Trump hardens stance on Mexico border, says 15,000 troops could be sent

[webfact]

Trump hardens stance on Mexico border, says 15,000 troops could be sent

By Jeff Mason and Idrees Ali

 

U.S. Custom and Border Protection agents with full riot gear take part in a drill to protect the crossing gates against people who want to cross the border illegally on the international bridge between Mexico and the U.S., in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States could send as many as 15,000 troops to the border with Mexico, as he hardens his stance against a caravan of migrants fleeing violence and poverty in Central America.

 

The numbers cited by Trump are significantly higher than defence officials have disclosed. The Pentagon said on Monday it was deploying more than 5,200 troops to the border but that the number would rise. On Wednesday, it said more than 7,000 troops would support the Department of Homeland Security along the border.

 

Several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have accused Trump of politicizing the military ahead of next week's congressional elections with his plans to use active military personnel to buttress border patrol efforts.

 

"As far as the caravan is concerned, our military is out ... We'll go up to anywhere between 10 and 15,000 military personnel, on top of Border Patrol, ICE and everybody else at the border," Trump told reporters at the White House.

 

Trump did not say how many of those 15,000 would be National Guard. There are already 2,100 U.S. National Guard forces at the border, sent after a previous Trump request in April, and they are authorized to go up to 4,000.

 

If 15,000 troops were drawn into the effort, it would mean there would be more U.S. troops on the border with Mexico than there are in Afghanistan, which has become America's longest conflict.

 

Trump has sought to use immigration as an issue to motivate Republican voters ahead of the Nov. 6 elections, where Republicans will seek to maintain control of both congressional chambers.

 

As a presidential candidate before the U.S. election in 2016, Trump promised to harden immigration laws and build a wall along the southern border with Mexico, but implementation of his signature campaign promise has been slow.

 

A caravan of Central American migrants estimated to number at least 3,500 people left Honduras in mid-October and is now in southern Mexico on its way to the U.S. border.

 

"WE DON'T DO STUNTS"

Before Trump's comments, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday rejected criticism that deploying thousands of troops to the border with Mexico was a political stunt.

 

"The support that we provide to the secretary for homeland security is practical support based on the request from the commissioner of customs and border police, so we don't do stunts in this department," Mattis said after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart at the Pentagon.

 

Republican lawmakers and other Trump supporters have applauded the deployment. But critics argue Trump has manufactured a crisis to drive Republican voters to the polls.

 

"The move to send 5,200 active duty troops to the southern border is a craven political stunt that sets a bad precedent and is arguably an abuse of power," said Kelly Magsamen, a former senior Pentagon official who is currently with the Center for American Progress left-leaning think tank.

 

Trump's decision to call in the military appears to be a departure from past practice. In recent years, such operations have been carried out by National Guard forces, largely part-time military members often called upon to respond to domestic emergencies.

 

A U.S. official told Reuters that as of Wednesday the Pentagon had identified more than 7,000 active-duty troops, which included about 2,000 on standby, that could be deployed to the border with Mexico if needed.

 

Many basic questions remained unanswered days after the Pentagon announcement, including the scope of the mission as well as the Pentagon's assessment of any threat posed by arriving migrants.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Idrees Ali; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-01

[Somtamnication]

Don't know what to say, other than I am glad I renounced my citizenship 18 years ago and happy to be in Thailand, warts and all.

[HappyAndRich]

15 000 troops? Is he going to invade the Mexico, or only protect the U.S. border?

[attrayant]

For every three women & barefoot children approaching the boarder, we need five heavily armed and armored military men in full riot gear... sounds legit.  Of course it's a stunt.

[Jingthing]

Fear theater. Waste of military resources. There is no invasion. It's only doing this to inflame its xenophobic base for the midterms.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[mamypoko]

midterms midterms midterms

[Boon Mee]

22 minutes ago, mamypoko said:

midterms midterms midterms

Yes, it's a stunt by the open borders folks in time for the Midterms. 

[DukSiam1]

How many troops were sent to Peurto Rico to assist Americans with huricane relief?

[mtls2005]

10 minutes ago, DukSiam1 said:

How many troops were sent to Peurto Rico to assist Americans with huricane relief?

 

I saw reports of 17,000, maybe for the entire Maria/Caribbean response?

 

A scant 2,000 troops in Syria.

 

And add the 2,000 National Guard to the 5,200 troops at the southern border, not sure if the 15,000 figure is a total addition to that.

 

At this point, he'll throw whatever numbers are required to influence polling. But he is the CiC so Mattis has to follow orders double-time. I suspect that by Monday he'll be up to 50,000?

 

Hopefully, they are prepared to deal with the "diseases" which the right-wing media says these "invaders" are carrying?

 

Why this op. is dubbed "Operation Faithful Patriot" is beyond me?

 

He'll get a wall even if he has to build it out of U.S. servicewomen and men I guess. 

[Tug]

Must really be afaraid of those mean mean little Latin mommies this guy is no leader guess this is what happens when you are spoon fed wealth and privilege since birth just bad kinda funney though!!!

Edited November 1, 2018 by Tug

[Raymonddiaz]

1 hour ago, mamypoko said:

midterms midterms midterms

he is just doing politics...he wants to win the midterms...fear 

[DM07]

And this political stunt would cost the 'Murican taxpayer...how much?!

[bristolboy]

32 minutes ago, DM07 said:

And this political stunt would cost the 'Murican taxpayer...how much?!

"... in June 2006, President George W. Bush spent $1.2 billion to deploy National Guard troops to border states to deal with drug violence over two years. The Government Accountability Office, which is the investigative arm of Congress, estimated it cost $120 per person per day for operations and maintenance costs during that deployment.

Had the 2006 operation lasted 45 days, it would have cost $28 million to support 5,200 troops — or $35 million in today’s dollars."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/30/us/politics/american-troops-border-migrants.html

 

So should Trump triple the number, the cost would come in at around $100,000,000

[mtls2005]

38 minutes ago, DM07 said:

And this political stunt would cost the 'Murican taxpayer...how much?!

 

I think that the argument would be that these troops, and the associated costs, are already budgeted/being spent? Maybe a small percentage of uplift for things like transpo, material usage, fuel?

 

But I'm sure Trump will claim that Mexico will pay for it, if it becomes an issue.

[mauGR1]

Like it or not, this guy is the president of the US.

All Americans should have a good look in the mirror.

[bristolboy]

Just now, mauGR1 said:

Like it or not, this guy is the president of the US.

All Americans should have a good look in the mirror.

Because the vote for him was unanimous?

[cycolista]

41 minutes ago, DM07 said:

And this political stunt would cost the 'Murican taxpayer...how much?!

Republicans are in charge, deficits don't matter anymore.

[mauGR1]

5 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Because the vote for him was unanimous?

Is he your president or not ?

[Srikcir]

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

I think that the argument would be that these troops, and the associated costs, are already budgeted/being spent?

Only if the costs were anticipated in the passage of the FY 2019 budget that begins October 1, 2018.

On  September 28th President Donald Trump signed the Department of Defense appropriations bill to fund military operations in Fiscal Year 2019. The Senate passed the FY 2019 budget on September 29, 2018. https://news.usni.org/2018/09/28/36944

So unlikely Defense Department included funds for deployment of 15,000+ troops for the US-Mexican border. Furthermore, lack of any news media comment on such funding indicates that there was no such funding in the bill.

[bristolboy]

1 minute ago, mauGR1 said:

Is he your president or not ?

My nationality is besides the point.  

He is the President of the United States.

How that makes every American culpable,is something you have failed to explain.

Do you think that just by asserting such, you have established a case?

[mauGR1]

Just now, bristolboy said:

My nationality is besides the point.  

He is the President of the United States.

How that makes every American culpable,is something you have failed to explain.

Do you think that just by asserting such, you have established a case?

He is the result of the American elections, of course most Americans would not take any responsibilities for it.

For the rest of the world, " the emperor is naked", there, for everyone to see.

[bristolboy]

5 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

He is the result of the American elections, of course most Americans would not take any responsibilities for it.

For the rest of the world, " the emperor is naked", there, for everyone to see.

You're quite a believe in minority vote elections, aren't you?

Trump wins with a minority of voters and all Americans are responsible.

And you vote yourself to be the voice of roughly 7 billion people.

Full of yourself, much?

[Morch]

2 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Yes, it's a stunt by the open borders folks in time for the Midterms. 

 

Well, the claim that there's much by way of "open border folks" is just another stunt. Not aware of many Democrats actually for that, other than in Trump supporters' imaginary world.

[Tug]

Maugr1 sir we are stuck with him he did not win the majority of the vote many of us are deeply angered by the way he has perverted our democracy we hopefully will have a check on him after the midterms for all our safety and well-being 

[spidermike007]

This is not only a political stunt, it reeks of desperation from a man who is scared to death of becoming a lame duck, in his one and only term as president, and being humiliated in the process. As hard as he will try to deflect, obfuscate, lie, and blame others, he will be largely responsible for the enormous bloodshed the GOP will be a victim of, on November 6th. The public will speak, loud and clear. This goon does not represent anything near a majority of Americans. And his tirades, attitude, lack of skill, hubris, arrogance, hatred, racism, and misogyny will be soundly rejected by the public next week. 

[mauGR1]

1 minute ago, bristolboy said:

You're quite a believe in minority vote elections, aren't you?

Trump wins with a minority of voters and all Americans are responsible.

And you vote yourself to be the voice of roughly 7 billion people.

Full of yourself, much?

No need to make it personal, i talk with a lot of people, including Americans, and you should realise that quite a lot of people have not a high opinion of your politics anymore.

I met Americans travellers in Thailand, who are ashamed to say they are Americans.

Personally i like Americans a lot, but you can't deny that you have to do some work at home.

If you want to blame everything wrong on Trump, so be it, but i think that you know that it's not so simple.

[bristolboy]

2 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

No need to make it personal, i talk with a lot of people, including Americans, and you should realise that quite a lot of people have not a high opinion of your politics anymore.

I met Americans travellers in Thailand, who are ashamed to say they are Americans.

Personally i like Americans a lot, but you can't deny that you have to do some work at home.

If you want to blame everything wrong on Trump, so be it, but i think that you know that it's not so simple.

I don't know what you mean by "personal". You made a claim on behalf of the "rest of the world."

I questioned what gives you the right to make such a claim.

Your original statement was 

"Like it or not, this guy is the president of the US.

All Americans should have a good look in the mirror."

So the rest of the world believes that?

Odd how the rest of the world seems to agree with you. That couldn't possibly be a case of observe bias?

 

 

[mauGR1]

3 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

I don't know what you mean by "personal". You made a claim on behalf of the "rest of the world."

I questioned what gives you the right to make such a claim.

Your original statement was 

"Like it or not, this guy is the president of the US.

All Americans should have a good look in the mirror."

So the rest of the world believes that?

Odd how the rest of the world seems to agree with you. That couldn't possibly be a case of observe bias?

 

 

Of course i am not claiming to be a spokesperson for 7 billion people, how did you get that ?

I admit that i am quite biased, i don't like violence, arrogance, racism, you get my drift.

I hope Americans can get rid of Trump, at least their image will be better.

[bristolboy]

3 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Of course i am not claiming to be a spokesperson for 7 billion people, how did you get that ?

I admit that i am quite biased, i don't like violence, arrogance, racism, you get my drift.

I hope Americans can get rid of Trump, at least their image will be better.

Actually, according to international polls, while Trump is overwhellmingly disliked, Americans are on balance still viewed favorably.

[mauGR1]

1 minute ago, bristolboy said:

Actually, according to international polls, while Trump is overwhellmingly disliked, Americans are on balance still viewed favorably.

In fact, we can agree with that, i think the majority of people, not only in America, but in every country are nice people.

The fact that America is a very powerful and rich country, makes it easy for common people to be very critical of it.

I hope this Trump fiasco will raise some consciousness, possibly before it's too late.