Ridge: No sign of terrorists trying to cross border

AP ^ | AP

[Bald Eagle777]

Ridge: No sign of terrorists trying to cross border

Associated Press

NOGALES, Ariz. (AP) -Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday that he's seen no sign of terrorist efforts to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, and that the United States is not going to start militarizing it.

``We have a long tradition with our friends to the north and south. We're very fortunate that we've never had to assign military to our borders, and we're not going to start that now,'' Ridge said. ``We don't militarize our borders with friends.''

Ridge said that he had seen nothing from any intelligence sources suggesting that terrorists have tried to cross ``this border, this port of entry or any area close to it.''

Ridge, in Nogales to announce two high-tech lanes for cutting waiting times for commercial trucks at the port of the entry here, said the country has made dramatic progress at its ports of entry.

He said the country has also made significant progress between them in boosting security since the Sept. 11 attacks.

``No one is saying it's a fail-safe system,'' he said. ``No one is saying we don't have more work to do.''

But he said the country is safer, that apprehensions of illegal immigrants are up significantly along the Mexican border and that work is continuing to make the situation safer still.

``This is a safer community, but this has been building up. It didn't get done with the Bush administration,'' said Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada, who's a Democrat.

Estrada said that since 1995, the Border Patrol has added resources and infrastructure, increasing the number of agents from fewer than 100 to around 500 now, and secured the border with more secure fencing.

``That has made a big difference,'' said Estrada, noting that there had been out-of-control, cross-border crime until the Border Patrol started beefing up and recognizing the problems that communities like Nogales face.

Asked about civilian groups patrolling the border, Ridge said they should leave matters to law enforcement officers who put their lives at risk every day.

Ridge also touted construction of two FAST lanes, standing for Free and Secure Trade, at the port of entry west of Nogales.

The lanes allow for advance clearance of trucks enrolled in the program carrying known low-risk shipments.

Trucking companies, trucks and drivers enrolled in the program use window decals and FAST commercial driver ID cards that are scanned by a reading device, and a Customs and Border Protection officer verifies approval provided on a computer screen.

Manufacturers or producers enrolled in the program are part of the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, while truck companies must meet security standards and background checks assure the truck drivers have clearance for the program.

The first such lane was dedicated last December in El Paso, which subsequently added a second lane. Others lanes are operating in Laredo and Hidalgo, Texas.

Other FAST lanes are planned at Otay Mesa and Calexico, Calif., and Brownsville, Texas.

On the Net:

Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/

[Bald Eagle777]

Abortion is homicide in the First Degree. God will judge our civilization pretty harshly if we keep it up. In terms of the number of dead innocents, I believe that we are ahead of Hitler and Stalin. I haven't taken a close look at the data, but it is pretty staggering. I would expect more tornados, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, etc until we cease and desist (on abortion). Abortion is a sick sign of the times, and it erodes any moral authority we have in the world and also in history. Pretty much our marketing and "PR" that we are the most moral nation in the last 300 years (or so) of world history has been surpassed by the extermination we have of innocent unborn babies.

When the USA is judged by God at the end of history, we will have a lot of explaining to do. No answer will cover over all the millions of murdered babies. It makes you want to get off this planet. It looks like the human CONSCIENCE is pretty much dead. No conscience, no kidding. A generation without a conscience can do anything.

We live in dangerous times. If teh Democratic and also Republican parties don't clean up their act, it may be time to replace them with a major First party of a higher order.

[Bald Eagle777]

Not very polite of them. Not very neighborly. Actually, I classify these border activities as an invasion. That is my POV, not shared by the internationalist crowd. There are different strategies and tactics that can be employed when defending against an invasion. Can we defend ourselves on the border issue? Yes. Will we? No.

[Bald Eagle777]

I have read Foreign Affairs at times since about 1991 (est.). Haven't checked it out lately, however. Foreign Policy was a compact little IR primer.

They are extremely intelligent and do in fact discuss world affairs in a well thought out manner. Some may be in favor of a one world type of political arrangement in which national sovereignty has been eclipsed by a global regime. If any over there at FA have taken that position in the past, I would encourage them to reconsider their position and in fact change it. It would be interesting talking to those guys about their beliefs and examine where they are coming from in person.

However, we all have to be vigilant in our defense of the U.S. Constitution and make sure that our hard-earned National Sovereignty is not compromised. The honor of our Soldiers, Airmen/flyboys, Navy guys and Marines that have fought and died in our country's wars would be besmirched.

For all of those who have been wounded, killed or captured and possibly tortured to keep this great country free, we owe an unending debt. We are a free, independent nation due to the sacrifices of so many. We can not let them down.

We need to encourage everyone wherever they may be to renew their commitment to the US Constitution and preserving our sacred national sovereignty. Too many have died to protect us and we must honor their memory.

Those that work assiduously to undermine our Constitution and national sovereignty, by word, deed or surreptitiously by pen, are not serving the best interests of the country and are a disgrace to the memory of so many that have been wounded, captured or killed.

The good guys at home and working abroad need our support and the guys that are dying would not want us to take their sacrifice lightly.

We need national leaders and academics at every level who are unswerving in their dedication to the Constitution and maintaining the freedom and independence of this Great Nation. Whoever they are, and wherever they serve the country, may God Bless them all.