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2005-06-17 Home Front: WoT

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Posted by Pappy 2005-06-17 00:45|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 It strikes me that this is the kind of thing custom-made for UAV surveillance.

Posted by Zhang Fei">Zhang Fei 2005-06-17 01:22|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-06-17 01:22|| Front Page Top

#2 Elements within the USAf reportedly are calling for the dev of AIRBORNE AIRCRAFT CARRIER [mostly UAV] plus large dedicated UAV payloads for convertible or near-term aircraft types.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2005-06-17 02:18|| 2005-06-17 02:18|| Front Page Top

#3
"Surprise, boys," grinned Border Patrol pilot Randy Herberholtz, circling the group of undocumented immigrants from 800 feet above the rocky canyon, about five miles north of the U.S.-Mexican border.

And circling them does, what, exactly? Why not do something useful -- drop a load of dye-filled balloons on them.

Or, if that's considered too cruel, just use cluster bombs. They're invaders, after all.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2005-06-17 07:44|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2005-06-17 07:44|| Front Page Top

#4 Check out Dale Brown's last few"Dreamland"novels,RC.Way ahead of you.There area lot of people that do not like Clancy and Brown for not being realistic enough,but they always seem to be ahead of the curve in talking about new,developing tech.

Posted by raptor 2005-06-17 09:27|| 2005-06-17 09:27|| Front Page Top

#5 A much more practical idea are the blimps deployed against drug smuggers in the region. No longer as restricted to low-level surveillance, because of better cameras, a single airship could cover a wide area. Once again, remember that much of the border is "impassable", in that there is nothing for many miles on either side of it; so entry routes are much narrower than supposed. The most important concept is not to try and stop *all* infiltration--that is not cost effective--just try and stop the great majority of infiltration.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-06-17 10:27|| 2005-06-17 10:27|| Front Page Top

#6 What is needed is a "virtual fence" until a real one can be made in the hardest areas (Later the virtual can be used in the more flat and open areas).

Too bad nobody has even bothered to bring this up in Congress except possibly Tom Tancredo from Colorado (whom the press loves to misrepresent as a maniac, at least outside of Colorado).

Virtual fence as follows:

Initial satellite surveillance for suspect movements, comunications, and imagery changes-over-time (with satellites we already have up there - all they need is tasking), then 2-layer Static automated observation blimps as tippers (think something like an aerial GSR/IR with an image processor, and a data link, one up at 100K feet above the weather, and several around 10K feet for better resolution, all with interlocking areas of observation). Moving target analysis software invented for the JSTARS could be used by a ground site that takes feeds from all these airborne automated radars, and "decultter" it, providing better targets - ones that are highly probable as humans in the terrain, ones fitting the profiel of an illegal border intrusion.

Then use UAVs as confirmer/trackers off the tips generated by satellite and surveillence blimps. THey fly up to the area, with better cameras, and the aility to chang their angle so as to see "under" overhangs by taking up "off angles" and different perspectives. Also, they would provide live visual and IR pictures for getting a description and count, so the border patrol will know how many they are after.

Then they woudl send in heliborne (armed) QRF to do the bust via air assault into bad terrain, or sels wheeled assets in reachable terrain. As a bonus, they can medevac of any that are hurt or in bad shape = humanitarian mission too. In addition the traditional scattered foot patrols would be used to back up the sensors and provide a visible physical presence.

NExt, regional ground transport would be there from van sized, to "cattle truck" sized elements. They woudl meet up with the "bust" teams after all were in custody. They would "tag, transport & transfer" the illegals from the QRF site back to Mexico. This would also include a processing element, on the spot. The processing element would include a judge, a medic to address & treat minor mrdical issues, a logistic person to be sure they prisoners are fed and watered, and a third party observer to insure fair witness to the process. These people would ride up in a single vehicle, and all the gear needed would likely fit in a van or large SUV (or even a Humvee set up like the command vehicle Humvees the Aarmy has)

Also the portable processing center is datalinked back to DHS/Border/FBI databases. On the spot the illegals would be digitially photogrphed, iris and fingerprint scans taken, their case held in front of a specially appointed US judge, IMMEDIATELY. Followed by their IMMEDIATE deportation back to Mexico, in the same transports they were picked up in.

The part is important - justidce delayed is justice denied. These are not US Citizens nor are they lawful residents, they are breaking US law, they were caught in the act of breaking US law, (thanks to the satellite/blimp tracks) therefore when they see the US judge (comes with the transport proccessing center) and are presented along with the track data and video directly showing them comitting the illegal activity, judgement can be rendered on-the-spot, and then they should be immediately deported as the sentence. Even if it means just dumping them at the border sitee where they previous came from, with a humanitarian MRE & a cheap plastic bag of water, thats what shoudl be done - and if the place is remote, they get a courtesy phone call form the border patrol HQ to the Mexican government to come get the illegals at those coordinates.

Of course there is an exception to all this for obvious "coyotes", DoD "persons of interest", or US residents (citizen, green card), who are held & examined, and if found guilty of smuggling, are jailed for a long time.

Repeat offenders (via the biometric ID part of the bust process I mentioned above), would be held, tried and jailed, and deported after their jail term. Multiple offenders (i.e. they get caught again after jail) would be sentenced to longer terms, this time in federal prison instaed of border jails.

This system has the advantage of being redeployable to percieved risk sectors, and being expanded as needed, in a modular fashion (say, for example, up to Canada). It could even be deployed over a maritime area, with foot patrols of coastal areas, and maritime boarding troops from the Coasties and firepower from the US Navy.

But its primary purpose would be to "lock down" an area while the fence for that area was being built. Fence off the hardest areas to patrol for us, making it an much longer and more difficult route for the illegls, which will funnel them thru easier to patrol areas. ANd contoinue to observe the "hard" areas, because that is where only someone desperate (i.e. criminal) to get into the US without being observed will go.

Not that hard, and the technology for all this is already there (and its not all that manpower intensive either). All thats lacking is the budget and the political will.

Posted by OldSpook 2005-06-17 14:13|| 2005-06-17 14:13|| Front Page Top

#7 As an aside:

Oncve we had this system in place, then fully implement President Bush's "guest worker" card, and as part of it, be sure to take biometric data (fingerprints, photo, eye scan).

Anyone busted without one of these gets the same treatment as border illegals. And anyone that is a repeat offender (i.e. busted more than once) is barred from the guest worker program.

Any employer found to be using "undocumented" aliens woudl be subject to fines of $10,000 per person per incident. 10 percent of this fine would go to the local government, 10 percent to the state government, and 10 percent to whomever tipped off the border patrol (including guest workers - rat out the cheaters, make money). This fine would not be dischargable in bankruptcy, and would attache to the corporate officers and board of directors in the case of corporations.

As for the workers themselves, they have a choice to make when they apply:

1) Accept the laws of the US, including tax laws, and minimum wage laws and OSHA regs, and agree to be bound by them (and report when they are vciolated). You do this, you get full acvcess to US social services, including midcare, schools, etc.

or

2) Declare yourself to be free of US employement laws. This means you work for whatever you cvan negotiate. It also means you and anyone with out that has not agreed to (1) abovve is ineligible for OASH, workman's comp, minimum age, social servicves, schools, medicare, etc.

Either you pay into the system to take advantage of it, or you exist completley outside the system (and get none of it). Fair is fair, especially to those immigrants who came here and did things the hard way (green card, etc).

It will all be there on the guest worker card and the computer record - so if you change your mind, visit the US cvourthouse and file an affadavit to cvhange your status, get a new card issued after verification of your biometric data, and go on your merry way.

This way everyoneis happy: businesses can negotiate freely like they do now with illegals, without fear of repurcussions, and the social safety net is available to guest workers who desire it and play by the rules that US Citizens are bound by.

Bottom line: If you want to work here, come on in, legitimately and make a deal to get what money you can. If not, we will find you, and throw you out - and eventually jail you. If you hire illegals, you will pay the price -and will be PERSONALLY responsible. And local/state governments will have a fiscal incentive to root out illegals.

Anyone care to draw up the legislation?

Posted by OldSpook 2005-06-17 14:43|| 2005-06-17 14:43|| Front Page Top

#8 Anyone care to draw up the legislation?

I wouldn't trust but a handful of 'em, they'd pull all the teeth and stoke up the yummy-gummys.

Puhleeeze - If there is anyone here with a personal relationship to a Congresscritter or Senator - who isn't gutless or on Kool Aid (same thing?), please, please, PLEASE forward OS's posts to them. We would all be grateful.

Posted by .com 2005-06-17 15:03|| 2005-06-17 15:03|| Front Page Top

#9 I like the dye bomb idea. Dye that resists removal for an extended period would be ideal.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-06-17 16:59|| 2005-06-17 16:59|| Front Page Top

#10 I'd rather use real Apaches than a virtual fence. Pay 'em per head.

In the live sense of course.

Posted by Shipman 2005-06-17 19:38|| 2005-06-17 19:38|| Front Page Top

#11 :-) Ship

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-06-17 20:33|| 2005-06-17 20:33|| Front Page Top

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