Trump's Mexico border mission may approach last year's peak size

[webfact]

Trump's Mexico border mission may approach last year's peak size

 

FILE PHOTO: The U.S. and Mexico border fence is seen in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 27, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military is set to deploy 3,500 troops to its mission at the border with Mexico, U.S. officials said on Thursday, bringing the politically charged deployment back to near its peak level of about 5,900 in November, if only briefly.

 

The figure was disclosed by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, who slammed senior Pentagon officials for failing to disclose that information during a hearing before his committee in Congress on the issue on Tuesday.

 

"This was at best an error in judgment, and at worst flat-out dishonesty," Smith said, adding he had spoken with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan about it.

 

Shanahan told reporters the same day as the hearing that thousands more troops were headed to the border but the 3,500 figure was only disclosed on Thursday. There are currently about 2,350 troops involved in the border mission.

 

"I have followed up on that hearing with a phone call to Secretary Shanahan, and he has provided more details on the increase. I appreciate his willingness to discuss it with me, but a phone call is not a substitute for transparency before Congress and public candour," Smith said.

 

The Pentagon says the U.S. military will operate mobile surveillance cameras in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, a mission that is scheduled to run through Sept. 30. Some of the additional troops will also string up 150 more miles of concertina wire by March 31.

 

The Pentagon first approved the high-profile deployment of active-duty U.S. troops to the Mexico border in October, ahead of U.S. midterm congressional elections. It was embraced by Trump's supporters, including Republicans in Congress.

 

However, critics have assailed the deployment as a political stunt and scoffed at Trump's comparisons of caravans of Central American migrants, including women and children, to an "invasion."

 

(Reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-01

[Tug]

Oh boy here we go again more fear mongering more time away from family for the GIs more wasted money cause Donald wants his wall and a nifty distraction what a dumpster fire you are donald

[crees]

I lived in San Diego, very close to the Mexican border, the crimes committed against my family and myself were key ingredients for getting out. My house was robbed a few times, the illegals are of the opinion that what is yours … is there's. Twice they had a knife to my throat and emptied my pockets, the last straw was them knocking me out with a rock before they emptied my pockets and stole my shoes. My family now lives in Trat (five years) and couldn't be happier. Any one that is against a wall needs to visit the border towns and see what shitholes most of them are.   

[from the home of CC]

Instead of a wall, how about a moat? just dig a big ditch and get a bunch of the nuisance gators in Florida...

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

This was at best an error in judgment, and at worst flat-out dishonesty," Smith said, adding he had spoken with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan about it.

It’s the trump White House, so let’s face it, “flat-out dishonesty” is the reason it wasn’t disclosed earlier. 

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

It’s the trump White House, so let’s face it, “flat-out dishonesty” is the reason it wasn’t disclosed earlier. 

Trump tries to keep his promises-unlike Obama and Bush.

[Bluespunk]

1 minute ago, Thingamabob said:

Trump tries to keep his promises-unlike Obama and Bush.

You mean promises like “Mexico will pay for the wall”?

[Chomper Higgot]

9 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Trump tries to keep his promises-unlike Obama and Bush.

Well he kept his promises to help the Russians and the hyper wealthy got their tax break.

[chokrai]

17 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Well he kept his promises to help the Russians and the hyper wealthy got their tax break.

Those are both lies.

[bristolboy]

15 minutes ago, chokrai said:

Those are both lies.

Well, the Russian charge is unproven and under investigation. But are you saying that the hyper wealthy didn't get a huge tax break from the Trump tax cuts? And you know who got some of the biggest tax breaks? Real estate investors. Hmmm....now there's a coincidence.

[Mansell]

2 hours ago, crees said:

I lived in San Diego, very close to the Mexican border, the crimes committed against my family and myself were key ingredients for getting out. My house was robbed a few times, the illegals are of the opinion that what is yours … is there's. Twice they had a knife to my throat and emptied my pockets, the last straw was them knocking me out with a rock before they emptied my pockets and stole my shoes. My family now lives in Trat (five years) and couldn't be happier. Any one that is against a wall needs to visit the border towns and see what shitholes most of them are.   

Not sure I buy this story......for a start San Diego is not by the border crossing it is quite a number of miles away, and it is a very large city. According to you you were burgled a number of times, and robbed at knife point twice, and robbed with a rock once, for a total of five times. Did you have a big sign up "Robbers come this way, easy pickings." The chances of them picking your house and you five times sounds like hyperbole to me.......so I'm not buying your story. Troll time.....And there already is a very high fence/wall running along the length of the city of Tijuana.....and it can take many hours to cross the border in a car. And as for them being shitholes.....that sounds like Trump language. So where are these people who supposedly robbed you crossing the border?and then heading down to your house for easy pickings. Looks like a troll to me.

[farcanell]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Trump tries to keep his promises-unlike Obama and Bush.

Oh dear.... tries, but fails,.... whereas Obama did keep them, at a rate approximately twice Donald’s rate, according to stats available from American sources.

 

but... but.... he’s building that wall/ fence/ peach anyway.... you go

Donal... keep keeping half that promise, as the promise that Mexico will pay is a promise to far ( and perhaps why he tries to keep promises, yet fails)

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Some of the additional troops will also string up 150 more miles of concertina wire by March 31.

 

[lopburi3]

2 hours ago, crees said:

I lived in San Diego, very close to the Mexican border,

Confused as in a previous post you indicated Northern CA Yuba City. 

 

Quote

marry a Thai lady with her University Degree … all things I never had or could look forward to in Yuba City, California

 

[bristolboy]

5 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Confused as in a previous post you indicated Northern CA Yuba City. 

 

 

Here's a link to that:

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1080834-how-to-fail-miserably-in-thailand/?page=5&tab=comments#comment-13778979

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, chokrai said:

Those are both lies.

Here's a lie:

“San Diego has asked us to go forward with their section of the wall in California.” - Trump

The truth:

A San Diego County spokesman told KPBS that the county has not made any such request.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2018/may/09/trump-fact-check-san-diego-county-did-not-ask-bord/

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The U.S. military is set to deploy 3,500 troops to its mission at the border with Mexico, U.S. officials said on Thursday, bringing the politically charged deployment back to near its peak level of about 5,900 in November, if only briefly.

Seems some of Trump's advisors have seen one of the flaws in Trumop's threat of invoking a national emergency in building the wall - where are the troops on the ground that should be protecting America 24/7 against the alleged waves of Latino invasions until the wall is built?

Yet, the troop surge doesn't negate the fact that it is the Border Patrol's mission to detect and deter illegal crossings and Trump has done nothing to surge the levels of BP personnel.

[farcanell]

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Seems some of Trump's advisors have seen one of the flaws in Trumop's threat of invoking a national emergency in building the wall - where are the troops on the ground that should be protecting America 24/7 against the alleged waves of Latino invasions until the wall is built?

Yet, the troop surge doesn't negate the fact that it is the Border Patrol's mission to detect and deter illegal crossings and Trump has done nothing to surge the levels of BP personnel.

Lol.... no new funding for any border security employment program until Nancy gives it the ????

[Dap]

7 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Instead of a wall, how about a moat? just dig a big ditch and get a bunch of the nuisance gators in Florida...

Ever heard of the Rio Grande (sorry, no gators)

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.  

 

[Prissana Pescud]

I never used to believe that a few people would post lies. 

Now a liar has been caught out. But really, is that going to change the mind of trumpeteers.

I remember an old army saying. 

Stick your head in the ground and wait for the  bang.

 And even when the bang is heard, it is fake news.

 

Why on a simple supposedly informative post like this, would you want to post moronic slander like this.

[jerojero]

Trump tries to keep his promises-unlike Obama and Bush.

Ya right! Mexico is paying for the wall, right? Sheesh!