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!

[ScottfromNJ]

"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."

As usual, the AP makes presumptuous statements, and intentionally ignores the tougher House bill.

[sheana]

Unless they couple border control with interior enforcement, and i mean real interior enforcement not the catch and release stuff, this is all appeasement.
When I see businesses raided and the owners prosecuted and all the illegals deported every night on the news, I will believe them.
Til then I can't believe they are serious.

[processing please hold]

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

The best news I've heard in some time. Immediate action is definitely needed. Fox ain't gonna like hearing that bit of news though. Let's see if he demands that the UN stop our military from such an action, declaring that it is tantamount to a declaration of war against mexico.

[Chena]

Thanks for the news, Starwise. :)

[Chena]

One step at a time. It'd sure be a breath of fresh air to hear some folks actually say something positive about the changes that have been made, and changes that continue to be made.

[umgud]

This came from the house. Does it need senate approval?

[MHGinTN]

It's nt a ploy because the Congress is about to pass a bill of some kind and there has to be a way to enforce it ... planning and then implimentation must be coordinated. Conservative voices are being heard and the Minutemen caravan is beginning to wake up some of the Republican critters. Now, if we can jst get court jester Frist to slap undertaker Harry and tell him to shut up and sit down in Fat Teddy's shadow ... you realize it was Ted the swimmer who gutted the reagan border controls in 1986, right?

[Soul Seeker]

Some of it SOUNDS good, though I believe nothing on this issue till it happens. They've spun this issue too many times. However, everytime they mention amnesty and "guest worker programs" I see red. This is NOT the time to be including that in ANY bill, do you folks on the Hill understand that? WRONG TIME. You haven't earned the right to push it.

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.

ooh! McCain and Bill Kristol will love that. LOL

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.

Well, well, so they've finally realized they have a problem on the border? Or have they been scared witless by people making it clear their votes are dependent on the GOP shaping up? I suspect the latter.

[processing please hold]

What is your take on this?

[philman_36]

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.
The only place that it's politically sensitive is in your imagination, Lolita.
Hey Lolita, don't you know that securing the borders of this nation IS a function of the govenment and they CAN and SHOULD use the military to do just that.
Hey Lolita, remember all of those movies with soldiers (sharp intake of breath) at the border checkpoint.
Hey Lolita, want to see how they do it in Korea?

And some of our soldiers help them. The article is about them leaving, but it doesn't say where they're going. I'll bet you dinner it isn't to patrol the American border.
Why is it that we can help defend a foreign country's borders with soldiers and not our own? Is it because both sides are at a temporary peace after a period of war? Just what is our history with Mexico? I seem to remember a couple of things called War and Mexico joined together in there somewhere.

[HiJinx]

Smarmy Politician Ping!

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said the military help "is basically what she has been asking for," spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said. What a maroon! You've (Napolitano) had the money and the authority for 6 months now to put your own military on the border after declaring a state of emergency, and you've done absolutely nothing - nada, zip, squat. Pack your bags, galz.

[nicmarlo]

My take......why this rather than a wall?

FReepmail

[AmericanInTokyo]

They're playing games now with us.

I knew this would happen when the numbers really started to turn south for them.

They have no sincerity. When it gets to the point they understand that the natives in flyover America are truly restless, they will start coming up with all kinds of 'plans' and 'ideas'. All five years too late.

They way to catch them is: "OK, ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.. NOW, HOW DO YOU FUND IT AND WHEN DOES THE PROGRAM START?"

The second question is, "Do you assail 'regularization' or 'amnesty' or 'path to legalization' now, and further, will you enact severe employeer sanctions?

If they just spout on about new ideas, but won't take us up on enacting common sense approaches right under our eyes, it's all just more BS and they are playing us for naive saps, all the while trying to keep the phantom 'hispanic' vote in their back pockets and also keep their country club GOP donors who employ cheap labor in the RNC contribution pipeline.

[dalereed]

"Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said the military help "is basically what she has been asking for,"

What a lying sack of s**t!

[grcuster]

As a retiree, I would volunteer to go back on active duty and patrol the border to help stop the flow, but our government doesn't have the will to enforce anything that is politically incorrect.

[AmericanInTokyo]

You know them to the core, don't you.

You aren't fooled easily, are you?

[demkicker]

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.

I'm not trying to be flippant here, but after 9/11 wouldn't you, as an American, think securing our borders is a top priority? Looks like we've got the manpower, but not the will. Now tell me again why I should vote for Republicans who are in control of Congress but won't secure our borders? Forget it. I was kidding. Please don't bother....

[philman_36]

[planekT]

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.

The issue is illegal immigration, and that has increased substantially under this administration. Bush rolled out the welcome mat, and they have accepted the invitation. And just a little reminder. More Americans were killed by foreigners on our own territory on 9/11 then at any other time in our history, and Bush was in charge. Sleep well.

[Rebelbase]

What a novel concept.

[eyespysomething]

once again drawing the nation's armed forces into a politically sensitive domestic role defense of the nation, one of the few original purposes of the federal government.

Fixed it!

[CFC__VRWC]

More Americans were killed by foreigners on our own territory on 9/11 then at any other time in our history, and Bush was in charge. Sleep well.

Are you a LIHOP or a MIHOP?

[planekT]

No. Just a citizen.

[philman_36]

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???
Why? Securing the border is a function of the government. If it takes the military to do it then make it so.
The "threat" should be if our troops are used against other Citizens. Posse Comitatus was enacted to keep troops from being used inside the US, not at the border. The Constitution prevails and securing the border with military personel is viable.
Just my opinion.

[Regulator]

Ask the real Americans living there to simply move and leave their entire property wealth and homes behind?

That's pretty much the plan.

Already happened in major parts of L.A.

[antceecee]

LIHOP, MIHOP... sounds like creatures from a Ray Bradbury book.

[CFC__VRWC]

LIHOP, MIHOP... sounds like creatures from a Ray Bradbury book.

Yep - their numbers are growing, too.

[CJ Wolf]

No guest worker but we should give them all amnesty for the laws they broke and when they come in to sign up for it say that they are forgiven and ship them back. Or at least give them an option to go to a nice progressive country like Iran or France.

[Txsleuth]

Unless they only stand right directly ON the border line...won't they be inside the US???

It is fine with ME if they are there..I just know that the legal gymnastics to get this done seem like they would be very, very difficult to overcome.

[Iscool]

It's nt a ploy because the Congress is about to pass a bill of some kind and there has to be a way to enforce it ...

The House already passed a good illegal immigration bill...It got squashed by Bush and the Senate...Bush will never go for military on the border, unless it's for show...