Ridge is ready to use UAVs; Fort and county could be base for a pilot project next year

Sierra Vista Herald, Sierra Vista Arizona ^ | 125/04/03 | Bill Hess

[SandRat]

This is a follow up story to one posted yesterday. It appears that Ridge has some interesting words to share and that some in Washington might be getting the word.

[SandRat]

ILLEGALALIEN - PING!

[My2Cents]

Hey, wait. I thought the Bush Administration didn't care about illegal immigration.

[HiJinx]

I'm not going to hold my breath re:post#3, I'm very much afraid this is window-dressing. If they were serious, all UAV flights, training and otherwise, would be carried out in support of the Border Patrol starting yesterday. Ridge says the Army 'may' be supporting BP with UAVs next year. Too late, when the BP is apprehending 200 illegals per day in the Naco Corridor.

[gaijin]

Ya think they'll actually USE the intel that UAV's collect?

The Border Patrol is replete with examples in which earnest-sounding higher-ups actually thwart the everyday efforts of their well-intentioned, hard-working charges; libs want illegals for their votes, republicrats want them for cheap wages for companies.

The intel will be used merely to the extent that it will assure that rag-heads are prevented from crossing, while torrents of run of the mill illegals will have their own carpeted passing lane straight to El Norte.

Protect foreign interests? Gladly.

Protect the Joe Six-Pack? FORGET IT!

[meenie]

It is amazing that Ridge is so impressed with a UAV. I thought UAV's were common knowledge throughout the country since the Afghan use. Sounds like a put-off to me. Ridge plays the scape goat for doing nothing on our borders perfectly.

[texastoo]

I think Ridge was totally embarrassed by the I-10 shootout by the Mexicans. That shootout made homeland security a joke.

The army has had UAVs longer than Spence but never used them. I wonder why they are discussing this now?

[Frohickey]

What is are UAV flights going to do to curb illegal immigration?

Are they going to fire missiles at them? Thats pretty much what curbed the flow at one time, when some private citizen groups were said to go and patrol the borders with guns.

[SandRat]

They need to be careful. At some point Joe Six-Pack is going to get tired of waiting for Washington to protect him and decide to protect himself.

[Pubbie]

Quiet you scumbag RINO Neo-Con - Don't you listen to The Paleoswhen they tell you that there is NO difference whatsoever between Republicans and Democrats, and that we would be better off with Dean than Bush?!

GO PAT GOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!!!!!!! (Sarcasm/)

[texastoo]

"Hey, wait. I thought the Bush Administration didn't care about illegal immigration."

They didn't until Arnold won in California on that "one single issue" illegal immigration. They have had UAVs for years and have not used them on the border.

[jmc813]

When I was stationed at Huachuca, there was a blimp tethered to the ground flying over the Huachuca Mountains monitering the border 24 hours a day. I'm hoping that this new program will be of assistance to the wonderful people of Cochise County.

[HiJinx]

Fat Albert is still there, but he primarily looks at aerial targets.

Glenn Spencer and crew are using a combination of UAVs and ground seismic sensors to identify moving groups of illegals. They notify the BP, who in turn picks up the illegals for processing.

[HiJinx]

Actually, the UAVs aren't really being used to gather intel, they're much more of a tactical asset in nature.

They're like the Highway Patrolman in a helicopter or standing on the overpass with a radar gun.

[HiJinx]

You've named part of the answer -- the I10 shoot-out galvanized Federal Law Enforcement. The uninformed public was suddenly informed in a big way that the slave-traders posed a real problem to Joe Six-Pack.

They're discussing UAVs now because they finally realized that they have an asset that works...and once again, the public knows it because of our military successes in Afghanistan.

[HiJinx]

Unfortunately, the patrols did little to nothing to curb the traffic through the Naco Corridor. The purpose of the UAV is to be a set of eyes in the sky to alert BP agents to groups of illegals moving north through the corridor.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Band aid on gunshot wound -a diversion.

[Ajnin]

RPV's were used by the Border Patrol a number of years ago. I have worked the border with RPV's and they are great except for the fact that there is a lot of down time and expense for the vehicles. Instead of RPV's we now have stationary cameras covering nearly our entire sector. The Border Patrol is still looking at using RPV's to cover dead spaces that the stationary cameras can't cover. Our primary use for the RPV's was and will be to cover our mountain region. The Border Patrol has a few secret projects under way that are extremely effective at combating smuggling. There are a lot of changes coming to the Border Patrol through DHS. One rumor I have been hearing is that we are going to start doing city patrol in the interior once the northern border is properly manned. I have seen a lot of good changes with this new adminstration, unfortunately there is still much political correctness stiffling our efforts.

[gaijin]

we are going to start doing city patrol

Now, I really think that's good news, though I doubt they will come through on this. I think it's sad, though, that this should have rumour status; it should been done decades ago. City patrols are being whispered about like it's innovative, or something.

I mean, there are huge neighborhoods that you can drive through in Southern California where folks simply do not speak english, and in those rare instances in which they can, well, many are outspoken about how they're "re-conquistadors", "this is Atzlan" [sic], etc.

Recent arrivals are most often hard-working, and I think that's good. But in their kids, these good habits are diminish and there's a detectable sense of entitlement sets in; "Where is MINE?"

[B4Ranch]

"Band aid on gunshot wound -a diversion."

You said it! Ridge had to get his ass back to DC and ask Bush, what in the hell is he going to do before the Americans who care decide to start solving these problems without official guidance.

"Naw, Sammy, forget them shovels, we need a bulldozer today. Did you get those five cases of ammo, like I asked you to?"