Predator drones to patrol entire US-Mexico border

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Predator drones to patrol entire US-Mexico border
1 hr 26 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States beginning Wednesday will add a third Predator drone to patrol its border with Mexico, allowing authorities for the first time to monitor the entire stretch of land separating the two neighbors using the unmanned aircraft.

The latest drone joins two others in covering the 2,000-mile (3,200 kilometer) frontier which runs across the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, the US Department of Homeland Security said.

With immigration a hot-button issue ahead of looming midterm elections in November, US President Barack Obama earlier this month signed a 600 million dollar bill aimed at reinforcing border security.

His administration is seeking to step up security as it presses for a comprehensive immigration reform measure that likely would allow many of the millions of illegal migrants in the United States to legalize their status.

Many Republican lawmakers say no immigration measure can be considered unless the federal government can ensure security along the southern US border to prevent a spillover from Mexico's crime-ridden north and to prevent the arrival of more undocumented migrants.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100830/pl_afp/usmexicocrimeimmigration

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Makes more sense than a fucking fence! N/T

[nyy1998]

5. +1

[jberryhill]

12. Particularly for non-human species which migrate

The fence is a disaster for species which live near it.

[burnsei sensei]

2. Predator drones?

Yeah, they have a stellar record of mass killings in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I'm really grateful for the wise measure . . . not.
I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the human rights violations to be documented.

[Rozlee]

9. Let's see how many weddings and soccer attendants they can kill.

:mad:

[tammywammy]

16. Because they've already killed so many on the border already with them

The Predator drones have already been in use on the border.

[wmbrew0206]

21. These Preds aren't armed. Its just a flying video camera.

[Amonester]

3. ummm, better alert all planned wedding ceremonies over there..

we're screwn, R we not?

[Robb]

4. These appear to be Reapers, based on the sensor package.

DHS has six UAVs, and apparently will have a seventh by the end of the year. Two in the air can keep track of a 2,000-mile border; seven could cover every inch of the other three sides, I'll guess.

Regardless, if anyone can explain to me why Homeland Security needs aircraft equipped with the AN/DAS-1 Multispectral Targeting System to perform reconnaissance missions on the border, I'd like to hear it. Raytheon built it to be like 1/10th surveillance, 9/10ths ranging and targeting. x(

[wmbrew0206]

22. UAV's have a longer flight time than manned planes or helos. They are also cheaper to operate.

These Preds aren't armed, so they are really just flying cameras.

[bloomington-lib]

6. I wonder if they'll be used to gather intelligence on the other side of the border

in the drug war.

[Robb]

8. I doubt they'd be able to resist the temptation. nt

[sofa king]

7. Because they were so effective at catching Osama bin Laden?

[inna]

10. wtf???

is this a joke?

MIC just cannot have enough, can it.

[inna]

11. ok so it's just three drones...

whatever. trying to see the positive.

:nuke:

[msongs]

13. soon they will patrol YOUR neighborhood as well. say goodbye to freedom nt

[defendandprotect]

14. If only the native Americans had thought of that -- !!!

[JohnnyHardhat]

15. I am not a anti-government lunatic but..

this shit scares me.. Pretty soon we'll hear about how they are taking out truckloads of supposed illegals and drug dealers trying to cross the border.. then we'll have them patrolling our cities and highways. Just think about how many municipalities will be lining up to get one of these things to protect their streets. When will it be too much? Where's the line?

[texastoast]

17. Oh, come on

Ain't technology grand?

Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Phil The Cat]

18. Open the border and legalize drugs!

No more wasting money on fences, border guards, interdiction, UAV drones, etc!

And no more racist ID checks of everyone who isn't pale pink!

[wmbrew0206]

23. It is only a matter of time until police departments have them.

They will just replace the police helicopters most cities have.

[gtar100]

19. And so their going to shoot people? I thought we hated that about

East Germany and all those other former communist countries in Europe during the Cold War. I guess the consequence of hate is becoming that which you hate. Is there ever such a thing as wisdom on a level of public policy? Or are we always doomed to have leaders who put self-interest first? It really is sickening.

[FiveGoodMen]

20. It's not fascism when WE do it!

[wmbrew0206]

24. These are unarmed UAV's. The majority of the UAV's aren't armed and are used

for surveillance.

[gtar100]

26. We can only hope so. And hope they stay that way if they are unarmed.

[lunatica]

25. The article didn't mention if they were armed. Strange thing to leave out

Since we're used to hearing about the one's they use to kill people in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the rest of the Middle East.

[Billy Burnett]

27. They're working the US/Canadian border too.

A cousin of mine who lives in Niagara Falls has seen them.

[Romulox]

28. Drones on the border, but amnesty on the other side? What a farce. nt