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US Border Weaknesses Remain Unplugged
UPI Outside View Commentator Washington (UPI) Mar 27, 2006 The Bush administration argues that by staying in Iraq, we keep "terrorists" attention and efforts focused there rather than on America's homeland. It could more plausibly be posited that by keeping America's eyes riveted on Iraq, the war allows a variety of Fourth Generation War, or 4GW elements to creep in through our postern gate. On our southern border, the mestizo invasion is taking on more overtly military overtones. According to an article by Jerry Seper in the March 13 Washington Times, "Law-enforcement officials along the Mexican border say they are outgunned and out-manned by drug smugglers armed with automatic weapons and grenades, and who use state-of-the-art communications and tracking systems. "We recently received information that cartels immediately across our border are planning on killing as many police officer as possible on the United States side" ... said Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr., head of the 16-member Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition. "They have the money, equipment and stamina to do it," the sheriff said. ..." Profits made by the drug cartels also have allowed them to hire and develop what Sheriff Gonzalez described as "experts" in explosives, wiretapping, counter-surveillance, lock-picking and Global Positioning System technology. Most of the components of what Sheriff Gonzalez and his colleagues are facing are not new to those who follow the evolution of Fourth Generation war. Several, however, are worth closer attention. Why are the drug and immigration smugglers on our southern border escalating the conflict? Because when they probe, they find weakness. Here we see another carry-over from the Third to the Fourth Generation, in the form of "soft spot tactics." Our border defenses are weak at the physical level, and at the mental and moral levels as well. Those weaknesses are intended by the Washington Establishment and its unholy alliance of cultural Marxists and big business/cheap labor "conservatives." The cops understand the origin of the problem. The Washington Times piece notes that "He [Sheriff Gonzalez] does not blame the law-enforcement agents" rather, "we criticize the policies that they have to adhere to." Not only have Mexican drug gangs transferred their allegiance away from the state, so have America's elites. A normal phenomenon at a time of generational change in war is that the new generation gets far more bang for the buck. The Sept. 11, 20001 attacks cost al-Qaida about $500,000, while America is spending about $5 billion a month to lose in Iraq and Afghanistan. On our southern border, we see Fourth Generation opponents buying simple, effective equipment on the open market, while the U.S. national security establishment pours hundreds of billions of borrowed dollars into rococo systems and bureaucratic structures. But in Sheriff Gonzalez's testimony, we see something more: some of our Fourth Generation enemies are acquiring a lot of money. Money has always been one of the sinews of war, and it always will be. As their financial resources increase, 4GW opponents will be able to leverage their vastly greater procurement efficiency to face us first with parity, then with superiority in technologies and systems that actually matter. The all-pervasive American belief that wars are decided by technology is false to start with, but it remains the basis of American soldiers' and cops' faith in themselves. How will they fight when it becomes evident to them that they do not have technological superiority? Patton said that one of the most basic tactics in war is to grab the enemy by the nose and then kick him in the ass. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we have willingly allowed one Fourth Generation enemy to grab our nose. On our southern border, other 4GW entities are kicking our ass. What passes for the Bush administration's strategy is to maintain this posture. One has to search the historical record with some diligence to find parallels of sheer strategic imbecility. William S. Lind, expressing his own personal opinion, is Director for the Center for Cultural Conservatism for the Free Congress Foundation. United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.
Source: United Press International Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links - The Long War - Doctrine and Application
Basque Offer Raises Questions
Washington (UPI) Mar 24, 2006A follow-up communique from ETA expanding on its earlier offer of a permanent ceasefire has prompted more caution than hope or relief in Spain over the Basque armed separatists' movement's real intentions. |
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