Obama to send 1,200 to Southern Border

[Jubbie]

AP NewsAlert

I'll believe it when I see it. Plus depends what these troops are allowed to do.

Edit: another site is saying only 1,200 troops.

 

[Colt556]

AP NewsAlert

I'll believe it when I see it. Plus depends what these troops are allowed to do.

Edit: another site is saying only 1,200 troops.

Yeah, to stop all those deadly American Guns from going south and to help his new voting pool come north. I don't trust one single thing that man does!

 

[Mike_Indy]

Obama to deploy up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border

Hmm, will they actually be given authorization to make a difference down there?


FOXNews.com - Obama to Deploy Up to 1,200 National Guard Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border

 

[E5RANGER375]

1200 isnt enough. its for political show.

 

[SSGSAD]

1200 isnt enough. its for political show.

Agreed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SavageEagle]

1200 isnt enough. its for political show.

Exactly. That's not even enough to put one soldier per mile across the Southern Border.

 

[nova512]

im not even gonna say what i want ,,the men in the black suv's will come see me.nothing towards any political leader thou just about the illegals

 

[pudly]

Apparently now Barack Obama agrees that border enforcement and illegal aliens are legitimate issues. Just waiting for his apology to Arizona Gov. Brewer.

Or maybe he just wants them to intercept all of those assault rifles going to Mexico...

 

[Ogre]

This was on behest of AZ gov. and legislator (forget which one). Apperantly they are there to observe, (not engage)... so this would appear to be nothing more than pandering

 

[pudly]

This was on behest of AZ gov. and legislator (forget which one).

Wow... That doesn't jive with what I was just reading. Hard to believe anything when it is pure politics.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's spokesman said the governor hadn't been told of the move prior to her office being contacted by The Associated Press and had no immediate comment.

 

[Manan]

Will be interesting to watch.

 

[T-rav]

If I remember correctly Bammer made a comment that he still thinks there might be discrimination that was one of his reasons for sending troops. We all know its a dog and pony show, they are not allowed to engage I believe.

 

[jbombelli]

This is nothing more than a token showing to appease the millions of angry Americans. They're doing this today so they don't have to do more tomorrow. I doubt the NG will have any authority to actually do anything, and this will amount to nothing.

 

[indykid]

In a worst case scenario they will be able to yell "Halt or I will yell bang!" Doubt obama-messiah will allow them to be armed.

 

[Truckerman79]

Can anyone say "wag the dog"?

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

not good. not good.

didn't the nazi do things like this?

 

[JetGirl]

1200 isnt enough. its for political show.

Oil spill smoke screen much?

 

[mike8170]

Posse Comitatus, unconstitutional since these are soveriegn states, and we are NOT being invaded from our Southern neighbor!

 

[SavageEagle]

Posse Comitatus, unconstitutional since these are soveriegn states, and we are NOT being invaded from our Southern neighbor!

True, but only if using the regular army. IF the states were to utilize the NG, then it would be perfectly legal.

 

[Jubbie]

Observe & report. Helps a little, but it won't even make a dent.

My Way News - Obama's border plan looks similar to Bush's

[FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]By JACQUES BILLEAUD[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]

p {margin:12px 0px 0px 0px;} PHOENIX (AP) - President Barack Obama's plan to send as many as 1,200 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border appears to be a scaled-down version of the border security approach championed by his predecessor.
The 6,000 troops who were sent by President George W. Bush to the border from June 2006 to July 2008 were generally credited within law enforcement circles as having helped improve border security, but restrictions placed on the soldiers were denounced by advocates for tougher enforcement who are now leveling similar objections at Obama's plan.
Some law enforcement officials along the border said they worry that Obama will repeat Bush's mistake by limiting the troops to support roles, such as conducting surveillance and installing lighting, rather than letting them make arrests and confront smugglers. They also believe the scale of the force - one-fifth of the size of the one sent by Bush - is too small to make a difference along the length of the 2,000-mile border.
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever, whose jurisdiction includes about 80 miles of the Arizona-Mexico border, said 1,200 soldiers might make a difference in a smaller portion of the border. "But if you spread it across the border, it's like spitting into the wind," Dever said.
Under the Obama plan, the troops will work on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support, analysis and training, and support efforts to block drug trafficking. They will temporarily supplement border patrol agents until Customs and Border Protection can recruit and train additional officers and agents to serve on the border. Obama also will request $500 million for border protection and law enforcement activities.
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, a Democrat who has prosecuted rings of drug and immigrant smugglers, said the planned deployment was a good first step, but believes that the president's plan should evolve to include more troops and more authority for the soldiers.
"I'll take what we can get," Goddard said. "Again, I don't think this is the final response."
The Mexican government issued a statement saying it hoped the troops would be used to fight drug cartels and not enforce immigration laws. Mexico has traditionally objected to the use of the military to control illegal immigration.
When Bush sent the National Guard to the border, the troops performed support duties that tie up immigration agents, who then had more time to arrest illegal immigrants.
The troops under the Bush deployment didn't perform significant law enforcement duties. They installed vehicle barriers, operated remote cameras, repaired vehicles, worked as radio dispatchers and performed other duties. Troops who manned mobile observation towers had used binoculars to search for and report border breaches.
The effect of the troops was felt by the smugglers and would-be border-crossers during 2006 in Palomas, Mexico, a smuggling hub south of the village of Columbus, N.M., where a buildup of border agents, surveillance cameras, vehicle barriers and troops were credited with reducing smuggling traffic.
Vendors in Palomas reported a significant drop in the number of backpacks they sold to border-crossers for carrying their food, water and clothing in during their walk into the United States. "There are not many people because of the soldiers that were put on the border," vendor Elisco Hernandez Gonzalez told The Associated Press two months after the Guard was sent to the border.
Republican state Sen. Russell Pearce of Arizona, the author of the state's new immigration law, said he fears Obama will repeat Bush's mistake in not giving the troops the power to confront violent smugglers and other armed criminals along the border.
Pearce was disturbed by an incident in 2007 where National Guard troops backed off and called in federal agents as gunmen approached their post near the Arizona-Mexico border.
While supporters of the decision said the Guard members did as they were supposed to, Pearce questioned the point of having troops on the border if they can't confront such dangers. "It was a welcome-wagon role last time," Pearce said. "They weren't allowed to do anything."
T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing 17,000 agents, said he doesn't see the broad outlines of the Obama plan as a solution to border violence.
"People shouldn't be surprised if the violence continues," Bonner said. "They shouldn't expect that the announcement of up to 1,200 National Guard members will send a shock wave of fear in the cartels and that they will start playing nice."
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, a major in the Arizona Army National Guard who served as a commander in Yuma, Ariz., during the 2006 deployment, said Obama's plan is welcome news that will help confront border security weaknesses, but it doesn't go far enough.
Babeu, who wasn't speaking on behalf of the National Guard, said the visible presence of armed soldiers is an effective deterrent for illegal immigration. "They're not given law enforcement authority, but the fact that they're there, keeping watch, 24/7, has proven to be the most effective solution for border security," Babeu said.

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