Openings - Mid East / HomeLand Security

Bob Hubbard

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Right now the US is fighting a multi-fronted war. The first front is in Afghanistan, the second is in Iraq. US forces are currently engaged in smaller amounts in South America, The Pacific, and Africa. The majority of our people look for a way to end the fighting.

September 11th showed us that we had chinks in our armour. Failures of our intelligence agencies, failures in screening practices, failures in military response time, failures in aviation procedures and failures at the border. All lead up to the tragedy of 9/11.


My intentions on these issues are as follows:

1- Iraq
We must finish the job. Leaving a destabilize mess will only cause us additional problems in the future. By completing the job of rebuilding the country and securing it against additional problems we may win a valuable ally in a heated region. This job of 'finishing' is to be completed by a number of tasks.

A- Continue to screen and train the Iraqi police and military. Only by making them stronger can we hope to finish returning the burden of combat to them. This will continue to allow our military to convert to an advisory role and further minimize our casualties.

B- Use the income generated by the growing oil production to fund further reconstruction and renewal projects. This will free the burden from our own citizens. Private corporations are free to aid in the funding, but will be restricted from 'profiteering'.

C- Iraqs borders must be sealed to prevent further influx of foreign fighters.

D- Bring the National Guard home and replace them with professional soldiers.


2 Afghanistan

A- Finish the hunt for Public Enemy #1, Osama bin Laden. Forgotten by the current administration, the head of the organization responsible for 9/11 must be brought down.

B- Send in enough forces to stabilize the country, and stop the growing drug trade. Once the situation is stabilized, convert to an advisory role, and then withdraw as recommended in Iraq.



3 HomeLand Security

Homeland Security is #1 priority. In order to accomplish this, part of my plan calls for the following:

A- Federalize all Airport screeners, and strictly enforce screening guidelines.

B- Combine the FBI and CIA into the DHS and complete data integration.

C- Fully fund the Border Patrol and Border Inspectors so that they can do their jobs. Expand the inspection of incoming vehicles to include checks not just for contraband and illegal aliens, but also safety. This is especially true on the Mexican border where every day unsafe trucks enter our country. Expansion of border inspection stations to be funded and complete within 2 years.

D- Use the National Guard and available regular military to patrol the borders regularly and constantly. Use of navel and air support as needed.

E- Create a "Coast Watchers" department whose purpose is to monitor our coasts and borders to detect unauthorized entry. If we can't stop a few kilos of cocaine, how can we expect to stop terrorists? By creating an active combined border defense we can stop the influx of illegal aliens, terrorists and drugs.

F- Put into effect the recommendations of the 9/11 committee to further secure our airports and other transit systems against future attacks.


Funding of these initiatives will be accomplished by several means. Auction of seized assets, increased entry fees, as well as private investment.
 
B

Baytor

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Kaith,

Instead of creating a new agency, why not ramp up the authority of the US Coast Guard? I think they were included into the DHS, and were recieving more and more police style training (vs. search and rescue) prior to 9/11. It would probably be more fiscally responsible to slightly restructure than to re-invent the wheel.
 

Flatlander

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I completely concur with IamBaytor on that issue. By creating a new agency, you'd be overlapping in many areas, and spending unnecessary money.
 
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Bob Hubbard

Bob Hubbard

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The Coast Guard has always struck me as 'search and rescue'.
Based however on your comments I did additional research and found that they have in fact been involved in a great deal of additional services, even seeing combat. (At least 1 USCG seaman is a casulty in Iraq).

I now modify my stance as follows:
Replace "E- Create a "Coast Watchers" department whose purpose is to monitor our coasts and borders to detect unauthorized entry. "
With "E- Expand the US Coast Guard to have continuous monitoring of the US Coast. This would entale increased funding and personel as well as training and equipment in order to create a 'shield' around our nation."
 
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Bob Hubbard

Bob Hubbard

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Try him fairly, and if found guilty, lock him up for life.
Seize all locatable assets and use them to reimburse the victims of his actions.
 

Marginal

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The following may be grossly unrealistic, but if so, consider it more of a food for thought comment...

Bunkering down's good, stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan is good, but I think that this is short term thinking. It's reactionary, and generally, crack downs produce an environment conducive to the spread and successful resolution of a terrorist campaign. IMO more attention should be paid to salting the soil that breeds terrorism.

That's idealogically speaking of course, and what I mean by this is to not attack terrorists, but engage in campaigns that makes their activites seem clearly wrong and unpopular by playing up to the majority of the people in any given region that terrorist discontent is being fostered in, and placating them.

Prosecute the terrorists that do act out, but if the US was able to turn the bulk of the Mid East to a moderate or even apathetic stance towards the US, terrorists from would have a harder time pulling off another 9-11. Make the US somehow popular in the Mid-East (hahahaha) and the terrorist fringe would be busy fending off active suppression by their own people without the US having to become as directly mired in Mid East conflicts.

How? Among other things, get the US troops out of Saudi Arabia. This doesn't just tick off terrorists. It's seen as a desecration of their holy land. Transfer operations to Iraq. The troops are already there, and they're going to be there for a long time. If the Saud's are concerned about national defense, sell 'em weapons to do the job themselves. Either cool off regarding Israel, or leave them to stand on their own legs entirely. They've proven they can care for themselves. (That, and The US presence isn't too terribly far away should any serious situation arise.)

Those two actions alone would help in cooling off emnity from the Arab population at large.
 
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Bob Hubbard

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Part of my plan for dealing with the Mid East includes the removal of US troops from Saudia Arabia. The people don't want us there, and where do you think most of the 9/11 terrorists were from?

I believe that by removing our troops completely from SA, by stabilizing Iraq and returning full control to the Iraqi people, and by finishing the job in Afghan. we can do just that. Another part is not letting Israel do whatever it wants without censor. Both Israel and the Palestinians have been behaving in a very barbaric fashion. I refuse to 'take sides', and will recomend the UN take action against either side in that mess. Too many in the Mid East see the US as little more than Israels lacky, and I intend to reverse that view.
 

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Important conceptual change that has to be made.

I'm glad you made the Coast Guard change - they are, in my limited opinion, one of the most overworked and over-tasked groups. Fund them more so they can patrol our borders more effectively.

Part of a domestic policy that would affect international policy (i.e. the situation in Iraq) would be to cap the private use of Iraqi oil wells by Halliburton, and offer open bids for drilling - or return the wells to the Iraqis, once their government has stabilized. We should focus on renewable resources at home, to decrease dependence (and desire to exploit) foreign oil.
 

Rich Parsons

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Kaith Rustaz said:
The Coast Guard has always struck me as 'search and rescue'.
Based however on your comments I did additional research and found that they have in fact been involved in a great deal of additional services, even seeing combat. (At least 1 USCG seaman is a casulty in Iraq).

I now modify my stance as follows:
Replace "E- Create a "Coast Watchers" department whose purpose is to monitor our coasts and borders to detect unauthorized entry. "
With "E- Expand the US Coast Guard to have continuous monitoring of the US Coast. This would entale increased funding and personel as well as training and equipment in order to create a 'shield' around our nation."

Bob,

I do not think I am giving away any secrets here about the USCG and USN. For teh USN to be able to stop civilian boats in our waters they need to have a USCG officer on board to give them the order. I have a friend who served in the Navy and was DO numerous times, when teh USCG officer would say stop that boat. With a wave of his hand. He would then be responsible for getting the ship in place to stop the suspected drug runner. This included being able to place a shot over their bow if required so the bad guys would stop. Now if the USCG had ships/boats of their own that had the weapons then it could be possible for the USCG to accomplish this task themselves.

The issue was and is that the USCG has the authority, yet not the capability to accomplish their tasks. The USN as the capability yet they do not have the authority.

I would think you might want to check into things such as this, to help stream line and resolve such issues.

Also you are doing well in my opinion, in that you listen to those who question you and then do the research and reply, or reply based upon the works of others that is already published.

Good Luck
 
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Bob Hubbard

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There are uncounted untapped resources right here, that can meet all of our needs, IF! we just had the equipment up and running. A windmill and Solar collector on every house could provide a huge supply of virtually free power. Quietly, safely, and cleanly.

The problem with solar power is that the cells to collect it are expensive and don't give a good ROI. Recent studies however show promise that breakthroughs are close at making it a truely affordable sollution.

Wind has it's own concerns, however as with solar power, wind power is gaining popularity and is a viable option today.

One interesting thing that many people don't realize is that they can not only generate their own power, but they can then sell their extra power to the local power companys. While you most likely won't get rich, it might pay the cable bill. :)


Discovery may spur cheap solar power
Thursday, October 2, 2003 Posted: 4:13 PM EDT (2013 GMT)
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/biztech/10/02/solar.cells.reut/

Wind Power Myths and Facts
http://www.auswea.com.au/about/myths.htm
 

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