Jun 30 9:35 PM US/Eastern
Posted on 06/30/2006 7:15:57 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
| Only 483 Guard Working on Mexican Border Jun 30 9:35 PM US/Eastern
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By AARON C. DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif.
On the deadline to have 2,500 troops along the Mexican border, the National Guard said Friday that only 483 were in position and working with the U.S. Border Patrol as the Bush administration had directed.
But Guard officials said more than 2,000 others were somewhere inside the four southwestern border states, training or helping plan the deployment. He and Bush administration officials argued Friday that the presence of troops in those states spelled success in the first stage of the mission.
Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, an arm of the Pentagon, had promised June 1 that by the end of the month 2,500 Guard troops would be working "on the border."
"As defined by the operation, the National Guard has met and exceeded its goal of deploying 2,500 soldiers and airmen to the four Southwest border states," said White House spokesman Blain Rethmeier. "Progress to date is real and the Guard's efforts are making a positive difference in this national effort."
As evidence, he said the early arrival of troops had allowed the Border Patrol to send 125 agents "back to the front lines," and helped the Border Patrol catch nearly 200 illegal immigrants, seize 123 pounds of marijuana, 18 pounds of cocaine and seven vehicles.
Through initial pay requests filed with the Air Guard and orders filed with the Army Guard, the Guard bureau verified 2,547 troops were in the four border states for the mission, said Daniel Donohue, a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau.
Only 483 were physically on the border, he conceded.
The remaining forces _ 1,816 _ are in training somewhere in the four states; 248 are assigned to headquarters and planning roles, Donohue said.
Asked to clarify, Blum spokesman Mark Allen responded by e-mail that the general had never specifically promised to deliver troops to a "geographically defined latitude and longitude."
Still, there were signs the deployment was picking up speed.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said 1,000 Army and Air National Guardsmen were either on the border or "on their way," adding 500 to totals released Thursday. But his office said the additional troops didn't actually reach the border, but were considered deployed when they left Friday for two weeks of training.
Several states whose Guard leaders and governors had been contacted by the National Guard Bureau in the last 48 hours also made announcements Friday that they would send troops.
Gov. Mike Easley of North Carolina said he would reluctantly deploy 300 troops to the border in mid-July.
"I would prefer not to have any of the North Carolina National Guard deployed to other states at this time," he said. "However, the Guard units in the western states are spread thin as they battle raging wildfires. We must all step up and do our part to keep our country safe."
Kentucky announced it would send up to 650 National Guard troops. Arkansas also said it would send 200. New Jersey also said it would send up to 650 for three-week assignments.
Damon Foreman, senior patrol agent and spokesman for the Border Patrol in San Diego, said agents there eagerly await the Guard's help.
"We would welcome all the help we could get. We could absorb them as fast as we could give them instructions on what to do," Foreman said, adding that the delayed deployment, however, had not affected operations.
"We've been doing a considerably effective job for a long time now, we'll keep doing our job whether the whole number of Guard show up tomorrow, a week from tomorrow, or a month from now."
Bush's plan for stemming illegal immigration by using National Guardsmen in a support role called for 2,500 troops to be on the border by June 30, and 6,000 by the end of July.
Bush had said the mission would free up thousands of officers now on other duties to actively patrol the border. Guardsmen are expected to build fences, conduct routine surveillance and take care of other administrative duties for the border patrol.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
IMO, the chances of the GOP losing the Congress this fall are small.
"All politics is local".
In fact, the immigration issue seems to be driving Republican politicians to the right...at least when they're at home on the campaign trail. How they act in DC is another story...
My personal expectation is a slightly more conservative House when it is all said and done.
The Senate is a different equation entirely...but it will still be in Republican hands, I think.
I want every friggin pro illegal immigration whore out of office, or there will be no country to save.
Press 1 for English!
So do I, but since that isn't possible in many cases, I'll have to settle for trying to make their existence as miserable as possible. ;-)
I am not interested in losing the House or the Senate. I just want to get rid of the RINOS, and the pro illegal immigration sluts.
ROTF! On this we certainly agree!
I know. But it is a standard tactic around here for the OBL's to try and project that motive on you or whoever. Don't let 'em get away with it.
How many NG do we really need to polish the hubcaps of border patrol vehicles, wash dishes, etc.?
None, I think.
Personally, I only want to see troops doing things that physically put a stop to the invasion.
Actually building real barriers would be one. Active patrols would be another.
The US government has enough bureaucrats to do the paperwork.
I don't let them get away with it. Their arguments are puerile, and their logic is bankrupt.
I like AZ Governor Candidate Goldwater's idea of setting up tent cities along the border to house convicted illegals and then offering the early deportation for building the security wall that Bush and the Feds refuse to produce.
When they even try to use argument or logic, which is rare. Their main tactic is personal attack and complete misdirection, usually.
The massive numbers are going to necessitate some things that are distasteful to many.
How about these:
"Go back to D U" (nah, I'm not a masochist. I Pass!)
" You're not a Republican" Well, I have voted Republican since high school(Nixon). I don't know what else to say.
"You are a troll"......being a conservative is now troll-like??
"Don't disrupt the President in a time of war"
This is my favorite. Bush gets an A on foreign soil WOT, but he gets an F on the domestic WOT. We could easily have 10,000 al-queda terrorists in the USA who entered through Mexico because the President is pro illegal immigration. And I have no right to criticize????
Time for a private army.
It will be a big one.
You jokers fail to see the irony in your own posts.
Please do point it out.
and it's "Freedumb2003" to you. You heven't earned the right to us a diminuation of my name, yet.
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