Friday January 21, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Why is anyone surprised that potential terrorists are coming into the United States over the Mexican border? It is the easiest illegal way to get into the country.

We spend too much time thinking about airports. Terrorists are resourceful, so too must we be - in our thinking and in our preventive actions.

There is a certain irony that the smugglers of illegal workers, immigrants and contraband are the essential contacts needed to keep our country safe. Smugglers are the gate keepers, they are the people who keep tabs on who is coming in and out of the country.

As the smuggler sees it, there is a hierarchy of evil. Terrorists are far higher up the food chain than lowly smugglers. And terrorists clearly stand out among the normal clientele crossing the border.

The Chinese terrorists give smugglers a bad name. That is exactly why the smuggler set up a meeting with US Federal authorities, he didn't show --- but still, he threw the pictures and names of the Chinese over the border fence.

Recently an Arab man, an illegal immigrant, who also came across the Mexican border was arrested in Sand Diego. He held a California license to be a gas truck driver and his job was to bring gas to the port. He was arrested as part of a ring plotting a terror attack against the port.

Sometimes, we just get lucky.