INTERNATIONAL SECURITY REPORT
September 25th, 2011 | Author: Dr. Ross Riggs
(Originally posted 4 April 2011)
US Dept of Homeland Security Announces New “National Terrorism Alert System” to replace the color coded system in place previously. For information, go to: http://blog.dhs.gov/2011/04/new-national-terrorism-advisory-system.html Effective April 26, 2011
“Analysis: US still lacks border strategy ~ The U.S. government has spent nearly $4 billion on various approaches, including a $2.4 billion border fence effort, two deployments of National Guard troops to temporarily bolster the Border Patrol, and now-defunct $1 billion virtual fence. ( Alicia A. Caldwell, Associated Press)"
In a recent report by the AP, “The federal government hasn't come up with a comprehensive strategy to secure the United States -Mexico border, even as an all-out war between Mexico and its violent drug gangs has claimed 5,000 lives and pushed hundreds of thousands of immigrants into the United States.”
One of the key issues that has become apparent since the Obama administration has instituted the Southwest Border Initiative (SBI) where billions of dollars have been poured into a ten foot high fence that has been catapulted over, tunneled under, and driven down; a massive plan for putting video and audio surveillance systems all across the border, most of which will not be installed until 2021, or even 2026, and the hiring of thousands of newly hired Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents, is the lack of a clear goal. But why is there not a goal in place?
There has been no accurate threat assessment made by which to construct a goal. If we do not know the number of persons infiltrating the border nor the actual size the drug trafficking problem, then we cannot know the efficacy of the efforts that have been put in place nor what additional measures might more effectively impact the problem. According to the report, over 35,000 persons have been killed including dozens of Americans. What is not clear is how the ongoing war against the cartels by Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s will continue to inflame the already extreme difficulties of maintaining a secure southern border for the U.S. particularly in view of a lack of a solid threat assessment.
