Thread: Arrest adds to fears of terrorist presence on Mexican border

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Arrest adds to fears of terrorist presence on Mexican border
Mike Sunnucks
The Business Journal
The apprehension of an Iraqi national with ties to Al Qaeda along the U.S. border with Mexico is increasing security concerns and adding ammunition to those pushing hard for tighter border controls.

Texas Congressman John Culberson recently released information that an Iraqi on the U.S. terrorist watch list has been arrested and detained along the Texas border with Mexico.

That is fueling worries in Arizona about other Middle Eastern terrorists trying to enter the U.S. via the Southwestern border.

Arizona is a top illegal crossing point into the U.S from Mexico for undocumented migrants, drug cartels and black-market smugglers.

The news from Texas is resulting in an even harder push from border hawks who want to see tighter controls on immigration, tougher penalties against employers who hire illegals and increased security along the border, including more security personnel, walls and fences.

"The apprehension of an Iraqi on the Mexican border is not a surprise, it is a continuing concern. Last year the Border Patrol arrested some 650 suspected terrorists from countries of 'national security interest' trying to cross our southern border," said Scottsdale Republican Congressman J.D. Hayworth. "Remember that for every illegal border crosser caught, at least another three make it in. We are playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette and the longer we resist securing our border and enforcing our immigration laws the more likely a terrorist incident becomes."

"The link between narco-terrorism and the Mexican drug cartels is a known fact," said Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi in a statement Tuesday. "The United States must work with the Mexican government to conduct targeted take down operations against known narco-terrorists, smuggling families and drug cartels."

Hayworth, U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl and Valley Congressmen Trent Franks and John Shadegg are among the top advocates of tough immigration and border controls to help curtail illegal crossings into the Arizona and other Southwestern states. Franks and Hayworth have signed onto a bill that would build a border wall along the 2,000-mile Mexican border.

Rural Arizona Congressman Trent Franks is among those favoring more focused security fences and high-tech security along top crossing points and border cities.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, does not support border walls nor does Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is mulling a run for governor.

Critics argue border walls and fences are too expensive and will not stop illegals and drug smugglers.

Business interests, both in Arizona and nationally, prefer a guest worker program for immigrants wishing to work in the U.S. and fear that tougher state or federal sanctions against employers will be onerous and penalize businesses for paperwork mistakes.

Until we militarize our borders, all the talk about controlling them is a joke.

A few thousand BP agents with handguns won't get it. As Bob Dylan sang, "When We Gonna Wake Up."