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Ridge: No sign of terrorists trying to cross border
AP ^ | AP

Posted on 09/29/2004 4:11:57 PM PDT by 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/


TOPICS: Government; Mexico; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aliens; alqaedamexico; bordersecurity; dhs; immigrantlist; immigration; ridge; usborder
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To: MNJohnnie

They caught a woman a few weeks ago who crossed a number of times.


21 posted on 09/29/2004 4:40:48 PM PDT by monkeywrench
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To: JustAnAmerican
"SO the first terrorist attack in this country that happens because they came across one of our porous borders I will personally hold Ridge and all the illegal supporting politicians responsible."

What makes you think you'll even know where they entered or how? All govt. has to do is file the info under 'national security' and it'll be buried for generations.

22 posted on 09/29/2004 4:44:03 PM PDT by monkeywrench
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To: Bald Eagle777
Ridge: No sign of terrorists trying to cross border

Because they're already here?
23 posted on 09/29/2004 4:44:42 PM PDT by aruanan
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To: Bald Eagle777

"Ridge: No sign of terrorists trying to cross border"

Yeah, and wild birds do not fly at night, ask any goose.


24 posted on 09/29/2004 4:47:21 PM PDT by Ursus arctos horribilis ("It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" Emiliano Zapata 1879-1919)
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To: Bald Eagle777

This is silly. There is no sign? How would he possibly know? It's clear the feds have no idea how many illegals are crossing, and they certainly don't have a clue as to who the illegals are. How can anyone seriously believe it would be difficult for islamofacsists to cross the border every night if they felt like it?


25 posted on 09/29/2004 4:51:18 PM PDT by SoDak
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To: JustAnAmerican

Exactly! Ridge is showing a totally pre-9/11 mentality. Instead of analyzing and dealing with the obvious vulnerabilities, he's saying, "Oh, no one's proved yet that terrorists will utilize our open borders to attack us" -- when there's a nuclear 9/11 or other terror disasters it will be more than a little late to get a clue, Mr. Ridge!!!


26 posted on 09/29/2004 4:52:02 PM PDT by Enchante (Jayson Blair left the NY Times and works for Dan Rather at CBS!)
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To: Bald Eagle777

27 posted on 09/29/2004 5:08:04 PM PDT by OXENinFLA
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To: Bald Eagle777
Portrait of Tom Ridge & the DHS
28 posted on 09/29/2004 5:09:22 PM PDT by ApesForEvolution (You will NEVER convince me that Muhammadanism isn't a veil for MASS MURDERS. Save your time...)
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To: MNJohnnie
Don't you people pause for even a second to think that maybe Ridge has it right and the Hard Right Ranters like Tancraddeo, Savage and Buchannan are the clueless ones?

You need to lay off the juice...It's gettin' to ya....

29 posted on 09/29/2004 5:09:42 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: Jeff Head

This is some $cary $hit...


30 posted on 09/29/2004 5:11:30 PM PDT by ApesForEvolution (You will NEVER convince me that Muhammadanism isn't a veil for MASS MURDERS. Save your time...)
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To: politicalwit
It's going to take a major assault originating from the South for Ridge to remove his head from where the sun don't shine.

Ridge will move his head where he's told to move it...

31 posted on 09/29/2004 5:11:32 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: Bald Eagle777; B4Ranch; tame; OldFriend; JoeGOP; Happy2BMe; MeekOneGOP; mhking; sinkspur; ...

Contradiction from Ridge BTTT

(((PING!)))


32 posted on 09/29/2004 5:14:20 PM PDT by ApesForEvolution (You will NEVER convince me that Muhammadanism isn't a veil for MASS MURDERS. Save your time...)
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To: MNJohnnie

Did it ever occur to you that maybe the politicians are trying to put a smiley face on a manure pile & tell you that the sh*t doesn't stink & draw flies ? The folks in that part of the country know exactly what is going on as they literally see the illegals trashing the border areas on there way North. There have been elements of the MEXICAN ARMY nearly 12 miles inside the USA trying to machine gun U.S. Border patrol agents they are caught & management sends the Mexicans home with their guns like nothing happened.


33 posted on 09/29/2004 5:15:40 PM PDT by Nebr FAL owner (Here's to Abdul seeing the light ,preferably from a 20 megaton nuke up close & personal)
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To: Bald Eagle777
Mexico and to a lesser extent, Canada are not our friends.

Mexico acts as an enemy most of the time.

34 posted on 09/29/2004 5:19:47 PM PDT by yarddog
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To: Bald Eagle777
Remember, this is the same Tom Ridge who didn't notice that Ed Rendell's troops had registered over 100,000 aliens to vote in Pennsylvania.

The same Tom Ridge who didn't notice that he won his election, as did Santorum, and that George Bush lost Pennsylvania thanks to absentee ballots from every urban area in the state that had only one vote on them apiece .... for President only!

This is the same Tom Ridge who couldn't find his posterior with a mirror and a flashlight with a compass in the end. It has been mentioned on this site frequently that the BP is catching Muslim OTM's every week. In addition to terminal irrelvance, this silly bastard neither reads, nor sees the obvious. George, talk to your mother. It's replacement time for this bozo as soon as the election is over.

35 posted on 09/29/2004 5:20:43 PM PDT by Kenny Bunk
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To: Bald Eagle777

Were we expecting Ridge to say, "Oh hell yea, the borders are a sieve ... anyone can walk across at any time and millions have already. I'm sure Al Queda is pouring across as we speak and already have 100's of sleepers pretending to be Juan the Garderer just waiting to take over your kid's school"?


36 posted on 09/29/2004 5:22:29 PM PDT by spodefly (A bunny-slippered operative in the Vast Right-Wing Pajama Party.)
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To: Kenny Bunk

Hear, hear!! They'd just replace him with someone equally as ineffectual though...(sigh)


37 posted on 09/29/2004 5:23:36 PM PDT by ApesForEvolution (You will NEVER convince me that Muhammadanism isn't a veil for MASS MURDERS. Save your time...)
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To: ApesForEvolution

troubling, isn't it?


38 posted on 09/29/2004 5:24:16 PM PDT by tame (Are you willing to do for the truth what leftist are willing to do for a lie?)
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To: tame

Saddening and depressing would be more like it...


39 posted on 09/29/2004 5:25:09 PM PDT by ApesForEvolution (You will NEVER convince me that Muhammadanism isn't a veil for MASS MURDERS. Save your time...)
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To: ApesForEvolution

the la raza folks should be coming along soon :o)


40 posted on 09/29/2004 5:25:30 PM PDT by tame (Are you willing to do for the truth what leftist are willing to do for a lie?)
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