“What Happens in Mexico May Not Stay in Mexico”

Hi Gang:

America’s borders are her first line of defense and her last line of defense.

As the disturbing news broke on the morning of December 4, 2013 about a truck being stolen in Mexico that was carting an obsolete medical device o a nuclear material disposal site, the realization struck that the deadly radioactive material contained in that device might be headed towards the United States if terrorists could smuggle the material into the United States.  At that moment our border took on real significance, simply because of what we had found out.

The problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know!

The “All Clear” has sounded in this specific case, but most certainly the “All Clear” has not sounded where the threat of international terrorism is concerned.  The “All Clear” has not sounded where the threats posed by pernicious transnational gangs are concerned.

This situation became the focus for my most recent commentary for CAPS (Californians for Population Stabilization):

I have attached a copy of my commentary at the bottom of this e-mail.

Failures of border security represent vulnerabilities to the national security of the United States.  However, you would never know that borders are significant if you listen to the rhetoric of those who are determined to dismantle America’s borders and eradicate the sections of America’s immigration laws that are focused on two primary missions- protect the lives and jobs of Americans.

Open borders advocates have made the baseless assertion that borders are “imaginary lines.”  If those same people own houses I wonder what they think about the property lines to define the land on which their houses are built.  Anyone who has purchased a home knows that one fo the first things that are done before a bank will issue a mortgage is to have a surveyor make certain that the property lines are properly drawn.

Additionally, nearly every border that defines nation’s were not simply drawn by crayon but, all too often, were drawn in blood- the blood of a war or at least armed conflict.  

Borders are hardly inconsequential.  When people are inside the United States they are protected by America’s Constitution and laws.  Step outside the borders of the United States and, depending where you go, all bets may well be off!

To put the true importance of America’s borders in proper perspective, it is helpful to consider how the 9/11 Commission and the 9/11 Commission Staff considers the true importance of America’s borders and America’s immigration laws.  Here is how the preface of the 9/11 Commission Staff Report on Terrorist Travel began-

The 9/11 Commission Staff Report on Terrorist Travel:

“It is perhaps obvious to state that terrorists cannot plan and carry out attacks in the United States if they are unable to enter the country. Yet prior to September 11, while there were efforts to enhance border security, no agency of the U.S. government thought of border security as a tool in the counterterrorism arsenal. Indeed, even after 19 hijackers demonstrated the relative ease of obtaining a U.S. visa and gaining admission into the United States, border security still is not considered a cornerstone of national security policy. We believe, for reasons we discuss in the following pages, that it must be made one.”

Facts and reasoning are pesky things, aren’t they?

-mike-

“What Happens in Mexico May Not Stay in Mexico”

Michael W. Cutler, Senior Special Agent, INS (Ret.)

Senior Fellow, Californians for Population Stabilization

In this post-9/11 world it can take more than a bit of courage to turn on the news programs.

Most recently, on the morning of December 4, 2013, the major news networks provided the very disconcerting news that a truck transporting an obsolete medical device containing pellets of Cobalt 60 was stolen in Mexico. What a way to start the day!

The immediate concern was whether or not those who stole the truck knew what they were stealing. While the radioactive pellets could not be used to create a nuclear fission or fusion bomb, those highly dangerous pellets could, conceivably be used to create a so-called dirty bomb. A dirty bomb consists of non-nuclear explosives but contains radioactive materials that are widely dispersed when the bomb is detonated.

This is not unlike an “anti-personnel” bomb that contain nails, ball-bearings or other such components that. upon the detonation of the bomb, creates high-speed shrapnel to inflict maximum harm as the shards of metal ripped into the flesh of hapless victims, as we recently saw in the bombing of the Boston Marathon this past April 15.

A “dirty bomb” would not only inflict damage as a result of the blast but the radioactive material would create the additional nightmare of killing victims who are struck by the radioactive debris. These victims might suffer deadly radiation poisoning even if the immediate injuries were not particularly severe. Additionally, the cleanup of the area where the debris was spewed would be difficult, costly, time-consuming and keep people out of the area for a significant period of time. This would be very disruptive for an entire neighborhood for a possibly lengthy period of time.

A dirty bomb is second only to a nuclear weapon in inflicting damage and depriving access to an area.

As Mexican officials scurried about attempting to locate the truck and its potentially deadly cargo, DHS and the administration attempted to mollify Americans by saying that our ports of entry have sensitive sensors that could easily detect the radiation emitted by the device that was stolen.

What a relief! Now all that we had to hope for is that those who might want to smuggle the Cobalt 60 pellets into the United States would be considerate enough to enter the United States through a port of entry.

What are the odds that they would not evade the inspections process used by smugglers of illegal aliens and narcotics?  (Often the smugglers who smuggle aliens also smuggle narcotics.)

By nightfall, to everyone’s relief, news organizations such as CNN announced that the truck had been found along with the obsolete medical device which had apparently been dismantled.

Fortunately the Cobalt pellets were reported found in the truck so that the only cleanup that will be needed is to clean the area where the truck was found. According to the report, this is not going to be an easy task.

The CNN report noted that the truck and the device did not have GPS tracking devices. This creates a dangerous situation that was exacerbated by the fact that the truck was not protected by any security officers.

Because our borders are as porous as a sieve, security failures in Mexico can quickly create nightmares inside the United States. Yet the administration and political leaders who are determined to dismantle our borders think that border security is punch line in a political stump speech.

On May 10, 2011 Mr. Obama delivered an outrageous “stump speech” where he said that Republicans want a moat with alligators on the border.

We got lucky- this time!

However, if hope is not a strategy, then dumb luck is not a success!