Text 5119, 93 rader
Skriven 2007-08-09 23:30:52 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0708099) for Thu, 2007 Aug 9
===================================================

===========================================================================
Setting The Record Straight: The Administration Is Meeting Its Commitment
To Border Security
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release August 9, 2007

Setting The Record Straight: The Administration Is Meeting Its Commitment
To Border Security The Washington Times Wrongly Claims National Guard
Troops Being Withdrawn "Earlier Than Promised"

ÿÿWhite House News

ÿÿÿÿÿ Setting the Record Straight

The Washington Times inaccurately claims National Guard troops assigned to
the U.S.-Mexico Border under Operation Jump Start are "being pulled off the
line a year earlier than promised."ÿ(Jerry Seper, "Guard Troops Pulled Back
From Border," The Washington Times, 8/9/07)

There Is No Basis For The Claim That National Guard Troops Are Being Drawn
Down Early

When he announced Operation Jump Start in May 2006, President Bush clearly
stated that"the initial commitment of Guard members would last for a period
of one year."ÿTHE PRESIDENT:"This initial commitment of Guard members would
last for a period of one year. After that, the number of Guard forces will
be reduced as new Border Patrol agents and new technologies come online."
(President George W. Bush, Address To The Nation On Immigration Reform,
Washington, DC, 5/15/06)
  þ The President has reiterated this point in subsequent discussions of
    the program.
      þ "And the initial commitment will last for about a year for the
        6,000 for the Guard, and after that, the forces will be reduced as
        new Border Patrol agents and new equipment comes online."ÿ
        (President George W. Bush, Remarks, Yuma, AZ, 5/18/06)
      þ "As new Border Patrol agents and technologies come on line, the
        Guard forces are going to be reduced."ÿ(President George W. Bush,
        Remarks, Washington, DC, 6/1/06)

The President announced in August 2006 that we had met the pledge to put
6,000 National Guard members in Southern Border states under the first
phase of Operation Jump Start. These National Guard members are not
involved in direct law enforcement activities; instead, they are providing
help with surveillance, construction, and logistics.ÿ Their support has
allowed the Border Patrol to move more than 500 agents to the front line
from administrative support positions.

Under the second phase of Operation Jump Start, 3,000 National Guard troops
will remain on duty at our Southern border through June 2008.ÿIn addition,
to continue enabling Border Patrol agents to work in the field rather than
behind a desk, the Department of Homeland Security is spending about $40
million on 536 administrative support personnel in FY 2007 and is
requesting $49.3 million in FY 2008 to support 688 administrative support
personnel for the Border Patrol. ÿ

More Than A Year Since Operation Jump Start Was Announced, We Have
Increased The Size Of The Border Patrol And Enhanced Border Security
Infrastructure

As of July 2007, the Border Patrol has added 2,300 agents since National
Guard support began under Operation Jump Start in June 2006.ÿThe Border
Patrol now has more than 14,000 agents serving today  up from 9,000 in
2001  and is on track to add roughly 600 more agents by September 30.ÿ The
Administration expects to add 3,000 agents in Fiscal Year 2008, doubling
the size of the Border Patrol to 18,000 agents since the President took
office.

By September 30, we will have approximately 150 miles of fencing and 100
miles of vehicular barriers in place at our border.ÿIn addition, today
there are in place:
  þ Thousands of ground sensors;
  þ Hundreds of day and night cameras;
  þ Over 350 miles of improved patrol roads;
  þ 4 Ground Surveillance Radars (GSR); and
  þ 2 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in Southern Arizona.

Because of the deterrence of our enhanced security measures, apprehensions
are down 24 percent along the Southwest border compared to the same period
during the previous fiscal year. ÿThe number of other-than-Mexican alien
apprehensions is down 48 percent.ÿThis is a result of the success of
Operation Jump Start as well as implementing catch and return, increased
worksite enforcement, and continued prosecutions of smugglers and criminals
who try enter the country illegally.

# # #

===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070809-9.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)