the nation's armed forces into a politically sensitive domestic role.

On Capitol Hill on Thursday, the House voted 252-171 to allow Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to assign military personnel under certain circumstances to help the Homeland Security Department perform border security. The House added the provision to a larger military measure.

Paul McHale, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, asked officials this week to come up with options for the use of military resources and troops — particularly the National Guard — along the border with Mexico, according to defense officials familiar with the discussions. The officials, who requested anonymity because the matter has not been made public, said there are no details yet on a defense strategy.

The request comes as some Southern lawmakers met this week with White House strategist Karl Rove for a discussion that included making greater use of National Guard troops to shore up border control. Congress is poised to pass legislation this month that would call for additional border security, a new guest worker program and provisions opening the way to eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

(snip)

Currently, the military plays a very limited role along the borders, but some armed forces have been used in the past to help battle drug traffickers. National Guard units, meanwhile, have been used at time by Southern and Western governors to provide assistance at border crossings.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said the military help "is basically what she has been asking for," spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said.

[STARWISE]

Ping

[kinoxi]

let's see... defend everyone else's border for decades, defend our own? we need a committee

[sheana]

Regardless of what else you do......no guest worker program! If you do a guest worker/amnesty I still do not believe you are serious and see everything you do as insincere and a dog and pony show.

Enforce our current laws!

[Mo1]

On Capitol Hill on Thursday, the House voted 252-171 to allow Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to assign military personnel under certain circumstances to help the Homeland Security Department perform border security. The House added the provision to a larger military measure

You just know the Dems hated this part

[mystery-ak]

I see a tour on the border in the future for my hubby and son...

[Paladin2]

They could work out effective techniques on the Iraq - Syria/Iran/SA/Jordan/Kuwait borders and then apply them on our borders..

[fantom]

They love it. It is all window dressing , along with the fines and arrests. Give the dopes some shinny things so they will shut up . The dems are playing this perfectly. They say nothing , they get what they want because the pubbies can't risk offending their fellow blow hards , and they look like heros to the new underclass , which if they don't have they are finished . Yes i know , shut up , send a check to mellman and vote republican because we are not as bad as those wascully demoquaps.

[Recovering_Democrat]

have you seen this? could this turn around some opinion here?? :)

[Peach]

I'm quite certain this won't be enough to satisfy the critics, but I think it's splendid news; thanks for the ping Starwise.

I can sleep quite well knowing this administration is doing more than any other to keep us safe and to deal with the immigration issue which no other president has ever done.

[Mo1]

You *itch when they don't do anything .. and you *itch when they do something

Gee .. that's just what the liberals do

[Fruitbat]

let's see... defend everyone else's border for decades, defend our own? we need a committee

My first thoughts exactly. We can dig 'em out of caves, see everything at night, have other tremendous advantages. But this, well, we've gotta spend who knows how many years "figuring out how best to handle this."

This is a game called "how can we make it appear as if we care but all the while do little to nothing just as we have been."

Unbelieveable. This is gonna destroy our country. And once there are 50 million illegal Mexican aliens here, then who's gonna stop them? And what happens if they riot in Tucson, San Diego, Phoenix, El Paso, etc.? What are we gonna do about it? Ask the real Americans living there to simply move and leave their entire property wealth and homes behind?

I've never seen a bigger bunch of [w]ussies in government.

[Texasforever]

Ya'll really don't want anything done do you?

[kinoxi]

only if it's planned that way... (fingers crossing)

[stopem]

"Paul McHale, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, asked officials this week to come up with options for the use of military resources and troops — particularly the National Guard — along the border with Mexico, according to defense officials familiar with the discussions.

That is a great idea. Hope they implement it immediately.

[Txsleuth]

I wonder if the same people that are demanding that the border be closed, would also complain about this being a "police state" if the military in some way is stationed along the borders???

And the ACLU, and libs???

OMG...the way they have overreacted today to the news that the US Govt actually has a list of phone numbers...they will go berserk over this idea...LOL

Let's do it! LOL

[hinckley buzzard]

Deployment of NG troops makes good sense, especially as an interim measure while ramping up the number of BP agents. RE: the Posse Comitatus Act, I don't believe that guarding our international borders should be considered in the same category as domestic police work.

[KoRn]

About damn time!