Thread: New Border Chief: Walls Are Not the Answer

http://www.newsday.com

New Border Chief: Walls Are Not the Answer

By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
Associated Press Writer

June 20, 2006, 5:19 PM EDT

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Two weeks on the job, the new head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday he does not favor building a huge wall along the Mexican border.

"I don't support, I don't believe the administration supports a wall," Commissioner W. Ralph Basham said in Tucson, where he met with patrol officials and agents before embarking on a tour across the Arizona desert.

Asked about proposals in Senate- and House-approved immigration measures to build security walls 380 or 700 miles long, respectively, Basham said, "It doesn't make sense, it's not practical."

As Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano put it, "You build a 50-foot wall, somebody will find a 51-foot ladder," he said.

Fencing, including so-called smart fencing with imbedded sensors, vehicle barriers and lighting will be part of the infrastructure improvements needed, Basham said. But a layered approach that mixes technology and air operations for observation and responding to illegal crossings will be necessary to control the border, he said.

"There is not a silver bullet out there, there's not one answer," he said.

Basham is touring the Southwest border region for a firsthand look at the challenges the Border Patrol is facing as National Guard troops arrive to begin assisting efforts to control the border.

"You can sit in Washington, D.C., and you can get briefings and you can look at maps and hear from people what the challenges are out here," Basham said. "But until you get up there and you look and you see what kind of terrain you're dealing with and the difficulties of it, you really don't have a true appreciation."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... chief.html

New Customs chief criticizes Arizona's border wall

Daniel Gonzalez
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 21, 2006 12:00 AM

TUCSON - The new commissioner in charge of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday visited the porous Arizona border, where he said building a wall "doesn't make sense."

Stemming the flow of illegal immigration and drug trafficking will take a combination of manpower, technology and infrastructure, not just barriers, W. Ralph Basham said. His view clashes with some members of Congress and border-security advocates but supports President Bush's "comprehensive" approach to border security.

"It (a border wall) doesn't make sense. It's not practical," said Basham, sworn in June 5 as head of the agency that oversees the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs.

Speaking to reporters at the Border Patrol's Tucson sector headquarters, the busiest in the nation, Basham said he doesn't support a borderwide wall and neither does President Bush. Solving the problem of illegal immigration will take every available resource, "whether it be fencing, vehicle barriers, lighting," he said. "What did it take the Chinese to build a wall, 300 years? I don't think we've got that kind of time."

Frustrated by the government's failure to get a handle on illegal immigration in Arizona and along the Southwest border, some members of Congress, the state Legislature and border-security advocates have called for erecting a wall along the entire 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border.


370 miles of fence


In response, Congress appears willing to move forward with a fencing plan along at least part of the border. In May, the Senate approved a $1.1 billion plan to fence roughly 370 miles of the international line. A House bill approved in December goes further. It would erect 700 miles of barriers with an estimated price tag of $2.2 billion.

Meanwhile, the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps has already erected 2.5 miles of fencing on private land in southern Arizona on a ranch in Palominas. In July, the group plans to build an additional 4.5 miles of fencing on another ranch, spokeswoman Connie Hair said.

"We are building fencing along private property because the federal government isn't doing anything," she said. "All they are doing is debating."

The group wants fencing and barriers placed along as much of the U.S.-Mexican border as possible, along with 36,000 National Guard troops, she said.

Basham said the rugged terrain and vastness of the border are daunting and praised the Border Patrol's work protecting the nation's sovereignty and saving lives. Last year, Border Patrol agents rescued more than 2,300 people entering illegally, he said.

His visit coincided with the arrival of 100 Arizona National Guard troops in Tucson to help provide support to the Border Patrol as part of President Bush's plan to improve border security.


'Brilliant stroke'


Using the National Guard to free up regular Border Patrol agents to police the border was a "brilliant stroke," Basham said.

Bush has ordered 6,000 National Guard troops to the border over the next two years until many new Border Patrol agents can be hired and trained. All 6,000 Guard troops are expected to be deployed by the end of August, with about 2,500 of them coming to Arizona.

Guard members will monitor surveillance cameras and sensors, build roads, erect vehicle barriers, repair vehicles and perform other tasks, Border Patrol spokesman Gustavo Soto said.

"What did it take the Chinese to build a wall, 300 years? I don't think we've got that kind of time."

Good analogy there, Ralph.

You may not have noticed, but technology has progressed some over the last 3000 years. Also, it appears that China's wall did what it was supposed to do.

Perhaps that's really why you're against building one here.

Who the heck hired that brown noser?

He is just another Bush open border's advocate chosen by him with the ultimate goal of helping the administration eliminate the border patrol and our borders. I don't trust this administration or anyone associated with it.

Hmmm, that's all we need - another Bush appointee speaking not for himself, but for his boss! These guys should all keep their mouths shut and do their job. His not an elected official and he doesn't speak for the people!

This was a real butt kissing:

Using the National Guard to free up regular Border Patrol agents to police the border was a "brilliant stroke," Basham said.

Originally Posted by LunaLun

Who the heck hired that brown noser?

Probably Presidente's Bush, and Fox

Actually I have to agree with most of what this guy said.
Now before everybody jumps on me let me say that I live on the border and that I help patrol a certain section. I have seen the border.
One thing that was said is that you need to see the area to understand the problem and this is very true, the terrain out there is very rough and the fence that is there does very little, there are also areas where water flow is heavy at time so that would mean building a dam with pumps to keep the water moving. it is very easy to go over, under, around or through the fence. I can't even imagine the cost of building such a wall.
We do have the technology to put up a high tech fence with all types of sensors and video cams and infra red devices to alert air and ground crews.
What is needed is more eyes and ears, both human and electronic.
Better still we need to be cracking down on those who employ illegals and make it so they have no need or desire to come here.

Basham said, "It doesn't make sense, it's not practical."
"I don't support, I don't believe the administration supports a wall,"

BS - our forefathers would be ashamed. What a bunch of whiny ass pansies. Is this still America? We can't do this or we can't do that. We can build the Panama canal, We can build the World Trade Center, We can build the Hoover Dam, We can build the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. We can also spend billions of dollars in Iraq or on any other number of projects. I not suggesting this is the BEST course of action but don't tell me that we can't do it. What is practical? Whatever it takes to squash the flow!

"You build a 50-foot wall, somebody will find a 51-foot ladder," he said.

With this kind of attitude why do anything? Someone will always be able to circumnavigate whatever is done. The idea is to slow it down as much as possible. The barrier is only part of the equation. Along with interior enforcement and the right barrier we can reduce the flow to a trickle.