http://www.newsmax.com/archives/article ... 4834.shtml

One Reporter's Opinion: Our Shocking Vulnerability

George Putnam
Friday, Aug. 4, 2006

It is this reporter's opinion that if the following story – revealed in testimony before the Senate Finance Committee concerning the vulnerability of our borders with Mexico and Canada – won't shock you, nothing will.
Our own U.S. undercover investigators have repeatedly entered the United States using fake documents; in some cases, Homeland Security agents didn't ask for identification. At nine border crossings, on the Mexican and Canadian borders, U.S. agents never questioned the authenticity of counterfeit documents, according to Government Accountability Office (GAO) testimony.
In testimony obtained by the Associated Press, undercover investigators crossed unhindered into the U.S. at least 14 times using counterfeit driver's licenses and, in one case, an expired, altered U.S. diplomatic passport. During the investigation border agents in New York and Florida did stop three undercover officials using expired and forged passports, driver's licenses or birth certificates.
By comparison, between February and June 2006, 18 GAO investigators breezed by border agents at checkpoints in California, Texas, Michigan, Idaho, Washington state and twice each in Arizona and New York. In two cases (in Arizona and California) border agents did not ask the undercover investigators for any identification.
In a third case in Texas investigators offered to show identification, which turned out to be a counterfeit Virginia driver's license. The border agent took a look and replied, "OK, that will be good," and released the undercover agent without further inspection.
It is recalled that two of the 9/11 hijackers used fake Virginia residency certificates to get valid state I.D. cards that were needed to board the planes that flew into the World Trade Center.
These shocking findings were presented to the Senate Finance Committee even as Congress considers delaying a 2007 deadline requiring passports or a small number of previously approved tamper-proof I.D. cards from all who enter the U.S.
This shocking vulnerability potentially allows terrorists or others involved in criminal activity to pass freely into the U.S. from Canada or Mexico with little or no chance of being detected, concludes the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress.
Homeland Security responds to these revelations by saying their agents are trained to identify false birth certificates, driver's licenses and other documents, but that agents sometimes cannot verify more than 8,000 different kinds of I.D.s without significantly slowing border traffic. Tougher requirements are under consideration but would not take effect until December 31, 2007.
Lawmakers from states that border Canada are rebelling, contending that the rules could hamper commercial and tourist travel, and are pushing to delay the rules by 17 months. So it all comes down to business as usual – follow the money trail.
Homeland Security admits it does not have the proper technology to speed travel through border checkpoints and that Homeland Security agents intercepted 75,000 fraudulent documents from border travelers last year. Incidentally, last month the department arrested a Mexican fugitive suspected of running a counterfeit document operation whose fake I.D. cards have turned up in all 50 states. And Homeland Security admits to a security vulnerability it is hoping to close by the end of next year.
In the meantime, the vulnerability potential continues along our borders with Mexico and Canada, apparently with little or no chance of detection. The Senate and the Congress will now have a chance to think this over during their monthlong August vacation. Why don't they ask their constituents back home how they feel about this?