Thread: Get Serious About Security: Texas needs help strengthening

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 249df.html

Get Serious About Security: Texas needs help strengthening its borders


10:08 PM CST on Tuesday, February 22, 2005

"The mother of all battles" is what Mexican President Vicente Fox promised as a way to subdue recent border violence that flared in defiance of his authority.

The American people would welcome a rallying cry for meeting our own border threat – the illegal crossings that bring legions of unknown foreigners into the country.

The gaping flaws were once boringly commonplace. They are now terrifyingly commonplace.

How so? Last week, the No. 2 Homeland Security official told Congress that intelligence "strongly suggests" that al-Qaeda operatives have considered the Mexican border for entry. The official, Adm. James M. Loy, called it a "very serious situation."

Each failure to apprehend someone crossing illegally means a potential hijacker or dirty-bomb maker is in our midst. Just this past weekend in Fort Worth, railroad police nabbed 37 Mexicans hiding in a freight train – the ones who didn't run off.

And an exclusive Dallas Morning News report Sunday detailed how military-trained enforcers for a Mexican drug cartel are posted across the nation and have carried out assassinations in Dallas.

Despite a glaring need for more border personnel, the Bush administration is backsliding on a post-Sept. 11 recommendation to hire 2,000 more Border Patrol agents a year. The president's new budget proposes $37 million to hire 210 new agents, well short of the target Congress set two months ago.

We agree with House Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox – a Republican – who called this hiring plan "wholly inadequate."

We also agree with Texas' Sen. John Cornyn that strengthened border security is not accomplished without immigration reform. We urge the senator and White House to work with dispatch to solve the politics of this emotional issue and forge a workable "guest worker" program so the nation can better police comings and goings on the border.

We recall President Bush's days as Texas governor, when the state felt overrun by drug smugglers. He clamored for help from Washington, saying, "Let's send federal agents to the state of Texas."

That's the type of rallying cry that's needed today.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 249df.html

Get Serious About Security: Texas needs help strengthening its borders


10:08 PM CST on Tuesday, February 22, 2005

"The mother of all battles" is what Mexican President Vicente Fox promised as a way to subdue recent border violence that flared in defiance of his authority.

The American people would welcome a rallying cry for meeting our own border threat – the illegal crossings that bring legions of unknown foreigners into the country.

The gaping flaws were once boringly commonplace. They are now terrifyingly commonplace.

How so? Last week, the No. 2 Homeland Security official told Congress that intelligence "strongly suggests" that al-Qaeda operatives have considered the Mexican border for entry. The official, Adm. James M. Loy, called it a "very serious situation."

Each failure to apprehend someone crossing illegally means a potential hijacker or dirty-bomb maker is in our midst. Just this past weekend in Fort Worth, railroad police nabbed 37 Mexicans hiding in a freight train – the ones who didn't run off.

And an exclusive Dallas Morning News report Sunday detailed how military-trained enforcers for a Mexican drug cartel are posted across the nation and have carried out assassinations in Dallas.

Despite a glaring need for more border personnel, the Bush administration is backsliding on a post-Sept. 11 recommendation to hire 2,000 more Border Patrol agents a year. The president's new budget proposes $37 million to hire 210 new agents, well short of the target Congress set two months ago.

We agree with House Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox – a Republican – who called this hiring plan "wholly inadequate."

We also agree with Texas' Sen. John Cornyn that strengthened border security is not accomplished without immigration reform. We urge the senator and White House to work with dispatch to solve the politics of this emotional issue and forge a workable "guest worker" program so the nation can better police comings and goings on the border.

We recall President Bush's days as Texas governor, when the state felt overrun by drug smugglers. He clamored for help from Washington, saying, "Let's send federal agents to the state of Texas."

That's the type of rallying cry that's needed today.

How so? Last week, the No. 2 Homeland Security official told Congress that intelligence "strongly suggests" that al-Qaeda operatives have considered the Mexican border for entry. The official, Adm. James M. Loy, called it a "very serious situation."

How serious does the threat have to be before some type of action is taken? Will we have another 9/11 because someone didn't take action on this "information?"

Each failure to apprehend someone crossing illegally means a potential hijacker or dirty-bomb maker is in our midst.

Scary! One wonders if the reality of this has not already happened!

How so? Last week, the No. 2 Homeland Security official told Congress that intelligence "strongly suggests" that al-Qaeda operatives have considered the Mexican border for entry. The official, Adm. James M. Loy, called it a "very serious situation."

How serious does the threat have to be before some type of action is taken? Will we have another 9/11 because someone didn't take action on this "information?"

Each failure to apprehend someone crossing illegally means a potential hijacker or dirty-bomb maker is in our midst.

Scary! One wonders if the reality of this has not already happened!

watchman -

I know you only meant to comment on the article and not indicate that I had made those statements. But thanks for the credit anyway.

watchman -

I know you only meant to comment on the article and not indicate that I had made those statements. But thanks for the credit anyway.

Originally Posted by Daylights

watchman -

I know you only meant to comment on the article and not indicate that I had made those statements. But thanks for the credit anyway.

Corrected .. sorry .. it was the cute little dog avatar that made me do it! Kept me from paying more attention to detail.

Originally Posted by Daylights

watchman -

I know you only meant to comment on the article and not indicate that I had made those statements. But thanks for the credit anyway.

Corrected .. sorry .. it was the cute little dog avatar that made me do it! Kept me from paying more attention to detail.

watchman -

Reading your prior post you used "quote", but not my name, so it is I who has to admit that I was ill informed. That darn cute dog! Seems he's up to his old trick again. Don't worry, he's now sleeping it off and will be fine later.

Mistakes like these would not happen if only he not touched the alcohol.

watchman -

Reading your prior post you used "quote", but not my name, so it is I who has to admit that I was ill informed. That darn cute dog! Seems he's up to his old trick again. Don't worry, he's now sleeping it off and will be fine later.

Mistakes like these would not happen if only he not touched the alcohol.