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Special Report
Walking Too Softly
More official cluelessness along our southwestern border.
These days, when it comes to the U.S.-Mexico border, the only thing more alarming than the myriad security threats crossing over into the United States is our leadership’s apparent cluelessness as to how serious a problem we face and what to do about it.
By way of example, the State Department recently put on a display of characteristic naïveté when it offered a new component to U.S.-Mexico counternarcotics cooperation efforts, known collectively as the Merida Initiative. Congressional Quarterly described the remarks by the State Department at a Woodrow Wilson Center forum this way:
The new facet of the [Merida] program seeks to create more “resilient communities” in northern Mexico and would consist of after-school projects, daycare services, and crime prevention workshops and other services, such as developing telephone hotlines for emergencies and tips…
At that same forum, a U.S. Agency for International Development official added:
“Community programming seeks to address the social and economic needs of communities in Mexico under threat by criminal organizations…. Together, these efforts address the impunity that feeds the spiral of criminality and violence, and helps the Mexican state address citizen needs to break this cycle.”
It is at minimum ironic that USAID would acknowledge the “impunity that feeds the spiral of criminality and violence” while offering “community programming” as a solution. The impunity with which drug cartels, human smugglers, and terrorist networks are now operating at the border cannot seriously be ascribed to a lack of daycare centers in Mexico — it is our own lack of resolve to treat this security threat as such that is enabling those elements to run rampant. And things only seem to be getting worse.
Consider some less-than-encouraging indicators:
Escalation. In March, the National Border Patrol Council, the U.S. Border Patrol union representing 17,500 non-supervisory Border Patrol agents, hotly disputed Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano’s assessment that the border was “safer than ever” and “open for business.” The Council’s statement read in part:
It is time for the political games to stop for fear of insulting the government of Mexico.… U.S. citizens are being kidnapped and killed while our Border Patrol agents fight a war at home that no one will allow them to win.… Mexico is hemorrhaging violence, and we are being hit with the splatter.
This was against the backdrop of thirteen illegal aliens being apprehended a few days earlier in southern California, wearing U.S. Marine uniforms and traveling in a van with U.S. government plates. Although they were ultimately caught thanks to an alert Border Patrol agent who happened to be a former Marine, the fact that these smugglers had access to U.S. Marine uniforms and U.S. government plates speaks to the sophistication and elaborateness of these operations and should be cause for concern.
Around that same time, counterterrorism analyst Patrick Poole broke the news at Pajamas Media that Ahmed Muhammed Dhakane, an applicant for asylum in the U.S. facing federal prosecution for lying to the FBI about his terrorism ties at the time of his application, had later admitted to running a smuggling ring from Brazil to transport Al-Shabaab Somali terrorists into the United States to wage jihad. As Poole and others have pointed out, this is just the latest revelation about the extent to which terrorist operatives have entered the United States — including several who have crossed the southwest border acting on behalf of groups such as Al Shabaab, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
The increasing sophistication of smugglers combined with the terrorist ties of those being smuggled in should lend greater national security urgency to the state of affairs in the southwest border area. And yet the aforementioned National Border Patrol Council’s excoriation of Napolitano came before the recent discovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Brownsville, Texas. Though the device turned out to be inactive, the Hidalgo County Emergency Management Coordinator did not take it lightly, given that such devices are the calling-card of the ruthless Zetas cartel:
“I think of a device that’s intentionally manufactured to do harm to people such as we’ve seen in Mexico, Iran and Afghanistan…. We are all concerned about the implication of those kinds of devices given the violence we are seeing south of us.”
Incidents such as these put a fine point on the startling assertion by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) earlier this year that Border Patrol has operational control of only 44% of the southern border.
Ineptness and Interference. While the dangers at the border are clearly escalating, the bureaucratic and policy apparatuses responsible for securing the area and keeping criminal and terrorist elements from using it to cross over are falling short.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (41) | Leave a comment
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btims| 5.5.11 @ 6:21AM
It's all about moving literally half of Mexico (and Central America) to the United States. It's about the political class in Wash DC, replacing native born white and black Americans, with 3rd worlders, who are more dependent on government and government social programs, thus ensuring the politicians continuing careers and plenty of ethnic lobby money.
Furthermore, LEGAL immigration is a big problem too. Remember, Mexico is number one in legal and illegal immigration into the USA. When is enough, enough, for Mexico?
But alas, it's probably too late. The whores of both parties believe the same thing: immigration is good and more immigration is even better! Learn Spanish and get a Mooooslim prayer rug, you redneck Americans, cuz you're gonna need both. Their goal to replace the historic American people with more "compliant", more "grateful" foreigners is almost complete.
daddio| 5.5.11 @ 11:50AM
+1
Curtis Rasmussen| 5.5.11 @ 5:35PM
I wondered why Great Britain allowed hordes of third world immigrants to flood their country with different cultural values and a refusal to assimilate. With the parallels here, now it makes perfect sense.
Dems will destroy this country to keep themselves in office in perpetuity.
l5j6| 5.5.11 @ 7:39PM
Believe it or not, just a few months ago, it came out in England, through old documents, that their Labor Party (equivalent of our Dems, only even more socialist), purposefuly encouraged and allowed mass, 3rd world immigration into England, as a way to destroy traditional English culture.
John Daniel| 5.5.11 @ 7:32AM
It's a war on our border and getting worse. Maybe the best indicator of our national madness is the federal government suing Arizona for attempting to enforce the law. A pox on the entire political establishment in D.C.
bobu| 5.5.11 @ 7:35AM
This is most emphatically not "bureaucratic inertia". This is criminal, suicidal malfeasance in office by most members of the "obama administration".
Tim the Enchanter| 5.5.11 @ 1:31PM
The problem is stated thus- the southern border of the United States is not being defended because those who have the power to enforce their will do not WANT it defended.
Richard Baker| 5.5.11 @ 7:41AM
Hopefully, the members of the Administration responsible for this idiocy don't have access to sharp objects.
GENE HAUBER| 5.5.11 @ 7:54PM
TO BOBU, MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY DUDE.
GENE HAUBER| 5.5.11 @ 7:56PM
I HOPE THEY DO HAVE SHARP OBJECTS.......ONE TO BE JAMMED INTO EVERY EYEBALL AND BODY ORIFICE
Occam's Tool| 5.6.11 @ 1:53AM
Dear Gene: you scream very well. Obama is another Neville Chamberlain.
Bulgaricus1| 5.5.11 @ 7:51AM
The constant bleeding of illegal aliens, including drug smugglers, terrorists and criminals simply will not stop until they blow up hundreds of Americans in some mall or something. The idiots in charge in DC are actively working against America & for Mexico as well as the terrorists. We need to fire 'em all & start all over as well as build a Berlin Wall type of fence from CA to TX period! American citizens deserve secure borders!
Intelligent Design| 5.5.11 @ 7:53AM
I met a guy yesterday who thinks illegal immigrants are not a problem ... their numbers are "exaggerated". He said he has been to the Mexican border, and "it is secure". He does not think illegals are a drain on our health care, education, and criminal justice systems. This guy is a Democrat of course, with his head up his ass.
wolflen| 5.5.11 @ 1:22PM
...so you met the president...
Tim the Enchanter| 5.5.11 @ 1:32PM
...but you repeat yourself.
Occam's Tool| 5.6.11 @ 1:48AM
Dear ID:
The New Zealanders have a point system---so much for age, educational attainmments, money, etc...we need to adopt something similar, then Wall off our Southern Border and shoot to kill. I don't believe we suffer from admitting legitimate, patriotic, well educated immigrants, but we definitely suffer from allowing Mexican criminals in. 1/2 of all babies born in cash strapped Los Angeles County are born to illegals (source---LA Dept of Public Health webpage---the government's OWN webpage), obviously at taxpayer expense. We do not owe Mexico a thing!
Redstateboy| 5.5.11 @ 8:48AM
"unable to obtain a permit or permission to access certain areas in a timely manner because of the time it takes for land managers to conduct required environmental and historic property assessments."
If ONLY a Conservative candidate would launch ads of the now garbarge strewn SW Desert - I would outrage people. We've allowed our own society to be so corrupted by this PC BS.. that we don't even have the courage to show pictures of the Truth and Hussein won't release pictures of a dead Bin Laden for fear of exciting passions!?!
Flatulus Ancien| 5.5.11 @ 9:06AM
Even before the elder Bush's reign, the porous border was a problem. Illegal aliens were then coming North to the U.S. in large numbers. Bush said that they were necessary to the economy of this country, because they would do work that Americans would not do. As amnesty was given, and the Border Patrol's hands were tied by Administrative fiat, the numbers of illegals entering from Mexico soared. With increased illegal entry, the Border Patrol became even more ineffective. Just not enough men to patrol such a large area.
Through Bush I, The Clinton era, Bush II, and now the present "Administration", we have seen not only Mexicans, but OTM (Other Than Mexican) insurgence grow exponentially.
We read of the Border Patrol being told to not arrest these insurgence, but to gently turn them back. We are told that catch and release is working, as though we must believe that those released will show up for court, or will not stay in the U.S.
Now we find that the Patrol cannot access parts of the border without proper Federal permit? How stupid are we?
We have a president that sues a state because that state wants to enforce the Federal laws on immigration? How stupid are we?
I, for one, am not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I do see just a glimmer of what is going on here. Our elected officials in the Federal Government have absolutely NO intention of stopping illegal immigration. Bush for aid to his cronies in the giant agricultural industry through cheap labor, and the Democrats for cheap votes for their side, and BOTH with the aim of turning America into a "third world" country with the title of The North American Union.
Bush I spoke repeatedly of the "thousand points of light" stolen from Jean-Jacques Rousseau who saw as that thousand points of light the vision of one world government.
It's coming......
Ken (Old Texican)| 5.5.11 @ 9:38AM
Read the headlines right here:
www.ammericaalonesaidno.com
This situation is going to bite us in the butt sooner than later.
Ken (Old Texican)| 5.5.11 @ 9:39AM
Sorry about the typo:
www.americaalonesaidno.com
Bill Diebold| 5.5.11 @ 10:28AM
Until the DC ruling class of pol hacks are deposed, these illegals will be shown the way in with open arms. These illegals are nothing more than undocumented voters for whatever criminal enterprise is currently holding the flag, whether it be a bush, a clinton, another bush or the current cabal of thugs squatting in the peoples White House.
I live in Mesa AZ and get to see this flood of gangbangers coming in by the thousands killing and stealing with virtual impunity.
Napolitano is either a freeking liar or too far around the bend to be out in public without meds or restaints. It's a crime that she wasn't the one gunned down instead of some law enforcement officer doing his job .
Oldefarte| 5.5.11 @ 11:09AM
Ben's excellent thoughts reflect the fact that his country is now under siege and has been effectively captured. Government employees are being forced to restrain their activities, professionalism, knowledge, expertise, etc all due to their being under the dictations of their enemy-bosses who run their departments/programs etc. This is indeed a sad sad situation for our country, but as I have stated numerous times, we have no one but ourselves to blame for this. We allowed the current administration to assume control of our country on 11/2/08, and it is now our fault that this situation occurs. Anyone/everyone issuing their fingers of blame over this and other occurrances currently only have to look in a mirror for the reason that it is now happening. If anyone wants a solution to this situation, the answer is simple: GO TO YOUR VOTING POLLS ON NOVEMBER 4, 2012 AND REMOVE THEM FROM POLITICAL OFFICE BY YOUR VOTE!!!!!!!!!
ABNCP| 5.5.11 @ 11:29AM
Let me say up front I am from Arizona and have skin in this game. So...Rancher Bob Krantz was killed on his ranch which his family had owned for almost 100 years, by a drug cartel. The people who live in Southern Arizona, even 80 miles north of the Mexican border, have for years been terrorized and have pleaded for help to stop the daily invasion of human and drug smugglers who cross their property. These people have testified that 300 to 1,200 people a DAY come across their property. These illegals vandalize, steal vehicles, cut down fences and leave huge amounts of trash.
One rancher has testified that he has found 17 dead bodies and two Korans on this property in the last year.
Another rancher testified that, daily drugs are brought across his ranch in a military operation. A point man with an machine gun goes in front, about 1/2 mile back are the guards fully armed, 1/2 mile back are the mules and 1/2 mile back are the rear guards.
Daily these people listen to gun fire during the night many of them are afraid to leave their familys alone, they feel any time they have to leave their property it will be vandlized when they return. For God's sake folks, this is happening in our country, America. WTF IS GOING ON!!
The Border Patrol is not in many of the areas they should be in. The EPA restricts their use of tracked or wheeled vehicles in some areas of Southern Arizona. The only access the Border Patrol has on the ground in these areas is by horseback. Of course they can apply for a special access permit and in about two weeks they may get one. By then the bad guys have probably made six trips back and forth and are drinking a beer in Mexico. Thanks EPA and BTW when are you twits going to pull your head our of your AXX?
Federal prisons have over 35% illegal's and 20%
of Arizona prisons are filled with illegal's. In the past few years 80% of our law enforcement officers killed or wounded have been by an illegal.
Many of the people coming across the border now are other than Mexicans (OTM's). Anyone with the brains God gave and earthworm understands the Coyotes will bring anyone across that has the money to pay them. Yes, we have many many terrorists in our country now because the Federal Government has refused for years to do anything to help the border states.
InterState Highway 8 between Casa Grande and Gila Arizona has signs posted on the south side saying, "do not hike or camp in the area it is dangerous". It is dangerous folks because of human and drug smugglers. Oh BTW, InterState 8 is over 80 miles inside Arizona!!!
Of course Obama and his Homeland Security bozo Janet Incompetano say the border is more secure now than it has ever been. Yeah, right and now we know why. Border Patrol has been ordered not to arrest illegals but pretty much let them go unless they are commiting a crime. Dumb me, I always thought crossing our borders was a crime.
What about the ATF allowing guns to be run across the border. A Federal agent has testified
he was ordered to allow guns into Mexico. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was shot and killed by one of the guns the ATF allowed to be sent into Mexico. Sen. Grassley has investigated this insanity and has requested a response from A.G. Holder. He has received from Holder, Sen Grassleys word, "ZILCH'. Are we suprised? After all this is the most transparent administration in history. How long are we going to put up with this clutch of dangerous progressives??
SpiralArchitect| 5.5.11 @ 1:23PM
Any property owner along the boarder should be armed and dangerous. A sad statement but when the Gov will not do a diddle and promotes how safe and secure the land is...
That is the option I would take. A dangerous one unfortunately.
Occam's Tool| 5.6.11 @ 1:50AM
Excellent comments. By the way, both my kids are adopted (legally and appropriately) from Guatemala. I have NO problem with legitimate, appropriately applied for immigration. But I have a huge one with border runners.
Scandalised from Australia| 5.6.11 @ 6:28AM
ABNCP,
I was sorry to read your comment. You have my sympathy. In Australia we have a Leftist government that is busily bending the rules to allow as many "refugees" in as they can. Most od these "refugees" are fraudsters. Just like in the UK and USA, the Leftist governments have to import voters because too many native voters are turning to the Right. But the details you reveal are horrible. It really looks like the Dems are selling your country to Islamists and any other scum who votes Left. Your country cannot survive if it cannot secure its southern border. No nation can remain a nation if it allows foreigners to enter or leave as they want. I am really sorry to see that the USA is in such trouble. Why dont' you impeach the President? He must be a traitor.
Scandalised from Australia| 5.6.11 @ 9:08PM
When I reread the article and the comment by ABNCP the coin finally dropped. Let me ask some genuine questions, because I don't know the answers and I need to know. Is it true that every US Senator is a millionaire, as I have seen on other blogs? Is it true that drug cartels can finance the election campaign of a Federal politician? Do we have good reasons for suspecting that there is a cash connection between, on one hand, the astonishing strength of the criminals when they flout the border, and, on the other hand, the near comical stupidity of the Washington politicians? I don't know because its not my country and I'm far away but I sure would like to know. Its a matter of public interest if the US political system is addicted to the illegal drug industry. We all deserve to know. How do we find out? How do we stop it if its true?
If the House of Representatives starts to impeach the POTUS (on this issue) then two good things will quickly follow. The Democrats and the White House will have a political incentive to improve the border security before the MSM gets to the scene. The MSM will rush to the scene if a Republican Congressman produces the evidence quoted by ABNCP and the MSM think they can rubbish that evidence. If they cant rubbish the evidence they still have a story, ie that it is true. T Not the story they want but it will inform the public and make it harder for the Dems to say that everything is peaches. So maybe the threat of impeachment is all that is needed for some action by the administration and things on the ground could get better. The other good thing is that we will flush out all those politicians who are not committed to the survival of the USA. Every Federal politician should have strong reasons for wanting the US people to control the border, instead of the drug cartels. Let me spell out those reasons. The Republican party condemns itself to perpetual shrinkage and loss if the Dems are allowed to import voters from Central and South America. Decline and fall of GOP. Every patriotic politician, who wants the USA to survive as a nation, will want the border control to be taken away from the crims for security reasons. The USA cannot survive if hundreds of armed criminals enter and leave the country every day in order to sell drugs, or wage jihad, or commit other crimes. Even if the Washington pollies are not patriotic - even if they are selfish parasites and are only in it for the money - they still have a strong incentive to take back control of the border. The gravy train will dry up soon if the drug cartels are too successful. If the USA turns into a Latin American country, (and that will happen if the border is left as it is) then the perks of Washinton DC will become the perks of a Latin American Republic. The USA will become poorer and poorer and the benefits that a Washington pollie can expect to receive will get poorer and poorer.
So if an impeachment is started and some politicians in Washington DC still act dumb then we have reasons to suspect that either they are being secretly blackmailed or they are being secretly rewarded. The public deserves to see who these politicians are before the next election.
In the long run the people of the USA are not going to control their demographic future or their financial future or even keep their nation if the politicians of Washinton DC are secretly employed by drug lords. I hope I am being too cynical, but reading the article and the comments makes me suspect the worst.
I hope the voters in the USA can take action to ensure the survival of the nation. In case they don't then I would like to say thanks for all the good things the USA has done over many years. If the USA decides to die slowly then I will be sad but I cannot stop you.
cicero| 5.5.11 @ 11:54AM
Oh, great! We are now going to solve the problem by paying for community activities inside of Mexico. Does anyone remember "midnight basketball? Our geniuses in Washington tried the same thing in Detroit after the riots, and the results were less than successful. The problem was that, rather than clean up the drug gangs, the mayor and his buddies were the biggest drug cartel in the State. Now , a city of 2 million people has been reduced to a backwater town of 750 thousand, with a population that boasts a citizenry that is 47% illiterate.
jppl| 5.5.11 @ 12:21PM
Exactly right, 47% of Detroit's citizens are "functionally illiterate". The main problem: lack of a mother AND a father.
But I'd guess if you examined say Los Angeles, you'd find a large percentage of LA "functionally illiterate", at least in English.
Occam's Tool| 5.6.11 @ 1:51AM
jppl: I trained in LA, at Olive View. You are absolutely correct.
John II| 5.5.11 @ 12:45PM
It's still very early in the afternoon, so the trolls aren't up yet, and it's close enough to the end of the week to suppose that they may be detained doing their banking with their checks from the DNC and the gummint.
I shall look forward to reading what Purpie and Twitty and Volare and the rest have to say about this issue. Meanwhile, I still find it symbolically reassuring that Assistant Professor Napolitano is, physically, the very image of what Aristotle in his Ethics calls the "fat-souled man."
Life is indeed sacramental. Look ye all for clues to the substance of things by contemplating the shape of things. Assistant Professor Napolitano is the chubbiest of them all among the luminaries of the Obamanation.
And now back to "Viva Villa" (1934), in which Stu Erwin, in the role of a New York Times reporter, displays early glimmerings of the murderously romantic liberal norteamericano take on our perennially violent neighbors to the south. Wallace Beery is incomparable as the revolutionary bandito himself--apparently refusing to stint on the nascent viciousness of his biopic subject. Boy, those were the good ol' days, when many liberals still had brains as a grudging counterweight to the sentimentality they cannot help piling on their scale of moral measure.
Occam's Tool| 5.6.11 @ 1:52AM
Dear John II: you are always a pleasure, sir.
Purple Lips| 5.5.11 @ 1:20PM
Mexico long ago lost control of its northern states. Narco-terrorists essientially run things there. I seriously doubt if after-school programs and midnight basketball are the answers we are looking for.
wolflen| 5.5.11 @ 1:30PM
well..if midnight basketball is the solution..the problem cant be that bad...so nothing to worry about...and sad but true...many people believe it. as they dont live in a border state...are really could care less what happens ..when we have to get the marines to defend the border will it be taken as a serious "problem"... of course that will be way too late
jppl| 5.5.11 @ 2:50PM
True but the drug smuggling aspect of illegal immigration is just one factor and it's being used as a smoke screen to avoid catching and returning/deporting illegal immgrants. As bad as the drug smuggling/drug war is, illegal amigos, by the tune of about 1000-1500 cross the border each and every day. Most are grade school educated, many will work using stolen or made-up social security numbers, most will evade income tax by working off the books, most will drive without license, registration, insurance, etc.
Why are we afriad to enforce the law?
ONTIME| 5.5.11 @ 3:11PM
Too softly? I fear not, it is the same end run being used by the Feds to not fulfill their obligations to protect America's soverignty and then use every means possible to destroy states rights and quiet any opposition....it's not going to work Mystery Man and We the people are going to toss your administration into the sea.
tatosian| 5.5.11 @ 6:12PM
"Heading South: U.S.-Mexico trade and job displacement after NAFTA"
http://www.epi.org/publication.....ter_nafta1
shipley130| 5.5.11 @ 7:25PM
Sounds like more Welfare so the poor are not so hungry as they watch their neighborhoods sink ever further into a drug haze.
Linda| 5.7.11 @ 6:44PM
I live about 6 miles from the Rio Grande and most people do not have a clue as to what goes on down here! Wake up AMERICA! We have a battle here on our own soil!
Dee See| 5.8.11 @ 10:39PM
"We are using MASSIVE third world
(largely muslim) immigration to destroy
British culture once and for all forever..."
-TONY BLAIR
(Daily Mail interview cited by Alan Watt
see 'Annihilation of Brtiain' on Youtube)
AS Janet Napolitano, just months ago, secretly signed some 80
MILLION Mexicans into 'Trusted Traveller'
(ie Green Card) status -----so goes America?
Retroactive IMPEACHMENT of our past
4 RIIA/CFR, Tavistock Institute set-up
administrations and immediate nullification
of all their illegal 'treaties'.
HUAC meets NUREMBERG 2012 to take on
the Federal Reserve and 'benny violent' tax free.
ULTRA rich, foundations et al.
Comprehensive prosecution for subversion of
our culture (special focus on the Rockefeller/Ford/Carnegie links) conspiracy
against our republic and sovereignty
---and, most of all, crimes against humanity
here and worldwide in the name of EUGENICS
consolidation and control.
Prosecution of the ABSOLUTE highest capital
crimes order.
ANY QUESTIONS?------------------------------------
Random Blowhard| 5.10.11 @ 12:41AM
It will take another Sept 11 before Washington gets serious about sealing the border to a failing state, hopefully it will be Congress that bares the brunt of this inevitable attack.