Army calls for arming National Guard troops along Canadian, Mexican borders

Associated Press ^ | 3-26-02 | WILSON RING

[Oldeconomybuyer]

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) --

[HiJinx]

"...(not)...needed in California, Arizona and New Mexico..."

We've had a coupla gunfights here in Arizona, admittedly on their side of the border.
I'm here to tell ya, if my a$$ were on the line, I'd be armed.

[concerned about politics]

Arm the poor people for crying out loud. One good rush of terrorists, and the soldier is toast.
If the politicians were the ones sitting out there, they'd be sitting in bullet proof tanks!!!!

[concerned about politics]

PS...remember right after 9/11 they wanted bullet proof shields in front of them in the chambers? Cowards telling soldiers to be brave. Unbelievable !!

[Francohio]

To send an American out, unarmed, in an American uniform, is a disgrace and a crime. Why not just paint a bulls eye on his behind and get it over with. May the people responsible for this travesty burn in some screwy Hell. But please Jesus, not until after I get a crack at them.

[joeyman]

No armed soldiers are needed in California, Arizona and New Mexico. In Texas three ports of entry should have a total of six armed soldiers.

If the writer of this memo believes those are the facts he is dillusional and needs serious help. Here is the pertainent part of a post from late last year strongly suggesting only a fool would go unarmed on our southern boarder:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [San Diego, CA]-Shortly after noon on October 24, 2000, two U.S. Border Patrol agents patrolling the international border between the United States and Mexico were shot at by ten men dressed in military-style uniforms with tactical vests and carrying high-powered military rifles with bayonets.

The incident occurred in Copper Canyon, about eight miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

Almost immediately after the agents disembarked from a clearly marked Border Patrol helicopter, the soldiers fired approximately eight shots at them from Mexico. The agents took cover in thick brush and identified themselves in Spanish as Border Patrol agents, but were nonetheless pursued by some of the soldiers, who entered the United States by crossing a well-maintained barbed-wire fence.

The other Mexican soldiers set up two sniper positions, one in Mexico and the other in the United States. The soldiers searched the area, pointing their weapons in the direction of the Border Patrol agents and ordering them in Spanish to come out of the brush. The agents did not comply, but instead identified themselves again and told the soldiers to return to Mexico.

Once other Border Patrol agents neared the scene, the soldiers retreated to Mexico and drove off in a minivan.

This is the second confirmed incident this year in which Border Patrol agents have been shot at by the Mexican military. The other occurred on March 14 in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. As in the previous incident, disaster in this case was averted only through the exemplary professionalism, courage and restraint of the involved Border Patrol agents.

Local 1613 of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents over 2,100 Border Patrol employees in the San Diego area, is seeking immediate action by the governments of both nations to ensure that incursions and acts of aggression by the Mexican military cease and desist before a tragedy occurs.

For further information, contact L. Keith Weeks, Local 1613 Vice-President, at (909) 600-2566. The freerepublic link is http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39fab4e86461.htm

[flamefront]

Meanwhile back at the crazy INS --

And while the nation concentrates on tighter borders and stronger enforcement, in recent weeks INS has ordered agents to turn in their weapons. The number of M-16s in the field is being dramatically reduced and agents have been told they can no longer have fully automatic sidearms.

Agents say the decision to disarm unilaterally puts them at a disadvantage against heavily armed adversaries. They blame some lawmakers in Washington who they say think M-16s and automatic pistols look mean.

[flamefront]

And from above

Under current rules, the troops are protected by the armed agents of U.S. Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service they are assisting.

Which combined with the previous would disarm both the troops and the INS. What a kettle of fish that would be.

[watcher1]

What good is a Soldier without his rifle?

[Righty1]

Let me get this straight, guards need M-16's to watch old ladies strip searched at domestic air terminals but, are unarmed at the borders? This isn't scarecrow security it is Potemkin national security policy!

[Recon by Fire]

It doesn't do any good to give them an M16A2 rifles but forget to issue them ammunition.

[4Freedom]

That has to be great for our military's morale.

[silver fox two]

What a dummy I am. I learned something today,though.... Never would've guessed the Troops at the borders don't carry weapons. Where've I been all these years!?

[watcher1]

fully automatic sidearms.

Huh?

[Righty1]

I guess that you may have believed that the gov took the constitution seriously? I think that part of this is the army keeping the guard in their place. This has elements of the SA vs the wehrmacht.

[Barnacle]

What good is an unarmed soldier?

It looks like we've achieved our goal of being a kinder, stupider nation.

[badfreeper]

"Under current rules, the troops are protected by the armed agents of U.S. Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service they are assisting."

Sound policy. Some might view putting armed soldiers on borders as an act of aggression. If the custom officers CAN be armed, why not hire more customs workers? I wonder, how much cheaper is it to staff border stations with National Guard vs. Customs Officers? Isn't the NG situation supposed to be temporary until more customs officers can be hired and trained?

[max61]

Let me get this straight, guards need M-16's to watch old ladies strip searched at domestic air terminals but, are unarmed at the borders? This isn't scarecrow security it is Potemkin national security policy!

Typical governmental incompentence, aka, the norm.

The federal government is the problem, it is not the solution.

---max