Posted on 07/01/2006 6:05:02 AM PDT by ohhhh
NEWS WEB BREITBART FINANCE
SOURCE: REUTERS · ASSOCIATED PRESS · AFP · FOX NEWS · US NEWSWIRE · DRUDGE REPORT
Only 483 Guard Working on Mexican Border Jun 30 9:35 PM US/Eastern
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.
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©2006 BREITBART.COM, LLC.
Actually, I heard the Governor of one of the border states (I've forgotten which one, I was exercising and only partially paying attention) say that it's not a true report and that his state alone has close to 1,000 troops on the border.
Someone else at FNC said this report was clearly not true and had some stats to back it up. I think it was reported on Thursday.
Source for you claim? I say you just made your supposed quote up. Sorry Democrat "Virtual Campaigner" your attempt to spread DNC "Hate Republican" propaganda fools no one here. You can waddle back to Deluded Unglued now.
[If Clinton had tried to pull this stunt, we would be screaming from the rooftops. But when GW does it, most republicans look the other way.]
As the dems and the pubs move further to the left, the conservatives are the only ones left who look at the consequences of not discerning the intentions of our misguided la la land politicians.
And Karl Rove is a featured speaker at the upcoming LaRaza convention. How's about dem apples?
(Sen. Brownback of Kansas is, too.)
http://www.nclr.org/content/news/detail/40591/
A good example of a Bush wet dream.
EVERYONE, EVERYONE PAY ATTENTION
100% OF THE PURPOSE of GWB's 11th hour announcement
to put troops on the border
WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT,
NOT ANY ACTION THAT MIGHT FOLLOW
NOR HOW MUCH ACTUAL ACTION WOULD FOLLOW
NOR HOW SOON ANY ACTION WOULD FOLLOW
THE PURPOSE WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT PERIOD. (GWB: "SEE I HEAR YOU GUYS" - purpose achieved, he believed (wrong))
Its all in the promise (case closed) not in the delivery (everyone will foget).
Everyone except the GOP base that is.
[And Karl Rove is a featured speaker at the upcoming LaRaza convention. How's about dem apples? ]
And the typical American citizen still believes the propaganda that the right wing politician still represents America and our constitutional republic form of government as our forefathers intended. Ann Coulter got it right in her new book "Godless" concerning the liberal left, but the right wing is leaving the dictates of the constitution also, are they not?
I live on the highway to Mexico, there are that many around here. There can't be that many humvees moving w/o drivers.
We want nothing less than Securing our Boarder First. Then enforcing current law which fines companies that hire illegals.
Don't trust the Senate or the President on this issue. They have sold our sovernty out and now we have to deal with illegal invaders.
6000 National Guard troops to the border was a sham to begin with. Once you read the "fine print" you can come to the conclusion it was meant to TRY to appease the anti-ILLEGAL immigration crowd (count me in).
: )
Careful now, dinok, you seem to have johnnie-boy biting at your ankles. Mustn't say anything negative about Bush. Besides, you've only been here since 2000, J-boy, has been here since '04.
That's what I heard also. I'm not happy with California and think Arnold S. is becoming a stone nut for his Guard contribution. Hate to say it since I voted for him. Is what I hear about his lack of sending more Guard than the few he sent correct?
So-called (after endless recounts) Gov. Christine Gregoire said she will not compel any of the state's National Guard troops to serve on the Mexican border if they're asked.
"I'm not going to force any National Guard member to go there...if I have volunteers who want to, we will support their request."
Should we expect anything less when you "elect" a limp-wristed-milquetoast Leftist to the People's Republic of the State of Washington (California-lite)?:
Yup, let's just pick and choose what issues we will participate in. Is it a case so she won't anger the infestation of illegals in her state. If so, she cowardly puts the monkey on the backs of the Guard by letting them make the choice -- "...anybody feel like getting up this morning to protect the borders...?"
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