Zarqawi...Don't Underestimate Him....

A few weeks ago, a video clip showing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi surfaced. The short version showed him shooting a machine gun. The long version made him look like an untrained geek more likely to shoot himself than anyone else. That was the version that received more attention.

Don't underestimate this guy. His role is as a leader and no longer as a fighter. The powers at be are correct to make him look like a bumbling fool, perhaps it may make him look weak in the face of his men, and to portray him as a mere mortal to our troops and the Iraqi people.

Zarqawi's threat to our troops and interests is not in his ability to use weapons, but to lead his men in the relentless struggle to defeat us. For the terrorists, the way to salvation is in their struggle against us. If they die in the struggle, they are granted paradise.

We will never be defeated by Zarqawi militarily, his only hope for victory is if we lose our resolve and abandon Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. This is an attainable goal, it worked against the Soviets in Afghanistan and with the media and the "elite" against the struggle, it could happen.

Can you imagine what would happen if the media, due to the losses of some of their own, and the "elite" said, " We are behind this effort, we are there, we will win". "We will take care of politics during the elections, but right now we are behind the war effort". It could do nothing but help.

It is wrong to use the Vietnam analogy, it doesn't apply. Anyone who didn't expect the going to get very rough when the battle moved to the urban areas is not credible enough to provide comment.

Zarqawi and his minions want the world and don't care how long it takes. If you doubt it, read their material and look at Europe. If their will proves to be stronger than ours, you better start studying up on dhiminitude. Their will, their very Faith, is their most potent weapon, not the mechanical dispensers of munitions that befuddled Zarqawi.

The only question that remains is exactly how strong is our faith?

BT

The "Leakiest" Part of the Border....

Now that everybody and their dog have become experts on protecting the borders of
our fair nation, it is probably a good time for a test. So answer the following and I will make it multiple guess to be fair:

Which U.S. border is the least protected?
(a) The Southern Border.
(b) The Northern Border.
(c) None of the Above.

If you answered (a), sorry you are incorrect. Even though we have many people sneaking across the Southern Border to conduct such activities as cleaning hotel rooms, picking produce and working construction, this is really the most protected border. We have more Federal Officers/Agents manning the Southern Border than any other border.

If you answered (b), sorry you are incorrect. While it is true the Northern Border has a great deal fewer Federal Officers/Agents than the Southern Border. It is also twice as long as the Southern Border. It is also true that we interdict more people from terrorist source countries on the Canadian Border than any other border. It is not the correct answer, by a long shot.

If you answered (c), you have certainly chosen the correct answer. Maybe this question was too easy. It is not the Southern or the Northern Borders that are least protected.

So what border could be the least protected?

Compañeros, the United States has over 12,000 miles of the least protected coastline you have ever seen. How often do you see border agencies working the coasts? Do you really think that every small vessel entering the country goes through any kind of scrutiny?

When you hear the politicians and media making all this hoopla about the danger the nation faces because of the porous borders, think about what you just learned and put it into perspective.

If Congress really wants to protect the borders, they need to do what the songs says,
"A little less talk and a lot more action". They need to hire a lot more professionals, Customs and Border Protection personnel, and I mean thousands to work the borders including the coastlines.

Aren't you getting tired of peeling the label?

BT

Troops on the Border....

Stationing troops on the border is generally not a good idea. Don't think that it hasn't been done before, it has and it cost the life of a young Texan caring for his livestock. Military troops have been used for years in anti-narcotics operations. On this ocassion four Marines flanked the youngster who was carrying a .22 rifle and killed him. They claimed self defense as he had been plinking with his rifle. A person carrying a rifle while tending livestock on private property is the norm in Texas and the rest of the border states... probably in Iowa too.

The problem now, as then, is that military troops are trained to kill. They are not trained for interdiction of people and goods coming across the border. The use of force model that applies to the professional law enforcement Officers that man the borders has to be maintained. The soldiers could very possibly encounter groups of 40 or 50 illegal aliens, will they know how to handle the situation, not if they are not trained. What if they encounter narcotics smugglers with hundreds or thousands of pounds of contraband, what are the rules of engagement, have they ever been defined?

Every Officer working the border has undergone an in depth background investigation as they have access to sensitive databases and have to be trusted with interdicted seizures of narcotics, weapons, money and people. I assure you that the soldiers, as brave as they are, have not been subjected to this type of scrutiny nor will they be. Each one of these Officers has undergone months of training in the law, arrest techniques, the proper use of force, situational response, and more than this post will allow. Instructed by professionals that have done the job and can provide leadership and guidance. How much training will these soldiers receive in these areas?

Have no doubt that these soldiers will not just be dealing with illegal aliens, they will encounter U.S. citizens and residents as well. Who will they stop? Will they know the difference between a Border Crossing Card and a Resident Alien Card? Do they need probable cause or reasonable suspicion to stop someone already on this side of the border. Or will they stop all the Brown Ones? Don't forget, most of the land in Texas that runs along the border is private property, so ask yourself, how would you like a bunch of soldiers with weapons running around your property?

As in the past, the potential for bad situations is great. Having untrained people working the border is just like having the Minutemen out there. Sooner or later bad things are going to happen.

Why is this happening? The answer is easy, Congress has refused to deal with this situation for many years and continues to underman the borders with the professionals needed to do the job or they have passed some pie in the sky law but refused to fund it. The well know unfunded mandate, do more with less... Welcome to the results.


BT

A little bit of sunshine...

A flash from the ivory towers:
CBP is now going to have specialists in different positions throughout the agency. A definite move away from the generalist mentality that has plagued the agency since it's inception. This is definitely a step in the right direction. There is nothing like having the right person in the position for which he has been extensively trained and in the position he favors. Now if CBP could keep from continually adopting policies or practices from the old INS, things would certainly get better.

You know every once in a while a pearl of wisdom comes from on high. Of course if they had listened to us in the first place, we would not be playing catch up.

BT