Posted on 06/28/2009 11:00:26 AM PDT by Hawk720
A proposal to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to counter drug trafficking has triggered a bureaucratic standoff between the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security over the military's role in domestic affairs, according to officials in both departments.
The debate has engaged a pair of powerful personalities, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, in what their subordinates describe as a turf fight over which agency should direct the use of troops to assist in the fight against Mexican cartels and which one should pay for them.
At issue is a proposal to send 1,500 additional troops to the border to analyze intelligence and to provide air support and technical assistance to border agencies. The governors of Texas, Arizona, California and New Mexico began making the requests in January, drawing support from Napolitano but prompting objections from the Pentagon, where officials argue that it could lead to a permanent, expanded mission for the military.
President Obama has signaled that he is open to the idea, asking Congress for $250 million to deploy the National Guard while also saying he was "not interested in militarizing the border." In the war supplemental funding bill that Obama signed last week, lawmakers appropriated the money for other Justice and DHS border security but said the president could ask again when he reached a decision. The issue has been stalled before a National Security Council policy committee, after which it would go to Obama for a decision.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This is a perfect reason that all national defense activity should be under the Department of Defense, and not spread around under competing agencies.
Stupid bureaucracy will get people killed.
If the US were under invasion...I would have no issue of the guard or active duty protecting the border. The problem here is that this is basically a day-to-day protection problem. We are asking our guard personnel and active duty guys to treat this like the Balkins...just drive around and show “power”.
The locals are basically buying off on the national guard being the best choice because they see the border patrol as being mostly a failure. The truth is that the national guard guys would eventually be deemed a failure as well.
There are two basic answers to this...first, put intelligence collection up and down the border (the blimps, the cameras, the sensors, etc). Let the intruders know that we can see them from 60,000 feet up. Second, finish the fence.
DHS has NO clue....whatsoever....
Interesting stand-off.
No One seems to be saying much about FEMA training soldiers from Mexico and other countries being trained in July for “MARTIAL LAW” actions.
We don’t need the military on the border. It’s redundant. We already have the Border Patrol which is more than enough to get the job done. The problem has nothing to do with the military or lack of military. The whole problem is political correctness.
If the BP is a failure then so is the Guard. The government does not want to stop illegals. So nobody, not the Guard, the SEALS, the Marines or Delta Force is going to be able to secure the border.
Political correctness and willful disregard for the law by our government is what is preventing the securing of the border.
ping
Put the military on the border with shoot to kill orders!
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