This is the disconnect which is apparently part of Bush's Homeland Security policy that we don't understand. Entire terrorist armies could be crossing our borders, fully armed, and we would have little knowledge of it. And no control over such an incursion. Are they? There is more than a few clues to the veracity of this possibility. Shall we just wait and find out?
If our government's security policy track-recond is any measure, we can expect a frantic, reflexive, and tectonic shift in policy once a long feared cross border terrorist attack becomes reality. After some bloody horror of a Beslan-like or Suicide bomber incident that kills untold numbers of innocent American citizens in their own hometown explodes in screaming headlines across the nation, you can expect that the sudden realization of our vulnerability will become very painfully obvious. What was considered unthinkable before, will become issue #1, driving a hysterical wave of voter demand "to do something... NOW!" Suddenly, Congress will be screaming for something they have quietly resisted and prevented for decades- real attempts at providing border security for our nation.
The history of why this has become the status quo is long, complex, controversial, and unfortunately, more focused on political expediency than national security. And now, we begin to reap the "rewards" of the many years of myopic neglect of our immigration and security problems. With one terrorist act, that can be traced from south of the border, all this current controversy will be swept away, and previous concerns over finer points of civil liberties and extending constitutional protection to "undocumented immigrants" will seem trivial. Instead of facing a threat, doing the hard work that must be done, and preventing a national security and humanitarian crisis, we will simply follow the well worn tracks of how policy is done in the modern U.S., and wait until it is too late to prevent disaster. But certainly not too late to appoint a Congressional committee to point fingers of blame and obfuscate the failings of those with the real authority and responsibility, mainly Congress itself.
I blame the man I voted for, for President, and I still support, ... for being too conditioned to compromise and accommodation. He simply does not see the dire consequences that would come with the worst case scenario. I understand the position of political vulnerability Bush estimated a hard-line anti-illegal border security policy would have put him in, even to the point of realistic concern of losing the election if this issue had become focused on. Oh, how Kerry would have demagogued this to the Hispanic voters... "Bush is a racist!", "Bush would tear down the Statue of Liberty!" etc. I can imagine that and worse, as I would never expect anything better from the Democrat Party of today.
But... the election is over. Bush has his "political capital", and I wish he would realize how much of it he will lose IF we experience a hometown atrocity by terrorists that have crossed the Mexican border. How many "OTMs" crossing that border have been detected so far? Hundreds? I am not sure, but it is high time some dots get connected, and we alter the old "wait till its too late" policy of lurch and reaction. Once a major cross border terrorist attack happens, the issue of preventing the influx of Illegal will be settled, instantly... and forever. But I fear the terrible consequences this turn of events will bring to all of us. Mr. Bush... think and listen to your citizens!
In FY 2004, just under 66,000.