Thread: State Senator wants Guard troops armed on U.S., Mexico borde

By John Rodgers, jrodgers@nashvillecitypaper.com
February 15, 2007

A state Senator says Tennessee National Guard members deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico should be armed and “able to defend themselves.”

Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) said he’s been told that the Tennessee National Guard troops on the border are carrying guns but “they’re not loaded.”

“That’s going to get somebody killed,” Burchett said.

Burchett said National Guard members guarding the U.S. border have been instructed not to “confront anybody.”

“They’re supposed to observe,” Burchett told reporters. “If they want observers, they ought to send you all down there, the Peace Corps or the Girl Scouts because these people are combat veterans.”

Burchett has written a letter to Gov. Phil Bredesen requesting that the Tennessee National Guard members that are stationed along the Mexican border be “returned to their families.”

Burchett said he doesn’t want National Guard troops to “necessarily comeback,” but he wants them armed.

Bredesen said this week that the use of the Tennessee National Guard troops as “observers” along the U.S.-Mexico border is “perfectly appropriate” rather than “becoming the enforcers of immigration laws.”

“As far as I’m concerned that offer to the state of Arizona and the state of Texas where they are now still stands,” Bredesen said. “And I think our people should be there to help.”

Burchett said the Bush administration’s entire immigration policy has “failed.”

“If they want to do something about immigration, they ought to send the National Guard down there to Nolensville Road,” Burchett said.

Last month, four Tennessee guardsmen encountered another group of 6-8 unidentified men along the Mexican border carrying automatic weapons.

Shots weren’t fired, and the troops backed away and contacted the Border Patrol.

Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett said the Tennessee National Guard troops did everything “the way they were told to do it,” according to a previous City Paper story


http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index ... s_id=54636

what a joke, what are they supposed to report? 'yep the invasion is continuing.'

Since unarmed farmers are killed by drug smugglers unless the Mexican government has more control over the drug smugglers than even I think, some unarmed guardsman will get killed. It will be interesting to see how the Bush administration blames it on the guardsman when it happens. Hopefully it never does and god bless the border patrol and guardsmen trying to protect our borders.

Burchett said he doesn’t want National Guard troops to “necessarily comeback,” but he wants them armed.

Here here! I have a hard time understanding why many more Americans are not upset about this. Sending our troops into a hostile area UNARMED is one of the stupidest and most cowardly things our president could do.

Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) said he’s been told that the Tennessee National Guard troops on the border are carrying guns but “they’re not loaded.”

This is what Klinton did!!
Remember the USS COLE