Cuz why leave it to the US Border Patrol, an agency charged with this mission, when you can get in on the fun of pleasing the Republican base, too:
WASHINGTON May 12, 2006 (AP)— The Pentagon is looking at ways the military can help provide more security along the U.S. southern border, defense officials said Thursday, once again drawing the nation’s armed forces into a politically sensitive domestic role.
Paul McHale, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, asked officials this week to come up with options for the use of military resources and troops particularly the National Guard along the border with Mexico, according to defense officials familiar with the discussions. The officials, who requested anonymity because the matter has not been made public, said there are no details yet on a defense strategy.
The request comes as some Southern lawmakers met this week with White House strategist Karl Rove for a discussion that included making greater use of National Guard troops to shore up border control. The Senate is poised to pass legislation this month that would call for additional border security, a new guest worker program and provisions opening the way to eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.
Gee, and I thought Rove had abandoned his policy role at the White House. Just goes to show that when it comes to policy formulation by the Bush administration, its always about the political implications.
(continued below the fold)
Can’t anyone see why this might be a bad idea? Haven’t we expanded the Military’s role enough under Bush? They have taken over many important intelligence functions from the CIA already, and now we are going to have them take over the functions of the Border Patrol. And why? Because Karl Rove and unnamed “Southern lawmakers” think it will help their political chances this Fall. Could anything be more cynical and more misguided?
The Military is stretched thin enough as it is in Iraq and Afghanistan. Furthermore, they aren’t really trained for Border Patrol duties. They’re trained for war fighting and, in the case of the National Guard, for disaster relief. This strikes me as one more step in the march toward a police state (assuming we aren’t there already).
A massive expansion of the military’s role in society is, by the way, one of the signs of creeping fascism. Even some Republicans have been unnerved by the nomination of Air Force general Hayden to head the CIA. But this strikes me as far worse — a visible sign of the Military’s intrusion into our domestic life.
And this expanded role for our armed forces will be aimed (and don’t kid yourself about this) at a specific minority population. Do you really believe that any Hispanic living in the Southwest will feel comfortable when confronted by heavily armed National Guardsmen. I wouldn’t be, if I were them, even if my family and I had been living within the US for generations. It may please certain segments of the white majority, but I find it deeply disturbing.
Once upon a time, conservatives were deeply distrustful of any military action that smacked of a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, the federal law that prohibits the military from engaging in law enforcement activities. I guess those days are long gone, eh?
