Thread: Mexico's Fox Calls Bush to Discuss Border

Mexico's Fox Calls Bush to Discuss Border

By NEDRA PICKLER
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON —

Mexican President Vicente Fox telephoned President Bush on Sunday to discuss comprehensive immigration reform as members of Congress expressed concern that using National Guard troops to keep illegal immigrants from crossing the border would further burden an overextended military.

The criticism on the eve of Bush's planned Oval Office speech to the nation on immigration came from Democrats, but also an important Republican negotiator in the immigration debate _ Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. He said National Guard troops cannot secure the border over the long term and that he does not think it is wise even in the short term.

White House spokeswoman Maria Tamburri said Bush made clear to Fox in the morning telephone conversation that "the United States considered Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not militarization of the border, but support of border capabilities on a temporary basis by the National Guard."

She said the two presidents discussed cooperative efforts under way along the border and that Bush reiterated to Fox "his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform."

She said Fox "reached out" to Bush, but she did not know how long the call lasted or the time it occurred.

A news release from Fox's office said the Mexican president initiated the call and characterized Bush as "analyzing the administrative and logistical support of part of the National Guard, not the army, to help police on the border."

The Mexican release said that Bush and Fox agreed that a comprehensive immigration reform is needed in the United States.

"In the conversation, President Bush reiterated his conviction that the migration issue can only be resolved with an integral and comprehensive reform," said the release.

"We've got National Guard members on their second, third and fourth tours in Iraq," Hagel said. "We have stretched our military as thin as we have ever seen it in modern times. And what in the world are we talking about here, sending a National Guard that we may not have any capacity to send up to or down to protect borders? That's not their role."

The president's national security adviser said sending troops to patrol the border with Mexico is among the ideas Bush is considering on immigration.

Bush planned to say in his national address at 8 p.m. EDT Monday how the government should deal with border security and illegal immigrants already in the United States, Stephen Hadley said.

"This is not about militarizing the border," Hadley said on "Face the Nation" on CBS. "The president is looking to do everything he can to secure the border. It's what the American people want."

Bush is considering the National Guard plan as he seeks support from conservatives in Congress for his immigration bill. Bush wants to allow foreigners to get temporary work permits to enter and work in the U.S., but many conservatives want a tougher approach on illegal immigrants trying to sneak into the country.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he supported using the National Guard on the Mexican border. He said lawmakers who doubt that the National Guard, whose members have served for years in Iraq and went to the Gulf Coast after last summer's hurricanes, could take on border patrol duty are "whining" and "moaning."

"We've got to secure our borders," Frist said on CNN's "Late Edition." "We hear it from the American people. We've got millions of people coming across that border. First and foremost, secure the border, whatever it takes. Everything else we've done has failed. We've got to face that. And so we need to bring in, I believe, the National Guard."

Hagel said the bill under debate in the Senate that he helped write would double the 12,000-strong Border Patrol force over the next five years. "That's the way to fix it, not further stretching the National Guard," he said on ABC's "This Week."

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said there may be a need for troops to fill in while the Border Patrol is bolstered. But he did not seem confident that the National Guard could take on the extra duty.

"We have stretched these men and women so thin, so thin, because of the bad mistakes done by the civilians in the military here, that I wonder how they're going to be able to do it," Biden said, also on ABC.

About 100 National Guard troops are serving on the border to assist with counter-drug operations, heavy equipment support and other functions. Bush is considering an increase into the thousands, and Hadley would not directly rule out using armed National Guard troops directly on guard duty.

Hadley also would not say whether Bush supports building a fence or wall along part of the border with Mexico. Hadley said the president and Congress will have to decide how immigrant workers who are in the U.S. illegally can become citizens.

Frist said the full Senate planned to begin debating the immigration bill Monday and that it would take up to two weeks to pass.

Senators would have to resolve any differences with the House version of the bill, which did not address the guest worker issue but increases penalties for illegal immigration activities and funds a 700-mile border fence.

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/feeds/a ... pstoryview

White House spokeswoman Maria Tamburri said Bush made clear to Fox in the morning telephone conversation that "the United States considered Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not militarization of the border, but support of border capabilities on a temporary basis by the National Guard."

Whatever we do, we sure don't want to offend Vicente.

Does anybody still have any positive expectations about tomorrow nights dog and pony show?

I think Fox should make a matching offer.
He should put just as many troops on his side of the border as we do ours. That's real diplomacy.

Dixie

no.

the United States considered Mexico a friend

This needs to be reworded: Bush considers Mexico a friend.

Originally Posted by CountFloyd

White House spokeswoman Maria Tamburri said Bush made clear to Fox in the morning telephone conversation that "the United States considered Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not militarization of the border, but support of border capabilities on a temporary basis by the National Guard."

Whatever we do, we sure don't want to offend Vicente.

Does anybody still have any positive expectations about tomorrow nights dog and pony show?

No. Bush is just going to spew all the same BS with the smirk on his face... we are a nation of immigrants, they are doing work that Americans won't do... blah blah blah. I don't even know if I can watch it

It's been a long time since I've been able to stand to watch him "speak".

I'm counting on those of you with a higher tolerance for pain than me to summarize el Presidente's remarks.

What this means is Vicente Bush will capitulate to his brother's demands. Despite the lawlessness on the border which is spreading to all parts of our country caused by Fox pushing his disease afflicted and povery stricken garbage across our border and Mexico being the largest exporter of drugs to the US; Bush refers to his brother as a trusted friend and neighbor. The US government along with our sister government in Mexico City is narco-empire and Mexican Mafia controlled.

I'm sure Bush reassured Fox that the National Guard are being deployed to keep an eye on the minutemen and Border Patrol agents, and they will promptly report back to the Mexican Government on their locations. We do not want to interfere with the free flow of illegals across the border and offend Mexico.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060514/us_ ... ation_dc_3

Border troops would be temporary, US tells Mexico
By Susan Cornwell
Sun May 14, 6:29 PM ET



President Bush assured Mexican President Vicente Fox on Sunday he did not intend to militarize their countries' mutual border, but was considering sending National Guard troops there to temporarily support border control efforts.

"The president made clear that the United States considers Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not militarization of the border, but support of border patrol capabilities on a temporary basis by National Guard personnel," White House spokeswoman Maria Tamburri said, describing a telephone conversation between Bush and his Mexican counterpart.

Fox "reached out" to Bush on Sunday to relay his concerns about the plan that is under consideration, Tamburri said.

Bush will deliver a televised address to the nation on immigration on Monday evening. The White House said last week he may propose deploying more National Guard troops along the 2,000-mile border to stop illegal immigration.

Fox's office said during the call Bush said the United States and Mexico were partners and friends, but a thorough immigration reform was needed to solve the problem between both countries.

The idea has also gotten a mixed reception on Capitol Hill, where some senators are worried that the National Guard is already stretched too thin to take on major additional duties.

White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley went on television Sunday to emphasize that no final decision on sending the troops had been made. He said the idea was to "provide a bit of a stopgap as the Border Patrol build up their capacity to deal with this challenge.

"This is something that's actually already being done. It's not about militarization of the border," Hadley said on CNN's "Late Edition."

'PROVIDING INTELLIGENCE, PROVIDING SUPPORT'

"It's about assisting the civilian Border Patrol in doing their job, providing intelligence, providing support, logistics support and training and these sorts of things," he said.

The Border Patrol arrested nearly 1.2 million people last year trying to cross the Mexican border and estimates that 500,000 others evaded capture.

In his Monday address, timed to coincide with the resumption of a Senate debate on immigration reform, Bush is expected to express support for a temporary worker program and a plan to give millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship.

The president's speech comes as his job approval ratings continue to slide to around 30 percent in some recent polls.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said on Sunday he backed sending National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Everything else we've done has failed, we've got to face that. And so, we need to bring in, I believe, the National Guard," Frist, a Tennessee Republican, argued on CNN's "Late Edition."

But Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record), who helped broker the compromise immigration legislation to be debated on the Senate floor this week, said he was "skeptical."

"I think we have to be very careful here. That's not the role of our military. That's not the role of our National Guard," Hagel said on ABC's "This Week."

Hagel said 75 percent of the equipment of National Guard forces was in Iraq, and noted that some National Guard members had done as many as four tours of duty there.

"We have stretched our military as thin as we have ever seen it in modern times," Hagel said. "And what in the world are we talking about here, sending a National Guard that we may not have any capacity to send, up to, or down to, protect borders?"