The drug fueled violence along the Southwest Border, highlighted by the recent murder of two United States citizens in Ciudad Juarez, has again focused the White House on Plan Merida. It comes at a time when the US continues to send mixed signals on its narcotics enforcement position.
On Tuesday, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano halted further funding for SBInet, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program designed to create a virtual fence of sensors and cameras along the U.S.-Mexico border. This may be one of those confusing acts of alleged fiscal responsibility that is applauded by liberals and panned by conservatives. Given the current Administration’s previously established anti-enforcement tactics, this most recent scheme may be too much for a public disinclined to trust Washington with immigration reform.
White House: TSA nominee to avoid conflicts of interest – GovExec
President Obama’s pick to head the Transportation Security Administration will recuse himself for two years from handling any matter that involves his former company or contractors he worked with, a White House spokesman said Tuesday.
Funds for SBInet Reallocated to Alternate Technologies – HS Today
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Tuesday that she would cut off Recovery Act funding from the virtual fence initiative along the US southwest border, potentially signaling the final fate of the struggling program.
Former TSA worker indicted on tampering charges – NextGov
A former Transportation Security Administration analyst was indicted on Wednesday for tampering with databases used to track possible terrorists entering the United States, according to an IDG News Service report.
If this Administration were truly outraged by these drug-related murders and truly planned on working to bring justice to the border violence, it is doing so in an odd way: Practically the entire border security infrastructure of this Administration remains leaderless more than a year into Obama’s tenure.
What the TSA needs now is a good makeover; hopefully Major General (retired) Robert Harding is going to be the one to bring in the new broom. TSA has languished for years under a cloud of mistakes, errors and just plain carelessness with respect to their public image and their overall effectiveness. Generals lead by implementing policies set down by their civilian leadership. It is long past time we let the professionals do their jobs and expect the politicos to do theirs.
Some travelers displeased about TSA body scanners – Government Executive
The Electronic Privacy Information Center on Tuesday released a list of more than 40 complaints filed by air travelers about the use of whole-body imaging machines.
Yesterday afternoon, President Obama announced that he will nominate Retired Army General Robert Harding to be the TSA Administrator. Harding is a well-known and highly respected military and intelligence officer, and under normal circumstances, his nomination should sail through the Senate. But these are not normal times in the Senate.
The Washington Times reported on Monday that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Secure Border Initiative (SBI), designed to stem illegal immigration and secure U.S. borders, is far behind schedule, despite the $672 million spent thus far. This is not breaking news, as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been reporting to Congress since September that the project is in trouble.
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