Bush Sends National Guard To Mexico Border (UK View)

President George W Bush last night sent thousands of troops to the Mexican-US frontier in an eye-catching gesture to tighten border security and raise the morale of his mutinous conservative supporters.

In a sign of the passions raging over immigration, Mr Bush told the nation of his initiative in a prime-time address from the Oval Office, his first on domestic policy in his five and a half years in the White House.

Jorge Alavrez, who was deported from Nevada two months ago, squeezes back into the US at Tijuana

Aides briefed in advance that he would send fewer than 10,000 National Guardsmen to support the Border Patrol along the porous desert border which stretches for about 2,000 miles between Mexico and the US.

The plan has sparked opposition from the government in Mexico and also in Congress where politicians are wrangling over how to tackle illegal immigration.

Vincente Fox, the president of Mexico, called Mr Bush over the weekend arguing that this was not the answer to illegal immigration and that a comprehensive solution was required.

Senior Republicans and Democrats have expressed concern that the deployment will place fresh strains on the National Guard, given its commitments in Iraq and responsibilities for combating natural disasters on US soil.

White House aides said it would be only a temporary initiative while the border guards expanded their operations and numbers. Tony Snow, the new White House press secretary, said the effort would use only a "very small percentage of the [400,000 strong] Guard".

The US-Mexico border is one of the most difficult in the world to police. Every year hundreds of thousands of people from Latin America play hide and seek with the patrols as they try to slip across in search of a better life in America.

The new troops will not be involved in arresting and detaining illegal immigrants. Rather they will be monitoring the border from helicopters.

The initiative comes as Mr Bush faces pressure from "law-and-order" Republicans who are against his proposal for a guest-worker programme for immigrants which would allow them temporary residence. They argue that, with 11 million illegal immigrants, public services are being stretched to breaking point and the national security is under threat.

Republicans in Congress are split on the issue with the business wing of the party arguing that immigrants are the lifeblood of the nation's economy, in particular agriculture.

Last night's announcement was seen in Washington as an attempt by the president to look tough to woo rebellious conservatives to back his legislation. His approval ratings are at record lows of about 30 per cent with even his core Right-wing supporters becoming increasingly disillusioned.

Karl Rove, Mr Bush's senior political adviser, made clear that the deployment of troops was not a substitute for a broader plan.

"We will not be able to secure the border unless we have a temporary workers' programme," he said.

"We want to have people patiently waiting in line for the prospect of being able eventually to have a job [rather] than having to throw themselves across the border."

He added that the authorities had returned more than six million people since Mr Bush took office in 2001.

"We've got National Guard members on their second, third and fourth tours in Iraq," said Chuck Hagel, a senior Republican senator. "We have stretched our military as thin as we have ever seen it in modern times." "White House aides said it would be only a temporary initiative while the border guards expanded their operations and numbers. Tony Snow, the new White House press secretary, said the effort would use only a "very small percentage of the [400,000 strong] Guard."

Frigen Hagel is almost as bad as Murtha. Where did his brain go?

"We will not be able to secure the border unless we have a temporary workers' programme," he said.

Does...Not...Compute...

Is this like "We will not be able to secure the Iraqi border without a temporary workers' program"

I predicted bush would say something like this, but not so clearly. He will give us our security if we trade him and his lobbies the guest worker program.

Can you imagine a mayor saying "the police will enforce the law if you give us X program."

Same old tired bullsh*t

Blah blah blah . . . we increased funding by 60% . . . blah blah blah . . . in 2008 we may add a few more border patrol . . . . yada yada yada...some ole shit

I won't send another dime to any Republican candidate! All my contributions will go to http://www.minutemanproject.com/

I will also stay home in November. I am extremely disappointed. Shocked. Turly shocked.

5 posted on 05/15/2006 6:27:41 PM PDT by soccer_maniac (Do some good while browsing FR --> Join our Folding@Home Team# 36120: keyword: folding@home)

I really don't care where the Guard have been. We need to deploy them to protect our borders. They signed up for it....they got it.

Besides. For many of them they will see it their patriotic duty just if they where to deploy to Afghanistan or Iraq.

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