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Today's Top News
US Drones Will Patrol Entire Southern Border
WASHINGTON - The US will today send another Predator drone on patrol flights along its border with Mexico, allowing authorities for the first time to monitor the entire frontier with the unmanned aircraft.
A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile is seen on the tarmac. The US will today send another Predator drone on patrol flights along its border with Mexico, allowing authorities for the first time to monitor the entire frontier with the unmanned aircraft. (AFP/File/Massoud Hossaini) National Guardsmen will also arrive at the border this week as part of the Obama administration's plan to strengthen security and combat smuggling.
With immigration a critical issue in midterm elections in November, the President, Barack Obama, last month signed into law a $US600 million ($674 million) bill aimed at reinforcing border security, including programs aimed at countering the smuggling of drugs and migrants.
His administration is also pressing for a comprehensive immigration reform measure that would probably allow many of the millions of illegal migrants in the US to legalise their status.
Many Republican politicians say no immigration measure can be considered unless the federal government can ensure security along the border to prevent a spillover from Mexico's crime-ridden north and to prevent the arrival of more illegal migrants.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, said the first unmanned aerial system flight from Corpus Christi in Texas would mean the whole border from California to Texas was now covered.
''Unmanned aerial capabilities will now cover the south-west border - from the El Centro sector in California all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas - providing critical aerial surveillance assistance to personnel on the ground,'' she said.
Ms Napolitano said the drone would begin flights today to provide ''critical aerial surveillance assistance to personnel on the ground''.
The US, deeply concerned by the raging drug war in Mexico, has allocated 1200 National Guard soldiers and 1500 new agents to the border. The first National Guardsmen were expected to arrive in Arizona this week. Texas is to receive 250 National Guard personnel, who will perform a support role until additional border patrol agents are hired and trained.
The Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, says the number of National Guard personnel is insufficient to provide adequate security. Mr Perry, a Republican seeking re-election, is asking for 1000 National Guardsmen to be paid for with federal funds and assigned just to Texas.
Ms Napolitano, a former Arizona governor, said that what ''we are seeing today is the most serious approach to border enforcement that I have seen in my career''.
The new border security law includes two additional Predator B unmanned aerial vehicles for the south-west border, which should be operational next year.
Ms Napolitano said those two drones and the one that will begin flying this week would give Customs and Border Protection a fleet of six to monitor the 3200-kilometre border.
San Antonio Express-News, Agence France-Presse
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Show AllFor every problem, there is a solution with military hardware. Nice for the war industry.
Joe
And if there is military hardware with no problem to solve, we'll just make a problem, or enemy of course. Can't let good hardware go unfunded, it creates jobs!
Well said Joe! ¿And who owns the war industry? The USA accounts for about 4% of the world population but yet owns and manufactures over 60% of the weapons and if that`s not bad enough, it uses more the 35% of the worlds natural resources. Quite disproportional...¿no? Changes are coming...the tide is rising...¡wake up you silly gringos!
What's that Sci-Fi movie where motion-sensing aerial drones immediately target and destroy any trespassers trying to cross over a stretch of land. It's the one with the babe actress in it, I think. Ultraviolet, maybe. Anyway - my God - is that really the way we are headed? This might be easy for me to say, but we need to rally thousands of people to go to this border area and stand in no-man's land and protest this lunacy. I know, it's easy for me to say, seeing as I am in another country.
But the alternative is a Sci-Fi movie, and none of those are pretty.
Minority Report has drones in it, and another feature we're seeing in action today - executions, renditions, and imprisonment for potential future criminal acts. ("criminal" being a very stretchy concept, these days)
Rollerball?
I remember people telling me to see Minority Report (i think it starred Tom Cruise) and it seems it was very relevant to the direction we have been going over the past ten years. I didn't want to see it.
May i also recommend a B movie, "They Live". It was actually mentioned in CD recently. I saw it by accident on tv. The last John Carpenter film, from the 80's. I think he was on to something!
So if I try to sneak outta here now they will smite me with a Hellfire missile?Land of the free ,home of the brave.
Peace,coming soon to a television near you!
if it isn't on teevee, it isn't real...
what's a border?
(if under drone attack, try to recite, loudly, the following while running and dodging missle fire):
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands
one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all
(if that doesn't work, try this):
I pledge allegiance to the precedent of Miranda v. Arizona
If I am under arrest, I have the right to remain silent
I have the right to an attorney, even if I lack means
(or this):
Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
Problem isn't sneaking out yet. Problem is too many sneaking in.
Well, I guess fences no longer look like they used to - now they fly. Guess that makes it a really tall fence... getting out of this country will soon be harder than getting in.
My gut instincts tell me that's the whole idea. So many people I run into would like, as Pilate tried, to wash their hands of this country and start anew. Our state security apparatus has many reasons to keep us here and boxed in. Mexico as narco-state, notwithstanding, can I leave this place and emigrate to someplace more peaceful and soothing; say El Salvador, Panama or Columbia?
I think that's a big part of the plan - the prison state. Good for biznis as the prisoners pay their own way.
Do you remember a song from teh 50's - 16 Tons? "I owe my soul to the company store" - descriptive and very prophetic.
"Sixteen Tons" - Tennessee Ernie Ford
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't a-get you
Then the left one will
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
No doubt the time will come when those drones will be equipped with high-powered tight laser beams that can incinerate and completely obliterate a person without disturbing anything else around them, leaving no trace they were ever there. Considering how destructive the bombs they drop are, and all the "collateral damage" that goes with them, the lasers are probably already being refined.
Those at the control panels can pretend (if they haven't been programeed to believe) they're playing one of those popular video games as they push the buttons. Zap, zap, zap .... "yehaw! Did'ja see that! I just got a dozen of those buggers!"
Maybe they'll accidently lose the list of IP. addresses so someone couls take over a drone for an afternoons fun!
>^^<
As long as they're going to do this, I encourage the use a different vehicle. They would not carry missiles, would cost a fraction of what we use now, would be out of the MIC loop, could "talk" to the "trespassers," easily locate them, drop food and supplies so they don't die, and, help keep the good people of Mexico in Mexico (till we abolish ALL borders, as I advocate).
I would have them made in Mexico, paying good wages, since they require a quality of work and intelligence that has gotten hard to find in the U.S. I would hire Mexicans to be in charge of them as well.
Given that one video is worth several thousand words, check them out for yourself: www.hyperblimp.com
A large portion of the proceeds would go toward humanitarian and environmental work.
It is only a question of time before these planes become armed and they could eventually be used against the holdouts or the small pockets of progressives that are left within the belly of the beast.
How do we know they're "unarmed." The article says UNmanned, but I didn't see anything that said UNarmed. Bad idea this. Very, very bad. I'm moving north.....and fast.
I sure hope you're not talking about going to Canada; if you think the Bill of Rights is in danger in the US, try going to a country without one - like Canada.
A Constitutional Monarchy, which means the constitution holds until the Crown decides it doesn't.
No, not quite that far north. Just back home to Maine. But, from what I've heard about the non-stop harassment on the Canadian/US border it will be essentially the same.
Why in blue blazes do we need an "unmanned" aircraft to patrol our borders? The demand for these Mexico drugs comes from people here in the USA. Just like cheap labor. What a grateful nation we are.
Hello police state. But everybody already knew that of course.
One has to wonder how long before the headline reads: U.S. DRONES WILL PATROL ENTIRE U.S.
Should global confidence be lost in the Dollar, that event could trigger a U.S. “Drone Surveillance Program” as the economy would become chaotic due to sky-high interest rates along with hyperinflation. The masses could revolt due to lack of food -- much of which is imported. The “Drone Surveillance” program would be created, designed, advertised, marketed, and promoted BIG TIME similar to "SUPERMAN" to gain popular acceptance. Americans loved SUPERMAN. He was honest, trustworthy, and morally sound -- attributes RARE in America today. The TV can do remarkable things.
Perhaps we could use the drones to target the businesses that hire illegals and are the magnet for illegal immigration. Forget it, the BBB would object to that.
I was shocked to find out how many other countries have drones. Recently Iran declared their possession of drones.
How will the U.S. citizens know if the drone flying over their head is an American drone? I guess it won't make any difference we would be wise to run for cover regardless of the country the drone is from.
Shame ,shame, shame. Why can't Americans elect politicians who will give us national security instead of setting us up as targets for any criminals or country that has had enough death and destruction from America? Building bigger and better weapons for our enemies to use against our children and grandchildren is now and has always been an egregious political plan.
yes...class warfare, indeed...you're either in the class with drones, or the class without, regardless of country...
the Gunners vs. the Runners...there's your future...
Yes, that's what's most important now.
Catching those pesky border jumpers. Nothing but deadly force will do. Better yet, summary and anonymous execution, and let the shredded corpses rot under the glaring sun, anonymous - no need to notify relatives.
Never, never ask why they're risking their lives for underpaid jobs in the first place.
Go giddim, Obie! Make your mama proud!
twisted as it sounds, your post got me thinking of the 'skull' paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexico work...
I always loved her stuff...thank you...
dubet, i am actually pleased for you. A nice turn around.
thank you, rita (did I tell you that's my mom's name?)
painting is a real interesting thing to do...have you ever? my wife and I both enjoy it, watercolors and acrylics...we have our stuff all over the house, even if it's not all of 'show' quality...
I finally got some of my music on the web...when you're in the mood, and have a minute, imagine you're on a relaxing tropical vacation, and click:
http://www.davenjulieboles.com
Execution, but only after torture. They might have "information" we need.....
Geez, is this sick or what?
Everybody know they are using drones to keep their eyes on us. They are just practicing in Pakistan and along the border. Perhaps the best way to protect yourself is to build your own drone in your garage. You would be surprised how little a very effective drone would cost.
Heard an interesting perspective on the radio about this yesterday.
The border crossing used to be much more casual. Family members who had crossed before often would go and help other family members across, showing them the way from previous experience.
But as border security has grown more sophisticated and militarized- so have the people who act as coyotes and guides. Tougher crossing conditions have professionalized the 'coyote'. This has raised prices immigrants have to pay for a guide. Which in turn has made human smuggling an increasingly profitable business for criminal cartels. Which in turn has proliferated human kidnapping and ransom taking. All leading to increased violence and mayhem in the border towns.
Also, NAFTA did not make this situation any better. Offering a bunch of factory jobs that paid about $4 a day... and the wages never improved more than $1 over 10 years of existence. When the economy crashed the already crappy slave wage jobs where gone. Hugely profitable drug smuggling and human smuggling stepped in where NAFTA stepped out.
there are some good articles in the LA weekly that talk about it:
http://www.laweekly.com/2003-12-04/news/on-the-border-of-hypocrisy/
http://www.laweekly.com/2010-04-29/news/a-report-from-juarez-the-front-line-of-the-war-on-drugs/
Looks like the border will be getting HOT!!
Since 2005: 4,000 aliens and 15,000 lbs of drugs... You cannot say that these guy's are lazy!!!
"CBP reports the drones have already flown over 1,500 hours of border flights since 2005 and have led to the capture of over 4,000 illegal aliens and the confiscation of more than 15,000 pounds of drugs. The increased number of flights should raise these numbers significantly. The flights operate only in Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions and are unarmed."
http://texasgopvote.com/blog/another-brick-wall-drone-flights-begin-texas-border-09014
I hear you, Jill....
peace,
rita
Welcome to the Police State. The airport in San Diego unveiled its new xray machines at the terminal entrances yesterday. Travellers will now have a choice to either go through the xray machines or use the metal detectors and get a full body frisk. The TSA says passenger's privacy is not violated. Someone running their hands all over my body in a rub down is violating my privacy. The local new station reported in an ad last night that this is part of the war on terror. Imagine that - We the People are suspected of being terrorists in their War on Terror. And now these surveilance drones patrolling our border. Soon these drones will be used all over Our Nation to spy on Us. Remember - We are the enemy!
A few years ago, one of the major network evening news reports ran a story of an extra immigration checkpoint that was so successful at keeping immigrants out, that local farmers applied enormous political pressure and then the extra immigration checkpoint was removed.
Here we have Uncle Sam the slaveaholic telling us exactly how he's going to kick the habit tomorrow. Tomorrow. This time for sure. If the drones were going to work they'd have to take them down again, but that's not going to happen.
Thousands of trucks come over the border every day, dozens of cocaine tunnels big enough for migrant workers already dive under our border fences, and cheap but effective radar-resistant submarine/boat hybrids cruise the Mexican seas. So are the drones going to work? Well, yes and no, except for the "yes" part.
So lets hoist up a Taco Bell taco to our technological heroes as, for the third or fourth generation in a row now, they stop drugs and illegal human beings from entering the United States.
WATCH out Mexico. The USA has a tendency to use these drones to crash and burn weddings in Pakistan.
I don't trust the USA. They'll say ooopp's. Illegal wars, torture atomic bombs, slavery. They are still addicted to slavery and intimidation.
It's only a matter of time before a billionaire cartel shoots a drone down 2 minutes before running a big cargo over the border.
On second thought, it makes more sense for a cartel to bribe the people running the drones to watch out for the competition. So many useful angles to this business!
Before anyone forgets, remember too that those long border fences keep the animals out too. Natural migration patterns are disrupted for those creatures that walk, and for those that fly? Hmmm, maybe they will get sucked into drones too like Scully's birds in NYC.
I did read somewhere( and I'm sorry that I can't remember where) that it's not illegal for you or I to own and fly a drone. It just can't be armed and it can't fly at certain levels.The person that wrote this article also said that even small drones might someday be used to deliver things like pizza, and packages. Oh I hope they were kidding. I would be so freaked out to open the front door and see a drone ( no matter what the size) hovering in front of me.
Will mid air collisions of so many drones become an act of God so that the insurance companies won't have to pay for these accidents? ( which should be coming soon to a neighborhood, school, house or freeway near you.)
What about all the remote control airplanes that hobby enthusists play with. They are drones of a sort. In fact the smaller recon drones are not much more than RC plans.
OH GREAT, there goes my get-away plan....
The USA drones in the Middle East are, so I've read, piloted by Air Force technicians in Las Vegas who sit at nickel slot machines with a laptop, pumping coins with one hand while the other hand launches Hellfire missiles at wedding parties.
Where are the technicians who will fly the drones along our southern border? Is a base going to be built in a state with high unemployment? Or will they be based at The Excalibur, cheesiest of all the Las Vegas casinos?
My guess is Holloman AFB in NM, which is the main training area for USAF ROVs.
>With immigration a critical issue in midterm elections in November, the President, Barack Obama, last month signed into law a $US600 million ($674 million) bill aimed at reinforcing border security,<
To little too late! what about the 15 million+ insurgents already in this country, here to do who knows what. Poison the water? Do Drive-Bys in your neighorborhood. Or just lay around knocking out an endless stream of Spanish Speaking Anchor babies to tie up or welfare, and school systems.
Too late! their already here, what ya gonna do about Obummer?
>^^<
I think most people posting here have already "caught the drift" of this new policy...
Since legalizing drugs is "too easy" a solution for TPTB, the ultimate purpose of the scheme must obviously be to keep people from LEAVING the USA, not for keeping them out.
When that day comes (and it may already have), the hardware, systems and policy itself, already in place, will be much harder to defeat politically than one for which a "totally new" policy for accomplishing this would be.
AVE, i posted same just now, above, before reading your post. I have said this for the past several years. I used to wonder, as a child of Jewish background, why so many didn't get out while they still could. Over the past ten years, i have been feeeling i was getting my answer. Sometimes it is actually a visceral feeling.
Rumor is that predator unmanned aerial vehicles do not use encryption in the final link to their operators on the ground. So this means when you use a piece of software, like SkyGrabber, http://www.skygrabber.com/en/index.php it might be possible for an extremely clever hacker to take control of these drones. Imagine the possibilities of turning these drones back on the people who authorized them.
It is not a rumor,and was true until last year. All command-and-control of USAF ROVs now use strong encryption. No chance of shanghai'ing one of these babies.