They've done basically nothing to prevent 75,000+ ME men, 20-30 years old from crossing our southern border since 9/11, except make it harder to estimate their numbers. Their too busy:
It continually suprises me that people want to reward incompetence of this stature by giving it more power everytime it drags a boogieman doll from it's pocket, shaking it and saying, "See what just might get you?"
Back around the first of the month, which would be close to when this latest round of "Spy on us" legislation was being considered, the talk sounded like this:
Air Force Gen. Victor "Gene" Renuart, who heads U.S. Northern Command, said that as the terrorism threat within the nation's boundaries has increased officials have strengthened intelligence sharing, particularly in an effort to shore up security at ports.The General is most likely a dedicated man, though I think he's been ill-used. He may take his job very seriously, but I don't think his bosses do. They seem perfectly willing to use the fact we've probably a large number of enemy in our midst, every time they want to intrude further into our lives. But when it comes to actually committing resources to keeping them out? Well judging by their eagerness to do anything but spy on us, they seem more convinced it will never happen."To assume that there are not those cells is naive and so we have to take that threat seriously."
As for attacks, he added: "Am I concerned that this will happen this summer? I have to be concerned that it could happen any day."
Example 1: When the administration submitted it's budget to Congress last year, despite the fact the Border Patrol was asking for an additional 4-5,000 agents, how many new agents did they ask Congress to provide money for?
206.
Example 2: The first of this month there was a lot of noise about "imminent attacks" by Gen. Renuartand and Chertoff's "gut feelings". How imminent? How worried is the administration about it? Not at all, I'd say. [source for some of this] Because, while
"Port security has long been identified as a key weak point for terror attacks..." (Gee, for at least 6 years now) US Northern Command has 20 active duty personnel assigned to "port security incidents".But they're adding 5 more!
After 6 years of telling us how devastating it would be, and how important the protection they provide from such an event is to us, what can we expect as a response?
"U.S. Northern Command has one brigade-size unit available to respond to nuclear, chemical and biological incidents at home." That's 3,500 troops, nationwide.Boy are we lucky the enemy is too dumb to hit us in two cities at once, twice in a row!
"At the same time, Gen. Renuartand said it will be at least two years before he is able to pull together the military units he needs to better respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear disaster in the U.S. "
How many will he manage to "pull together" in that two years? 2 more brigades. Despite the fact they've continously beat us over the head for 6 years, that this is THE main goal of bin Laden, when did they take it seriously enough themselves to actually make this change?
"The Pentagon has been working since last year to identify units to be part of the brigade-size response teams."
Now contrast that with the 3 months it took them to go from 140,000 to 160,000 troops in the one country we know bin Laden isn't hiding in, and never attacked us.
Yes, I'm cynical, jaded, mad as hell is more like it.
I've been this way since Clinton took office, really. But I did learn one good lesson about politicians from his Presidency:
Anything a politician says is completely meaningless until they back it up with action.This crew has done more to prove that true than the last one.
Citizens who quietly band together and adopt radical ways—not just established overseas terrorist groups like al-Qaida—pose a serious threat to American security, a new police analysis has concluded.The New York Police Department report, to be released Wednesday, describes a process in which young so-called patriots, frustrated with their lives in their aborted country, slowly adopt a philosophy that puts them on the path to rebellion. The men meet and share ideas in churches, in bookstores and on forums, over the Internet, it says.
Police officials say the report warns that potential terrorists are difficult for law enforcement to detect because they blend in well. It also argues that more intelligence gathering is needed to thwart terror plots at their earliest stages.
The study, titled "Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat" is based on an analysis of the security risks exposed in such cases in Waco, Ruby Ridge, The Minutemen, as well as plots in Madrid, Toronto and Hamburg, Germany.
The findings were to be presented at a briefing at police headquarters for private security executives. The briefing is part of a program designed to encourage more vigilance at large hotels, Wall Street firms and other companies.
"You don't see London cops worrying about much, now that theres a camera for every 5 citizens, as they go their merry way confiscating BB-guns. It hasn't prevented a thing, but if the terrorists don't blow themselves up too, at least they'll have nice glossy photos of who to go arrest." Said New York's Mayor. "And when I find out who's smoking and then leaving their butts on my front porch, they're gettin' a one-way trip to Gitmo!" he added.
By the way
"What's in your wallet? (Never mind, we already know.)"