Hasta la Vista, Ziglar: Some accountability, however belated.

National Review Online ^ | August 20, 2002 | Mark Krikorian

[xsysmgr]

James Ziglar, commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, announced his "retirement" Friday after barely one year in office. This comes just a month after the "retirement" of Mary Ryan, the State Department official in charge of issuing visas. Thus, two people with key border-control responsibilities have finally been held accountable for what happened on Sept. 11.

Better late than never, one might say — but it's a bad sign that neither was removed in the immediate aftermath of September 11. They left only after highly publicized scandals provoked an outcry: Ryan was ousted after NR exposed the visa mill in Saudi Arabia, known as Visa Express, which used travel agents to help decide which Wahhabi fanatics got permission to travel to the U.S.; and Ziglar was shown the door only after a series of screwups ludicrous even by INS standards — most notably, the visa notifications mailed to two terrorists six months after the attacks.

There's also no guarantee that Ziglar's replacement will be any better. After all, the State Department has nominated a clone to succeed Mary Ryan, and an important member of Ziglar's team remains dangerously in place: INS policy director Stuart Anderson, a libertarian ideologue who has crusaded tirelessly for years, in and out of government, for open borders.

What neither Ziglar nor Ryan appreciated — and what even the White House doesn't seem to have fully taken to heart — is that in this war the "home front" is a literal description, not a figure of speech intended to motivate the citizenry to recycle their old tires, as it was during World War II. In fact, the home front is the primary front, since the enemy is not trying to defeat our armies in the field but rather to kill our children in their beds. Thus immigration control is of paramount importance; defeating and discrediting radical Islam is the ultimate objective, but our first goal has to be to keep the enemy from crossing our borders and ferreting out those who have already made it in.

And there's plenty of work to do in this regard; the Center for Immigration Studies released a report this summer detailing the immigration histories of the 48 al Qaeda operatives known to have been in the U.S. over the past decade. The report found that every aspect of the immigration system had been penetrated by the enemy — many were visa overstayers, others snuck across the border, others were legal residents, or asylum applicants, or even naturalized citizens.

In this context, Ziglar's mantra — that the attacks were "caused by evil, not immigration" — was especially bizarre. While it was, and remains, necessary to point out that only a small fraction of the foreign-born harbor hatred of America, such an observation should have been a parenthetical statement in a broader call for tighter borders. Instead, it was the headline for Ziglar's response to 9/11.

In a sense, he was the perfect pre-Sept. 11 INS commissioner — a former corporate executive and self-described libertarian who saw his job as no more than handing out green cards with as little fuss as possible. That changed last fall and he suddenly became the wrong man for the job.

An indication of Ziglar's out-of-step views on immigration is the deep disappointment at the news of his departure from advocates for mass immigration. Jeanne Butterfield, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (and, before that, of the Marxist Palestine Solidarity Committee), said "I think he has been a very calm voice of reason reminding us not to equate immigrants with terror." And Angela Kelley, assistant director of the open-borders National Immigration Forum, was effusive: She said the loss of his "visionary, strong leadership," which had been "pushing back when certain others wanted to put unreasonable and uncalled-for pressure on immigrant communities across the country in the name of counterterrorism," was "a huge blow."

Reason enough for him to leave.

— Mark Krikorian is executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies and an NRO contributor.

[Marine Inspector]

An indication of Ziglar's out-of-step views on immigration is the deep disappointment at the news of his departure from advocates for mass immigration.

I'm sure GWB is disappointed also. It's probably hard to find an open borders liberal with management skills.

[junta]

bttt

[Travis McGee]

Didn't Zigler describe himself as "an open-borders libertarian" before getting the job?

[Dialup Llama]

Because some people were not interesting in enforcing the immigration laws or protecting our borders, 3,000 people died and a third of Manhattan was destroyed. Terrorists and illegal immigrants use the same channels and methods. To give an opening to illegals, allows terrorists to gain a foothold.

The fact that our borders are not secure 11 months after 9-11 is a criminal act of negligence. 9-11 could be blamed on Clinton. The next attack will be blamed on the current office holders.

[dennisw]

For years Mark Krikorian has been a great commentator on immigration. He get a lot more TV face time these days.

[WRhine]

There's also no guarantee that Ziglar's replacement will be any better. After all, the State Department has nominated a clone to succeed Mary Ryan, and an important member of Ziglar's team remains dangerously in place: INS policy director Stuart Anderson, a libertarian ideologue who has crusaded tirelessly for years, in and out of government, for open borders.

This is what I am afraid of--that Bush will replace one open borders libertarian with another. So when will Stuart Anderson get the ax or is he next in line for the top job at the INS? It’s absolutely staggering, especially in the post 9/11 world, that there are any open borders ideologues at the INS at all. This is a GROSS Conflict of Interest and akin to hiring a known bank robber to run a Bank's security. And the nomination of a "clone" of Mary Ryan at the State Dept. does not give me much confidence that Bush will appoint a top notch candidate to the INS that is committed to enforcing our nations immigration laws and whipping the INS into shape.

[88keys]

The next attack will be blamed on the current office holders...

That's true...can't say as I agree with blaming Ziglar's INS stewardship for 9/11, though, as Krikorian does:

"two people with key border-control responsibilities have finally been held accountable for what happened on Sept. 11."

Doesn't seem quite fair, which is not to say Ziglar shouldn't leave anyway, but I hate to see W's appointee taking a needless "hit"!!

[WRhine]

The fact that our borders are not secure 11 months after 9-11 is a criminal act of negligence. 9-11 could be blamed on Clinton. The next attack will be blamed on the current office holders.

Yep, Bush has had almost a year to reform the INS and instead has chosen to purposefully keep the INS in the hands of open borders advocates. Next time around he won't get a pass.

[4Freedom]

Ziglar was, "pushing back when certain others wanted to put unreasonable and uncalled-for pressure on immigrant communities across the country in the name of counter terrorism..."

There you have it. If not now, then after the next attack, Mary Ryan and James Ziglar should be tried for malfeasance in office and Bush should be a co-defendant.

[Sabertooth]

What neither Ziglar nor Ryan appreciated — and what even the White House doesn't seem to have fully taken to heart — is that in this war the "home front" is a literal description, not a figure of speech intended to motivate the citizenry to recycle their old tires, as it was during World War II. In fact, the home front is the primary front, since the enemy is not trying to defeat our armies in the field but rather to kill our children in their beds. Thus immigration control is of paramount importance; defeating and discrediting radical Islam is the ultimate objective, but our first goal has to be to keep the enemy from crossing our borders and ferreting out those who have already made it in.

This is a golden moment for President Bush to silence many his critics and nominate a new INS Commissioner whose views on immigration, Illegal Aliens, and border security more accurately reflect that of the American People. There is no weeping in the Heartland now that the Ziglar the Buffoon is making his belated exit.

The next INS Commissioner needs to understand the best of what immigration brings to America, placing a high value on citizenship, assimilation to our culture, and a love of the English language. At the same time, the new Commissioner's patriotism must place America's security and sovereignty ahead of the trendy ideological and economic infatuations of the Washington Beltway.

There are Middle Eastern terror cels in our country. There are hundreds of thousands of Arab Moslem non-citizens amongst whom they hide. There are eight to thirteen million Illegal Aliens whose presence provides a black market infrastructrue for border crossing, infiltration into the American interior, and forged documents and identification. Millions are draining resources and taxpayer money in unearned subsidies from all levels of government. They fill our schools, our emergency wards, and our prisons. They cost our country billions even as the degrade our neighborhoods.

They engender an atmosphere of lawlessness. Many vote illegally, the worst trampling of our precious citizenship.

Current INS Commissioner James Ziglar, boyhood chum of Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), cared not a whit for any of this. His malfeasance in office reflected poorly on President Bush and the Republican Party. The best thing he will ever do in his career is... leave.

But who now? Who can turn the INS around and make it function in the capacities that it was intended?

Michelle Malkin, the daughter of legal Philippino immigrants, has been tireless in writing of the problems highlighted above. She has documented the failings of the INS from terrorism to Illegal Aliens, knows who the entrenched, open-border bureaucrats are, and would hit the ground running as President Bush's next INS Commissioner.

Articulate and telegenic, Mrs. Malkin would be a refreshing new face in the Bush Administration and the Republican Party, on the same path blazed by National Security Advisor Condileeza Rice.

Information on INVASION here

[EBUCK]

Stuart Anderson, a libertarian ideologue who has crusaded tirelessly for years, in and out of government, for open borders.

The highest position attained by an LPer and it is to a post that Libertarian policy is at its lowest.

GO MICHELLE!!!!!

EBUCK

[WRhine]

Well Done Sabertooth. Excellent post.

[B4Ranch]

If Bush appoints a closed border nut, like you or I, then he's afraid he'll lose the next election , like his daddy did.

So, he'll suck up to the Daschle Group thinking the wetbacks will vote him into another term.

[ohioWfan]

You have a way with words, Sabertooth.

Do the right thing W.

[B4Ranch]

Mrs. Malkin: I read a comment a few days ago she doesn't have management skills. I don't care if she doesn't have the management skills to run a taco stand. With her attitude towards illegals, she will do more for America than the entire elected leadership in all three houses.

[AnnaZ]

My goodness she's gorgeous!

 

What are her credentials, besides the book, and who should we call?

[Lion's Cub]

I've had very little time to be on FR this summer- I think I've only been here 3 or 4 times since the summer began- so correct me if I'm wrong. But didn't Bush just transfer him into Homeland Security? That's what I heard...

[Sabertooth]

What are her credentials, besides the book, and who should we call?

No government credentials at all, which would be perfect.

We need an INS Commissioner who doesn't know the meaning of "it can't be done." And frankly, the INS and BP rank-and-file that have been trial-ballooned on this couldn't care less what her background is, if she's got the right vision. In their words, "it couldn't get worse."

I got an e-mail from Michelle on Saturday, and she's floored by the idea.

We need to call and e-mail anyone we can, let's get her name on the radar, as only good things can happen as a result. It raises the profile of this issue, Michelle Malkin, and her upcoming book, which couldn't come at a more timely moment.

I've linked a thread on her book at the post above, and there are more links there to a few related threads.

[Mo1]

Can't disagree with what you said ..

I admit I don't know a whole lot about Michelle Malkin .. but from what I've been able to read .. she may be the right person

Now .. please don't take this the wrong way and I'm not attacking her .. BUT .. does she have anything in her background because you know the RATS will come out swinging on this big time and cause one heck of an uproar ..

We need to be prepared with whatever the Rats do ..