Posted on 11/23/2011 9:21:00 AM PST by casinva
WASHINGTON — Texas Gov. Rick Perry vowed to completely secure the U.S.-Mexican border within 12 months of being inaugurated president during a GOP presidential debate Tuesday that showcased the emergence of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as the go-to alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
In a debate focused on national security, Perry was quickest to the count on border issues, saying he would complete “strategic fencing” along the 1,969-mile U.S.-Mexican border, add “boots on the ground” and aviation assets such as Predator surveillance aircraft to intercept potential Iranian-backed terrorists crossing into the United States from Mexico as well as to stem the northbound flow of undocumented immigrants and illegal drugs.
The three-term Texas governor, clearly comfortable on the topic during his eighth nationally televised debate, said he would work with Mexico to achieve a new level of security and would consider sanctions against Mexican banks that handle the illicit proceeds of multibillion dollar drug cartels.
“All of those together can make that country (Mexico) substantially more secure and our border secure,” Perry declared. “As president of the United States, I’ll promise you one thing – that within 12 months that border will be shut down and it will be secure.”
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Perry and Bachmann also briefly dueled over continuing U.S. aid to Pakistan, an Islamic nation of 150 million people with a stockpile of nuclear weapons. Perry reiterated his pledge to zero out annual foreign aid to all countries including Pakistan.
“They’ve showed us time after time that they can’t be trusted,” said Perry, in an elliptical reference to Pakistani authorities knowingly or unknowingly providing haven to bin Laden. “Until Pakistan clearly shows that they have America’s best interests in mind, I would not send them one penny.”
More at link.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.chron.com ...
Is that a threat? Some sort of inside information? Should we get Jim involved?
You make me sick.
Does Mitt Romney pay you to be on here?
Yup, I was a Newt guy but he lost me on illegal immigration, now I don’t have anyone to vote for, AGAIN.
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