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| Obama: Troop move to Mexican border under consideration |
| 2009-03-12 |
| WASHINGTON — President Obama weighed in Wednesday on the escalating drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying that he was looking at possibly deploying National Guard troops to contain the violence but ruled out any immediate military move. "We're going to examine whether and if National Guard deployments would make sense and under what circumstances they would make sense," Obama said during an interview with journalists for regional papers, including a McClatchy reporter. "I don't have a particular tipping point in mind," he said. "I think it's unacceptable if you've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S. citizens." Already this year there have been 1,000 people killed in Mexico along the border, following 2008's death toll of 5,800, according to federal officials who credit Mexican President Felipe Calderon for a crackdown on drug cartels. But the spillover on the border -- for example, to El Paso from neighboring Ciudad Juarez -- has created a political reaction. In a recent visit to El Paso, Texas Gov. Rick Perry called for 1,000 troops to protect the border. Obama was cautious, however. "We've got a very big border with Mexico," he said. "I'm not interested in militarizing the border." The president praised Calderon, "who I believe is really working hard and taking some extraordinary risks under extraordinary pressure to deal with the drug cartels and the corresponding violence that's erupted along the borders." Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., chair of a key subcommittee on border security, will hold a hearing Thursday on Mexican border violence. "Last week Mexico sent an additional 3,200 soldiers to the border," Sanchez said in a prepared opening statement for the hearing, "increasing the total number of Mexican soldiers combating drug cartels to more than 45,000." Sanchez chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security's subcommittee on border, maritime and global counterterrorism. "It should be noted that over 200 U.S. citizens have been killed in this drug war, either because they were involved in the cartels or were innocent bystanders," she said. "With those concerns in mind, it is essential that the Department of Homeland Security, along with other relevant departments, continue to pursue a contingency plan to address 'spillover' violence along our border." At a hearing this week, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, who visited Mexico last month as part of a congressional delegation tour, praised the so-called Merida Initiative -- a drug cartel fighting agreement between the U.S. and Mexico that provides Mexico with $1.4 billion to control drug trafficking. "From helicopters and surveillance planes to non-intrusive inspection equipment, the U.S. investment is intended to provide the hardware necessary for the Mexican government to extend its authority to those remote and hard-to-access parts of the country ravaged by the drug trade," said Granger. That agreement between Calderon and President George W. Bush will be updated, Obama said. "We expect to have a comprehensive approach to dealing with these issues of border security that will involve supporting Calderon and his efforts in a partnership, also making sure we are dealing with the flow of drug money and guns south, because it's really a two-way situation there," said Obama. "The drugs are coming north, we're sending funds and guns south," he said. "As a consequence, these cartels have gained extraordinary power. Our expectation is to have a comprehensive policy in place in the next few months." |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #11 "I think it's unacceptable if you've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S. citizens" Apparently it's ok for thousands of illegal immigrants to come in and kill US citizens, though. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2009-03-12 18:54 |
| #10 Build the wall. |
| Posted by: Last Breath Farm Resident 2009-03-12 16:35 |
| #9 mojo, it is too early in the day to trigger an arclight round of drinks. sheesh |
| Posted by: lotp 2009-03-12 15:51 |
| #8 You might also consider a couple of ARCLIGHT strikes. Ciudad Juarez, for one. |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-03-12 13:35 |
| #7 And let's not forget that the tenth anniversary of Columbine is coming up. Look for an escalating media campaign for gun control in the run up to that date. To paraphrase Rahm Emmanuel "We can't let an emotional anniversary go to waste" |
| Posted by: charger 2009-03-12 13:16 |
| #6 He won't use troops under State control. He'll bring in the Regular Army or Federalize the National Guard with NORTHCOM C2 (command & control). A state of emergency will be declared first, along with martial law, evacuation of residents along border areas, suspension of 2nd Amendment, etc. USNORTHCOMÂ’s AOR includes air, land and sea approaches and encompasses the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles. It also includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. The defense of Hawaii and our territories and possessions in the Pacific is the responsibility of U.S. Pacific Command. The defense of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is the responsibility of U.S. Southern Command. The commander of USNORTHCOM is responsible for theater security cooperation with Canada and Mexico. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-03-12 12:35 |
| #5 Yep. Certainly no real interest in the movement North. Justice Dept. Investigates Arizona Sheriff for Enforcing Immigration Law Thursday, March 12, 2009 By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona following requests by congressional Democrats and allegations by liberal activists that the department has violated the civil rights of illegal aliens. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), and Robert Scott (D-Va.) requested the investigation, and activists groups such as National Day Laborer Organizer Network and ACORN launched petition drives and rallies in support of the probe. The investigation focuses on Sheriff Joe Arpaio and dozens of officers under his command who were trained through the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Agreements of Cooperation in Communities to Enhance Safety and Security (ACCESS), which partners federal and local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws. (The Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement division is known popularly as ICE.) In a letter dated March 10, 2009, Loretta Smith, acting assistant attorney general at the DOJ, detailed what her department would be investigating: "This is to inform you that the United States Department of Justice is commencing an investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (''MCSO'') pursuant to the pattern or practice provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,42 U.S.C. §14141 ("Section 14141") and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968,42 U.S.C. § 3789d ("Safe Streets Act"), and pursuant to the prohibitions against national origin discrimination in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-7 ("Title Yr') and the Safe Streets Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3789d(c)." The letter continues: "The investigation will focus on alleged patterns or practices of discriminatory police practices and unconstitutional searches and seizures conducted by the MCSO, and on allegations of national origin discrimination, including failure to provide meaningful access to MCSO services for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals." "In conducting the investigation, we will seek to determine whether there are violations of the above laws by the MCSO," the letter says. Sheriff Arpaio's efforts to enforce immigration laws have been the focus of previous criticism, but Arpaio has defended his department and the results his ICE-trained officers have netted. Concerning the DOJ’s investigation, Arpaio told CNSNews.com: “I will not back down. What I am doing is upholding the laws of the state of Arizona, and I will not be persuaded to turn my back on my oath of office as sheriff of this county.” In an August 2008 press release, Arpaio's office detailed those results. "While the Sheriff’s illegal immigration and human smuggling operations conducted on the streets and roadways here have netted nearly 2,300 arrests, another very successful effort to locate illegal aliens has been quietly happening inside Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jails," the release said. It continues: "Despite the growing criticism of the Sheriff’s illegal immigration fight by some valley politicians and activists, Sheriff Arpaio says 60 detention officers trained by ICE officials have conducted over 106,000 interviews and investigations of inmates booked into jail since April of 2007. "In those 18 months, 16,000 inmates were determined to be illegal aliens. Either they have already been deported or will be deported after being tried and/or serving their sentences for crimes committed in the valley. The work being done be Arpaio’s detention staff is a likely contributor to the recent reduction in crime in the valley,” the press release added. "That number of 16,000 represents a full one-third (1/3) of all inmates in the United States who have had holds placed on them after being identified by jail or prison officials as illegal aliens." The press release goes on to say that 20 percent of inmates in the Maricopa County Jail are illegal aliens and that of those, 2,000 illegal aliens - 70 percent - were arrested for felony crimes. Those felony crimes committed included the following: forgery, 12 percent; kidnapping, 10 percent; aggravated assault, 7 percent; driving under the influence, 7 percent; drug charges, 27 percent; robbery, 3 percent; murder, 3 percent; and theft, 4 percent. The Democratic Congress members have also asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to launch an investigation into the training provided by ICE. |
| Posted by: Omoter Speaking for Boskone7794 2009-03-12 12:33 |
| #4 Then when the bad guys come north we'll be defenseless because Bambi isn't interested in militarizing. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-03-12 12:22 |
| #3 That's right, Steve. Instead of securing the border they'll want to revoke the Second Amendment. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-03-12 12:21 |
| #2 Note well that last paragraph, about guns flowing south. You know where this is going. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-03-12 11:11 |
| #1 How about spending stim money on a real border, the kind with obstructions and channeling terrain to control movement? /rhetorical question |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-03-12 11:04 |