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Pentagon chief floats 'wholesale redesign' of U.S. border security

The Washington Times ^ | February 24, 2019 | Robert Burns - AP

Posted on by jazusamo

EL PASO, Texas  Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Saturday after visiting the U.S.-Mexico border that the government needs a broader, more effective approach to border control. He suggested the Pentagon might contribute with its expertise in surveillance and monitoring.

How do we get out of treating the symptoms and get at the root of the issue, Shanahan said in an interview while flying back to Washington.

Considering how the military could reinforce efforts to block drug smuggling and other illegal activity comes as the Pentagon weighs diverting billions of dollars for President Donald Trumps border wall.

Shanahan said he was not volunteering the Pentagon to take over any part of border control, which is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. But he said his visit led him to question whether there should be a wholesale redesign of the way border control is done by the federal government.

Shanahan said the Pentagon is willing to continue supporting the DHS but wants to see a longer-term solution.

I dont want to just add resources and not fix the problem, he said.

The Pentagon, for example, has agreed to temporarily provide active-duty troops to operate Border Patrol vehicles whose cameras can surveil wide areas along the border. Shanahan said this will free up the Border Patrol to do other important aspects of their mission. He said this is a function that could be developed more fully with the benefit of decades of U.S. military experience with ground and aerial reconnaissance and surveillance around the world.



(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...

TOPICS:

Crime/Corruption

Foreign Affairs

Government

Mexico

News/Current Events

KEYWORDS:

borderinsecurity

borderpatrol

bordersecurity

mexico

pentagon

shanahan

southernborder

trumpwall

usmilitary





To: jazusamo

We can’t have something that can simply be turned off by future crooked politicians.



To: jazusamo

Amusing distraction. Just when will Trump exercise his clear constitutional authority and order the Army Corp of Engineers to build a wall/barrier to secure the southern border?



To: jazusamo

Sounds good to me.



To: jazusamo

“The root of the issue”, Mr. Secretary, is the Leftist Establishment who want to destroy America and her borders so they can realize their wet dream of Global Totalitarian Government. THAT is the root issue of our border problems. The physical layout, lack of intelligence and surveillance are only SYMPTOMS of that root issue.



by 5 posted onby Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ and our Free Constitutional Republic!)

To: allendale

I think they’re inoculating themselves against a claim that Trump ordered resources that hurt our military preparedness—yes, as crazy as that claim is on the surface, given the military budget he won.



To: jazusamo

The Department of Homeland Security actually protecting the borders of the homeland. What a novel idea.



by 7 posted onby Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory !!)

To: Moonman62

Exactly. I’ll have that nice, robust border wall thank you very much.



by 8 posted onby NativeSon ( Grease the floor with Crisco when I dance the Disco)

To: jazusamo

$5B-$6B is peanuts in the Defense budget. I would not be surprised if POTUS has the “wall” money baked into the Defense budget. Meaning no dimunition of readiness.



To: jazusamo

Make it so. Time to recognize we are under attack and being invaded; just not in the historical and traditional way.



by 10 posted onby Boomer (We are one dem President away from America being destroyed into communism)

To: allendale

Just when will Trump...................

We do not want an efficient government. Our founding fathers understood this and so should we. We do not want an efficient government. Our founding fathers understood this and so should we. Think again, do you want an efficient government? Two bulls standing on the hill watching the new heifers come in. “Lets run down there and breed a couple of them”, said the young bull. “Lets walk down there and breed them all,” said the old bull. and the bull story is exactly what this article is about.



by 11 posted onby PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)

To: jazusamo

Ok time for Interlocking Fields of Fire!



To: jazusamo

hmmmmm ..what will the crazies say if it’s the military that designs and implements excellent border security, but without “the wall”?



by 13 posted onby grania ("We're all just pawns in their game")

To: jazusamo

Landmines would be a good start.



by 14 posted onby wastedyears (The left would kill every single one of us and our families if they knew they could get away with it)

To: wastedyears

And a moat with sharks with lasers attached to their heads.



To: Boomer

I agree, the existing system hasn’t worked. Build the barrier, consider more ways to enforce illegal entry along that barrier and at ports of entry and get Congress off their butts to revise our asylum laws.



by 16 posted onby jazusamo (Have You Donated to Keep Free Republic Up and Running?)

To: jazusamo

Whats really needed is for Congress to remove the lures that entice people to come here. Theres not much DHS can do about the numbers coming our way until Congress does its job.



To: jazusamo

Quit pussy footing around and put armed troops on the border. Its not a violation of posse commatatus.



by 18 posted onby Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)

To: jazusamo

How do we get out of treating the symptoms and get at the root of the issue, Seriously? Cut off the welfare, EBT, free stuff, etc. Enforce eVerify for employment. ALL employment. The problem will solve itself. Their countries suck. Ours doesn’t...yet. Go fix your own country and stay out of ours.



by 19 posted onby bk1000 (I stand with Trump)

To: Not A Snowbird

and yet none of them including Trump are talking about turning off the magnet. Flat pi$$es me off.



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