FBI's Mueller: 'Special Interest Aliens' from al Qaeda-linked Countries Infiltrating US via Mexico Border

The Word Unheard out of Washington, DC is that an unknown number of illegals from countries with known al Qaeda ties have been infiltrating the US with false identification through the border with Mexico. What’s worse, these undetected, untracked potential terrorists were officially termed “Special Interest Aliens” by FBI Director Robert Mueller before Congress on Tuesday. Well, isn't that special?

"We are concerned, Homeland Security is concerned about special interest aliens entering the United States," Mueller said, using a term for people from countries where al-Qaida is known to be active.

Under persistent questioning from Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, Mueller said he was aware of one route that takes people to Brazil, where they assume false identities, and then to Mexico before crossing the U.S. border. He also said that in some instances people with Middle Eastern names have adopted Hispanic last names before trying to get into the United States.

Special Interest Aliens? Special Interest Aliens?!? Does that mean that al Qaeda is just another ‘Special Interest Group’? Oh, they’d better run for cover now. Everyone knows how John McCain hates Special Interest Groups. They’d better hope they don’t have a blog, either, or they'll really be in a fix.

This ‘Special Interest Aliens’ soft terminology is alone cause for concern about the Bush Administration’s attitude and sense of urgency (or lack thereof) regarding Border Security. This is a problem. This is a big, big problem that cannot stand and merely caps off the inexplicable Border Security developments in Washington that began in February.

But for the moment, let’s see if we get this straight:

The Director of the FBI knows for a fact that potential terrorists are infiltrating the US border with Mexico. If it’s occurring, it’s at least good that we know. That way we can do something about it and strengthen Border Security, right?

Well…in case you had forgotten…

Both Houses of Congress passed the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, which President Bush signed into law, authorizing an increase in the number of Border Patrol agents by and additional 10,000 agents over 5 years, hiring 2,000 new agents each year, eventually doubling the current force of 10,800 agents. President Bush’s proposed Fiscal Year 2006 budget in December 2004 earmarked $6.7 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), a 4.8% increase. Precisely what the doctor ordered.

So, How many additional Border Patrol agents are actually being hired under the current version of President Bush’s Budget?

210.

Two hundred ten! For a border that stretches approximately 2,000 miles long from San Ysidro, California, to Brownsville, Texas, we will be adding enough new agents who, if stood with arms outstretched fingertip to fingertip, would cover just about four football fields from end to end. The Canadian border has not even been brought into the equation, which would only serve to further accentuate the disparity.

With the FBI aware that potential al-Qaeda terrorists are infiltrating the US-Mexico border in unknown numbers, precisely what portion of the budget is more important than increasing substantially the number of Border Patrol agents already stretched far too thin?

The Automated Commercial Environment portion of the Border 'Security' budget is slated to recieve $321.7 million while a scant $36.9 million is begrudgingly tendered to add 210 Border Patrol agents? It looks like a typo, but it is not. With all that we know (by Mueller's own admission), how can this be possible?

Drop the damn bar code scanners and pick up a pair of boots!

Is there anyone capable of explaining such logic? How could this possibly happen after the National Intelligence Reform Act was passed and signed into law?

You see, there was one tiny little caveat that would allow for the wisest Border Security investment possible to get completely obliterated and skirt reality once again:

The law signed by Bush had a caveat that went virtually unreported at the time. A summary, published by the Senate Government Affairs Committee, required the government to increase the number of border patrol agents by at least 2,000 per year, "subject to available appropriations."

But what’s to worry about a few hundred mere ‘Special Interest Aliens’?

We don’t need the additional Border Patrol agents. John McCain will track them down through their blogs and have them under control in no time...probably even faster than the president can get them a Guest Worker card.

Someone pinch me. This has to be a bad dream.


UPDATE: I had not realized at the time of this post that Captain Ed at Captain's Quarters had posted on this before I had. His post has a lively discussion going on in the Comments. Go visit and read them at:

Captain's Quarters: The Southern Sieve