Where are the promised border troops?

[pinboy3niner]

Source: The Arizona Republic

At first glance, this looked like the rantings of some anti-immigrant fanatic obsessed with militarizing the border. But if you read his whole (short) opinion column, you find that that isn't necessarily true. And, whatever his views on the issue, the columnist's conclusion exposes the real truth behind all the political posturing.

Where are the promised border troops?
by By E. J. Montini, Columnist - Jun. 20, 2010 08:25 PM
The Arizona Republic


<snip>
Sen. John McCain said that 1,200 was "not good enough" and got the Senate Armed Services Committee to approve 6,000 troops. At least that is what we are being told, again and again, in a McCain campaign commercial.

So when do the soldiers get here?
<snip>

Gov. Brewer has been urged by some in Arizona to dispatch a large contingent of Guard members on her own but said that the state doesn't have the money to fund the type of major deployment that is necessary.
<snip>

So I'm left wondering - or maybe not - if all this tough talk about troops has less to do with securing the border than it does with securing elections.


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/06/20/20100620border-troops-montini.html

(Ed.: Typo)

[azmouse]

1. Montini is one of the bright spots in that newspaper.

He gets the RWers all riled up. That can only be a good thing.

Read that this morning and, as usual, Montini is correct. The troops aren't coming any time soon but the talk about them will continue til at least November.

[pinboy3niner]

2. Thanks for the background information

Not being familiar with him, I thought at first that he was just another wingnut. His sly approach draws in both sides of the immigration issue, leading readers of both stripes where he's going. Very clever of him!

[notesdev]

3. Not before we lose a city

to narco-gang violence exploding its way across the border...

[pinboy3niner]

4. "Lose a city"? Hyperbole much?

The fact is that that extreme narco-terrorism and violence in Mexico has not crossed the border. Perhaps that's because U.S. border security has never been higher than it is today, with the number of border enforcement agents doubling from 10,000 to more than 20,000 in the last five years.

Exploiting fears--both rational and irrational--is a common tactic of racist, nativist, anti-immigrant groups. It has no place at DU.

[notesdev]

6. Your facts are wrong

The narco violence has in fact crossed the border and does so every day, as one of their major objectives is to control the smuggling routes into the US. We have had us military and border patrol units forced off the border at gunpoint; we have related violence and kidnapping in places far removed from the border; we have US citizens murdered for the misfortune of having run into a smuggler or gang; and at this very moment there is a large chunk of southern Arizona that is legally a no-go area for U.S. citizens because the narco violence makes it too dangerous.

Sounds to me like you have more concern for the desires of foreigners than the legitimate needs of your countrymen.

Maybe if the narcos formed corporations under which to do their business you'd wake up to how much damage they are really doing.

[blondeatlast]

7. "We"? Who is this "we" you speak of? I've spent lots of time at the border.

I have no fear--and you seem to be getting your facts from RW, nativist talking points.

[pinboy3niner]

8. You've provided NO facts, NO links, just unsupported verbiage

Here's what actual facts look like:

Violence is not up on Arizona border
Mexico crime flares, but here, only flickers
by Dennis Wagner - May. 2, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

NOGALES, Ariz. - Assistant Police Chief Roy Bermudez shakes his head and smiles when he hears politicians and pundits declaring that Mexican cartel violence is overrunning his Arizona border town.

"We have not, thank God, witnessed any spillover violence from Mexico," Bermudez says emphatically. "You can look at the crime stats. I think Nogales, Arizona, is one of the safest places to live in all of America."

FBI Uniform Crime Reports and statistics provided by police agencies, in fact, show that the crime rates in Nogales, Douglas, Yuma and other Arizona border towns have remained essentially flat for the past decade, even as drug-related violence has spiraled out of control on the other side of the international line. Statewide, rates of violent crime also are down.
<snip>

In 2000, there were 23 rapes, robberies and murders in Nogales, Ariz. Last year, despite nearly a decade of population growth, there were 19 such crimes. Aggravated assaults dropped by one-third. No one has been murdered in two years.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/05/02/20100502arizona-border-violence-mexico.html

[MajorChode]

13. How much time have you actually spent anywhere close to the border?

I've spent a considerable amount of time in several border towns working directly with CBP and never seen or heard of anything within a cab ride of what you're claiming. The cartels don't "protect" their smuggling routes. There is simply no need. As it is, the CBP only intercepts about 15% (at best) of what is making it across and the cartels would still be profitable if they intercepted 90%. The mules they use are completely expendable if they get caught and many of them are underage because they know if the CBP catches them they will be out the door 30 minutes later because the feds have a policy of not prosecuting minor aliens. The 'backpacks' the mules use are nothing more than burlap bags with straps sewn on and spraypainted black. The cartels use specific "smuggling routes" for a short period until the CBP starts to focus on them and then they move to another area. Their entire strategy involves low tech methods with the full expectation that many of their loads will be intercepted. The whole premise you mention about the extent of violence north of the border is really pretty laughable. Actually the reverse is true. The cartels don't want to export violence across the border because such would be extremely counterproductive to their operation. Any violence results in the focus of CBP resources in that area, which means that particular "smuggling route" is shut down. The cartels aren't stupid. They run multi-million dollar criminal smuggling operations very efficiently and intelligently. They even have an extensive intelligence operation north of the border with a few CBP agents on the payroll. I know quite a few CBP officers and have yet to meet any who have any fear of what they are up against. In the last 3 years, you can count the number of CBP officers who died on duty on one hand and only one of those died as a result of gunshot wounds.

[blondeatlast]

18. What you say makes so much sense.

It would be utterly imbecilic for the traffickers to escalate violence as any escalation would cost them more and lead to more intense scrutiny.

As I say, I've spent lots of time at or near the border, both at the border cities and on the backroads. I'm not at all fearful.

[SwampG8r]

15. oooooooooooo bad move dude

making a rational statement that defends the borders will just make everyone call you names
you are correct if the narco went corporate many here would at last admit the danger

[pinboy3niner]

16. Rational? LOLOL! Making up "facts" is not rational

Dishonest 'spin' may be okay for AZ, but it doesn't cut it here.

[notesdev]

17. So I see

And look what just hit the wires:

"Cartels threaten U.S. law enforcement"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8610858

I'll keep telling it like it is, these people don't intimidate me.

[blondeatlast]

5. "...narco gang violence exploding across the border..." REALLY?

I've been to the border many, many times, both at the main crossings in Nogales and the High Sonoran backroads (and yes, very recently).

"Lose a city"? When the bikers in Bisbee can't find their way there, THEN I'll worry that a city will be "lost.".

[Justitia]

9. LOL, glad to see a VIRGINIAN so concerned about us border states!

:sarcasm:

[pinboy3niner]

12. LOL! blondeatlast has a knack for picking up on those salient details

Until now, I had no idea that narco-terrorism was devastating the Mid-Atlantic region! :sarcasm:

The immigration debate is filled with far too many RW lies and distortions. This is the last place where we would expect to see them repeated.

[TheKentuckian]

10. I hope they are escorting migrants into their new country and punking racist local cops

[pinboy3niner]

11. Self-delete (wrong place)

[pinboy3niner]

14. They'e too busy interdicting drug traffic

There are a lot of good cops out there. The ones that are a problem are those like Joe Arpaio and his hand-picked minions. When "Sheriff Joe" is indicted, tried and convicted, we'll begin to see enforcement against CRIME, instead of enforcement against MEXICANS.