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Pentagon chief floats 'wholesale redesign' of U.S. border security
The Washington Times ^ | February 24, 2019 | Robert Burns - AP

Posted on 02/24/2019 8:28:46 AM PST by jazusamo

EL PASO, Texas — Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Saturday after visiting the U.S.-Mexico border that the government needs a broader, more effective approach to border control. He suggested the Pentagon might contribute with its expertise in surveillance and monitoring.

“How do we get out of treating the symptoms and get at the root of the issue,” Shanahan said in an interview while flying back to Washington.

Considering how the military could reinforce efforts to block drug smuggling and other illegal activity comes as the Pentagon weighs diverting billions of dollars for President Donald Trump’s border wall.

Shanahan said he was not volunteering the Pentagon to take over any part of border control, which is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. But he said his visit led him to question whether there should be a “wholesale redesign” of the way border control is done by the federal government.

Shanahan said the Pentagon is willing to continue supporting the DHS but wants to see a longer-term solution.

“I don’t want to just add resources and not fix the problem,” he said.

The Pentagon, for example, has agreed to temporarily provide active-duty troops to operate Border Patrol vehicles whose cameras can surveil wide areas along the border. Shanahan said this will free up the Border Patrol to do other important aspects of their mission. He said this is a function that could be developed more fully with the benefit of decades of U.S. military experience with ground and aerial reconnaissance and surveillance around the world.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: borderinsecurity; borderpatrol; bordersecurity; mexico; pentagon; shanahan; southernborder; trumpwall; usmilitary
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MAGA!

Let’s wrap this Freepathon up, Folks!

Please bump the Freepathon or click above to donate or become a monthly donor!

21 posted on 02/24/2019 8:54:51 AM PST by jazusamo (Have You Donated to Keep Free Republic Up and Running?)
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To: Not A Snowbird

Bump!


22 posted on 02/24/2019 8:55:34 AM PST by jazusamo (Have You Donated to Keep Free Republic Up and Running?)
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To: allendale

In the end, there will have to be several other pieces to the ‘fix’, beyond just the wall. A national ID card, more emphasis on colleges being responsible for their foreign students failing to leave, etc. There are various military-related technology programs that you could adapt and have a mile-by-mile grid laid out and guide the border patrol guys to each group attempting to cross over.


23 posted on 02/24/2019 9:06:57 AM PST by pepsionice
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To: jazusamo
He suggested the Pentagon might contribute with its expertise in surveillance and monitoring.

Yes, let's have the Pentagon contribute by helping watch the illegal aliens flooding in. Lame. The only job the Pentagon has is to defend the territory of the US, and it's been finding excuses not to do so for decades.
24 posted on 02/24/2019 9:11:39 AM PST by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: jazusamo

I have long been an advocate of bringing most of our troops home from foreign nations and stationing a couple of Divisions along the border (DMZ).

But the idea of doing something even remotely like that won’t get support from either the Left Democrats or the Right Neo-cons.


25 posted on 02/24/2019 9:16:27 AM PST by ImpBill (Republicrats/Demicans ... A pox on both their houses)
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To: 9YearLurker

This sounds good but what he is talking about is not helping the border patrol. When he talks about putting troops in trucks he is referring MSC trucks. They have done this in the past but it is not helpful. The reason being is that these trucks are set up in remote locations and in the past if national guard troops were in the trucks a border patrol agent had to be near by and available in case of an emergency. In other words it did not free up any agents.

The other issue is that surveillance is great to help catch people but it does not stop anyone from crossing. Once they cross they can apply for asylum and it cost us money to process them.

Bottom line is that we need a better barrier and a better deterrence.


26 posted on 02/24/2019 9:18:37 AM PST by 98charlie
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To: Not A Snowbird

Get rid of all taxpayer benefits!


27 posted on 02/24/2019 9:24:53 AM PST by Wm F Buckley Republican
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To: bk1000

You are 100% correct. This is basic and essential.


28 posted on 02/24/2019 9:26:54 AM PST by Wm F Buckley Republican
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To: Moonman62

“We can’t have something that can simply be turned off by future crooked politicians”.

That’s the ugly truth. But there is nothing that can’t be turned off by the next Rat president and congress.


29 posted on 02/24/2019 9:32:03 AM PST by laplata (The Left/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: bk1000

“Cut off the welfare, EBT, free stuff, etc. Enforce eVerify for employment. ALL employment. The problem will solve itself. Their countries suck. Ours doesn’t...yet. Go fix your own country and stay out of ours”.

Thread winner!

Future presidents can open the gates of a wall. But if the incentive is taken away, it wouldn’t matter.


30 posted on 02/24/2019 9:35:03 AM PST by laplata (The Left/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: 98charlie

I don’t think he really said enough for us to know what he has in mind.


31 posted on 02/24/2019 9:43:22 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: jazusamo
Build the damned wall and make it high and long. If the DC establishment ever tries to have it removed, the people (patriotic Americans) can exercise their right and defend the structure if they choose. As long as a hardened border barrier stands, we will still have a country. Using anything less than a hardened barrier can be eliminated with the stroke of a pen.
32 posted on 02/24/2019 9:44:21 AM PST by drypowder
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To: jazusamo

Army snipers with .50 caliber Barretts every half mile.

No ROE except...no one crosses the border.


33 posted on 02/24/2019 9:48:08 AM PST by moovova
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To: allendale

You obviously didn’t read the article. Contrary to reports in the media, he already is building/replacing sections of the wall. The article states that 126 miles have been completed over the past two years. Yes, it is mostly replacing failing or inadequate sections, but the end result is far better than what was there before.


34 posted on 02/24/2019 9:55:06 AM PST by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
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To: 9YearLurker

There is nothing that the military or border patrol can do other than build a better barrier. Anything else only helps catch people once they are on U.S. soil. We need to stop them before they touch U.S. soil.


35 posted on 02/24/2019 9:56:06 AM PST by 98charlie
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To: jazusamo

Shanahan is just a Boeing ass kicker from suburban Seattle. His dad was the UW campus police chief.

He knows nothing about the border, the Invasion, or especially the vicious and corrupt Mexican “culture”.

What he does know is that Boeing made a lot of money screwing up a “smart border” contract that they and John McCain pushed.

They spent a billion or so on a bunch of electronic warfare crap in Southern Arizona that only half worked. What he wants is some nice fat juicy contracts for Boeing to do that again under the rubric of “we didn’t spend enough last time out, if you give us $10 billion more maybe we can stop one or two aliens from entering!”

Shanahan is a clown kid with a bad temper.


36 posted on 02/24/2019 10:04:30 AM PST by Regulator
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To: allendale
Amusing distraction. Just when will Trump exercise his clear constitutional authority and order the Army Corp of Engineers to build a wall/barrier to secure the southern border?

Partner, we can not say enough times that we need a 30' High Southern Border Wall from San Diego, California down to Brownsville, Texas.

We just have too many corrupt officials in D.C. right now and we need to clean up this swamp right now, enough is enough. They are so clueless!!!

We have way too many Illegal Aliens in Texas right now!!!

We already know that the MSM gives the talking points to the DNC since the reporters keep telling us that we have 11 million to 12 million Illegal Aliens in this country right now. What a crock!!!

37 posted on 02/24/2019 10:20:23 AM PST by TheConservativeTejano (God Bless Texas...)
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To: allendale
Amusing distraction. Just when will Trump exercise his clear constitutional authority and order the Army Corp of Engineers to build a wall/barrier to secure the southern border?

Partner, we can not say enough times that we need a 30' High Southern Border Wall from San Diego, California down to Brownsville, Texas.

We just have too many corrupt officials in D.C. right now and we need to clean up this swamp right now, enough is enough. They are so clueless!!!

We have way too many Illegal Aliens in Texas right now!!!

We already know that the MSM gives the talking points to the DNC since the reporters keep telling us that we have 11 million to 12 million Illegal Aliens in this country right now. What a crock!!!

38 posted on 02/24/2019 10:21:02 AM PST by TheConservativeTejano (God Bless Texas...)
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To: mad_as_he$$

Democrat Party is the the USA, what the Trojan Horse was to Troy.

The Democrat Party is a greater threat to the U.S.Constitution and a free USA society, than is our external enemies.

Silly to focus on far away external threats, when the greater threat is right here in the USA.

Deport Dems to a place already in the model they seek....Zimbabwe comes to mind....the kind of ideal, socialist paradise even Bernie S and Pelosi wet dream about....no white superiority over there either....just Socialist Blacks running the place into the ground, per normal for Socialists.


39 posted on 02/24/2019 10:24:52 AM PST by OldArmy52 (Nazi concentration camps are proof that banning guns works.)
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To: 98charlie

I certainly agree with that. But if they can also identify them as they are approaching the border, there should be some who otherwise would make it over that we can stop.

Also, we need the military outright defending the border, not simply getting coffee for CBP.


40 posted on 02/24/2019 10:28:20 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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