Thread: Tough task lies ahead for new border chief

Posted on Mon, Oct. 09, 2006

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/ne ... 713040.htm

BORDER PROTECTION

Tough task lies ahead for new border chief

The new commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection faces the tough job of securing the nation's ports and airports without disrupting trade and travel.

BY JAY WEAVER
jweaver@MiamiHerald.com
About Ralph Basham

Ralph Basham used to protect the president. Now he protects Americans from terrorism.

''I went from 18 acres at the White House to 9,000 miles of borders,'' said Basham, the former director of the Secret Service, who took over the job of commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in June.

Basham -- whose agency manages some 317 ports of entry and all points in between -- visited the agency's Miami regional office last week to update himself on what he calls the ''crossroads'' of the Americas.

Every year, Miami International Airport sees more than seven million passengers arriving from foreign countries, and the Port of Miami-Dade processes more than 250,000 cargo containers.

Basham said his agency's toughest task is securing the nation's borders without disrupting trade and travel. ''If we shut down trade and travel, they've won,'' he said, referring to extremists who may threaten the country in the post-9/11 era.

SOME CRITICS

The agency is not without its critics.

They say the nation's seaports and airports are still vulnerable to weapons of mass destruction because Customs and Border Protection officers can only inspect a fraction of cargo containers and question a small percentage of foreign travelers.

But Basham said critics are missing the point.

He said the agency can screen containers and passengers in advance by sharing vital information with foreign countries, businesses, airlines and other law enforcement agencies.

He said agency officers, using improved intelligence such as terrorist and no-fly watch lists, can zero in on suspicious passengers at airports. He said new technology helps pinpoint potential problems at seaports.

MORE MONITORS

Thomas Winkowski, director of the agency's field operations in Miami, cited the Port of Miami-Dade's four mobile radiation detection monitors. He added that six permanent radiation monitors will be operating by next spring.

''That means 100 percent of the cargo traffic leaving the port and coming into the city will be scanned for radiation to target risks,'' Winkowski said, adding that the same technology will be installed at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale next year.

Basham said Customs and Border Protection -- which was incorporated into the newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security three years ago -- has far more ''tools and training'' to secure the nation's border than it did before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But when asked whether today's revamped agency could have stopped 9/11 terrorist ringleader Mohamed Atta upon entering the United States at MIA months before those assaults, Basham spoke with caution.

''I would be foolish to say it could not happen [again]'' Basham said.

``But the probability of that happening today is a lot less.''

TERRORIST QUESTIONED

Atta was nearly denied entry to the United States on Jan. 10, 2001, when an immigration inspector at MIA became suspicious that he wanted to take flight lessons while visiting on a tourist visa.

A second inspector further questioned Atta, who was ultimately cleared to enter the country instead of being detained or deported.

In more-current developments, Basham said he was partly pleased with Congress' recent passage of an immigration bill that calls for building a 700-mile fence on the southwest border with Mexico.

He noted that Congress, which authorized $1.2 billion for the project, gave Homeland Security the flexibility to decide where to build the barrier, which reportedly won't be as long as first touted.

CASH FOR TECHNOLOGY

Indeed, some of that federal money will be used for road blocks, electronic monitoring and other technology to help stop illegal entries along the 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico, Basham said.

''I think Congress has recognized there is a need for a flexible approach,'' he said. ``It's not about building a fence; it's about building a smart border.''

But he said lawmakers should heed President Bush's goal to deal with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country, including a guest-worker program that could lead to citizenship.

''In my mind, he's going to continue to push toward a more comprehensive immigration bill,'' Basham said.

Looks like Bush installed a Border Chief to do his bidding. I feel manipulated. What a nice way to circumvent and fail to enforce the laws.

Dixie

Added to heom page with Note

This Person clearly does not represent the view of more than 80% of Americans.


http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1591

I wanted to say another one of Bushe's Lap dogs, but I didnt. :P


Makes me think this guy isnt going to do his job very well. Let me guess that catch and release is back on.

Yep another "Yes" man.

``It's not about building a fence; it's about building a smart border.''

No, it is about building what works and also what can be measured and not easily manipulated. I personally prefer a 2000 miles fence/wall with enough border patrol and repair folks to effectively monitor and upkeep the fence/wall. I'm willing to concede a certain amount of electronics to help but certainly not without many boots on the ground. Also, the fence is not intended to be a stand alone solution. But rather in conjunction with adequate border patrol agents, a harsh crackdown on employers, A complete cut off of all government cash stipends and an efficient and adequately staffed immigration court system with plenty of law enforcement and detention space as needed.

Reading the article, after about a third of it I was feeling very uneasy, after finishing, alarm bells going off, my God, Bush just about has all bases covered doesn't he.? You people are going to think I am crazy, probably I will be edited by the good mods on the boards here, I am begining to feel a very great unrest in my soul, the way things are going down in our country. I now see, should have seen it before, maybe I did and just tried to ignore my inner feelings, we are not only fighting a physical battle here, I believe we are in a spiritual battle to end all battles. I am going to call in the big guys to help us out here some might know to what and who I am referring to! Maybe we need a little more help to cover our bases also.

jp wrote:

Makes me think this guy isnt going to do his job very well. Let me guess that catch and release is back on.

Who said anything about catching? Also, you can't release what you never caught in the first place.

Any Politician who sides with Illegals is TRAITOR,and should be treated as such!

NEWSFLASH:
Dateline - Mexicanimerica, N.A.U.

Presidente Bush appoints another yet worthless, useless crony to do his bidding, namely to destroy the United States and replace all Americans with low wage illegal aliens for his cheap labor addicted corporate masters. Once again he appoints someone with no experience, intention or capability of doing a job that he refuses to do, (although sworn to do so by his oath of office) that is protect America from invasion.

When will the mainstream media go after Bush on this treasonous betrayal? Oh wait, that would go against their agenda, to let in every illegal alien Mexican to mooch off us taxpayers for their every need, while spewing out millions of anchor babies every year to grow up to be drop-outs, gang bangers, thugs and criminals, who'll then spew out millions more little Mexi-rugrats who'll grow up to do the same, thus creating a vicious circle of destruction to ruin our country and reduce us to the level of a corrupt third-world hellhole like Mexico.

But then again, without all these Mexican and Central American illegal aliens, what would the producers of all those 'world's most dangerous police pursuits' or 'justice files' type TV crime shows do? They wouldn't have anything to fill their endless hours of programs.