I think an intelligent discussion of security at the borders and ports is in order. I have wondered about cargo containers ever since those AK-47's were found in Long Beach. Those, you may recall, were NOT of Middle Eastern origin.
The borders are also a problem. We MUST get the Mexican and Canadian governments to assist us, because despite what some people say, we cannot put up impenetrable barriers on our northern and southern borders. We also have thousands of miles of coastline to protect as well.
I think it would be good to have a well-defined policy, with priorities set and an explanation given to the American people. I have not seen this yet, but I am hopeful that we will eventually get one.
There is a fine line between getting the people to be alert and panicking the population to the point that we have vigilante action and a paralyzed economy.
I guess I am a bit short-tempered about this today, and I am not seeing much humor in it. Joke away, if you feel it helps. I am just crabby.
I wasn’t joking -- It’s been eight months since the horror of 9/11, and we have yet to plug the security holes that are attainable. We still grant visas to Middle Easterners – although we have added a question asking if an applicant belongs to a terrorist organization, with the footnote that a “yes” answer does not necessarily disqualify the applicant. We still have the European visa waiver program, although many of these countries are overflowing with radical Islamists (remember Richard Reid?). As soon as the small plane ban was lifted, we have had a steady stream of Middle Easterners entering the U.S. to take flying lessons, and we did nothing to halt the stream of foreign students during these eight months. The student visa tracking program was just enacted into law, and it will take at least six months to get it operative (probably longer, given the level of incompetence continually demonstrated by the INS). On our borders, we have daily stories of every nationality crossing illegally, many due to lack of personnel, but many also due to the unwillingness of security personnel to do their job, because the INS has become a “welcome wagon” instead of a security agency. We have a bill pending in Congress that would limit visas from nations that sponsor terrorism – and Saudi Arabia isn’t included. We are so afraid of alienating any ethnic group that we resist profiling at airports, but instead we have screeners pushing the panic button which routinely cripples airports, or frisking grandmothers and businessmen while ignoring the most obvious suspects.
Given all these failings, do we really believe that these 25 are the only potential terrorists who have entered the country since 9/11? We failed to be proactive before 9/11, and we have failed since then.
The irony of this current “warning” is that no one who’s been awake since 9/11 can honestly believe that scores of potential terrorists have entered our country since 9/11 – with no “warning” issued.