Mattis pledges ‘no contact with the migrants’ for troops on Mexico border

[TheCount]

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sought to reassure skeptical lawmakers Thursday that National Guard troops deployed to the Mexico border would have a limited mission despite indications from President Trump that military personnel would remain there until he gets the $18 billion wall he wants built.

Mattis deflected questions about whether he planned to keep troops there as political leverage to fulfill Trump’s vision, saying a number of factors could lead to the end of the reinforcement mission. Instead, he described the deployment as an effort to “buy time” for the Department of Homeland Security and improve its enforcement capabilities.

The troops will operate under a policy of “no contact with the migrants,” Mattis said, and will support U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a subagency of DHS, as it heads into the months when migration flows typically increase.

“This is an anticipatory backing-up, so that Customs and Border Patrol can put more troops in the field,” he added.

Mattis said he could not yet say what the deployment’s cost would be, nor could he articulate a strategy beyond saying the troops would be used to support DHS.

The Pentagon has authorized funding for deployment of up to 4,000 National Guard members through the end of September. He said Thursday that 800 troops have been dispatched so far and that he expects to soon receive a request for another 700.


While on the border, they answer to the governors of the states to which they are assigned: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. They will provide air support, maintain roads and other infrastructure, clear vegetation and assist with facility maintenance, in addition to operating surveillance systems.


“These forces will not involve themselves with the migrants themselves or have any law enforcement duties,” Mattis said. Troops conducting surveillance, for example, would pass along any intelligence gathered to Border Patrol agents, who in turn would handle any necessary seizures or arrests.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...800_story.html


Sounds like billions of dollars well spent to me.

[TheCount]

[wizardwatson]

I don't think you can get much further away from "Mexico will pay for the wall" than dishonoring troops by making them act as neutered "observe and report" mall-cop minutemen. I mean that's not a negotiation. They literally can't say no to this bull$#@! mission.

[TheCount]

I don't think you can get much further away from "Mexico will pay for the wall" than dishonoring troops by making them act as neutered "observe and report" mall-cop minutemen.

I'm sure that a way will be found.

[dannno]

I don't think you can get much further away from "Mexico will pay for the wall" than dishonoring troops by making them act as neutered "observe and report" mall-cop minutemen. I mean that's not a negotiation. They literally can't say no to this bull$#@! mission.

Well there will be a wall eventually, and Mexico will pay for it (through negotiated trade agreements), this is just temporary.

[Raginfridus]

You guys forget we have @TheTexan sitting vigil.

[TheCount]

Well there will be a wall eventually, and Mexico will pay for it (through negotiated trade agreements), this is just temporary.

Tariffs are paid by Americans, not Mexicans.

[Raginfridus]

Well there will be a wall eventually, and Mexico will pay for it (through negotiated trade agreements), this is just temporary.

How is trading with Mexico going to pay for the wall and it's upkeep?

[dannno]

How is trading with Mexico going to pay for the wall and it's upkeep?

When they reduce our tariffs (taxes).

[Raginfridus]

When they reduce our tariffs (taxes).

I don't follow though.

[dannno]

I don't follow though.

Trump has the upper hand in the negotiations and can negotiate the tariffs lower for us so that the money saved and the additional revenue generated from demand can be put toward the wall. It won't be paid for directly, but the point is there will be an influx of money from Mexico that will compensate for the cost of the wall.

Alternatively, Trump will accept cash, check or credit card payments for better trading terms.

[TheCount]

Trump has the upper hand in the negotiations and can negotiate the tariffs lower for us so that the money saved and the additional revenue generated from demand can be put toward the wall.

Don't you mean that taxes paid on the additional revenue can be put toward the wall?

Who will be paying those taxes? Mexicans?

[TheTexan]

Well there will be a wall eventually, and Mexico will pay for it (through negotiated trade agreements), this is just temporary.

Couldn't have said it better myself +rep

[dannno]

Don't you mean that taxes paid on the additional revenue can be put toward the wall?

Who will be paying those taxes? Mexicans?

No, I just said there will be an influx in cash from Mexico to the US. There will be additional tax revenue due to increased demand for our products there, but that isn't the point and that isn't where it is coming from. It is a sorta collectivist way to view it, but essentially we will have an extra $20 billion here in the US that will come from Mexico that we wouldn't have had otherwise. We will spend $20 billion on the wall.

The thing is, pretty much all Trump supporters would be happy with the wall no matter how it is paid, but the fact that he is going to hit up Mexico for a better trade agreement that would equate to our country getting the $$ back in some form for protecting our border was icing on the cake.

It's pretty funny how it has taken more than two years and anti-Trump people still can't wrap their head around it.

[TheTexan]

Any good publicly traded wall companies I can invest in?

Because the only thing better than making Mexico pay for the wall, is making Mexico pay for my retirement account

[TheCount]

No, I just said there will be an influx in cash from Mexico to the US.

How will that money get from the people who earned it to the government in order to pay for the wall?

Taxes or not taxes?

[dannno]

How will that money get from the people who earned it to the government in order to pay for the wall?

Taxes or not taxes?

Gee, I guess maybe you shouldn't have stopped reading my post right there since I explained that afterward. Thanks for wasting everybody's time.

[TheCount]

Gee, I guess maybe you shouldn't have stopped reading my post right there since I explained that afterward. Thanks for wasting everybody's time.

I read the rest. I didn't see the word tax in it.

Who will be taxed?

[dannno]

I read the rest. I didn't see the word tax in it.

Who will be taxed?

Stop acting retarded, I already outlined how it works very clearly, just because it doesn't fit into all the little scenarios you are laying out doesn't mean when Trump says, "Mexico is going to pay for it" he is wrong, because he is actually technically correct if you look at the US and Mexico as collective entities.

[nikcers]

Stop acting retarded, I already outlined how it works very clearly, just because it doesn't fit into all the little scenarios you are laying out doesn't mean when Trump says, "Mexico is going to pay for it" he is wrong, because he is actually technically correct if you look at the US and Mexico as collective entities.

We are the U.S. You will be assimilated, resistance is futile.

[Swordsmyth]

We are the U.S. You will be assimilated, resistance is futile.

That is what Mexico is trying to do to us.

[nikcers]

That is what Mexico is trying to do to us.

Turn us into a collective and ruin our free market economy?

[dannno]

Turn us into a collective and ruin our free market economy?

Uh, yes?

[nikcers]

Uh, yes?

I would like whatever he is having sir.

[dannno]

I would like whatever he is having sir.

Well they want bigger government at double the rate, so...you know...math and stuff..

[Swordsmyth]

Turn us into a collective and ruin our free market economy?

Yes, they are invading us to assimilate us into their communist culture.
Mexico leftist opens up 22-point lead in presidency race

The Borg are the ones who invade the Enterprise.

[nikcers]

Well they want bigger government at double the rate, so...you know...math and stuff..

LOL that's funny coming from a "collective" "free market" with a debt to GDP ratio pushing 105% and credit that was downgraded recently. I wonder how long we can keep spending before everything is an interest payment.

[Swordsmyth]

LOL that's funny coming from a "collective" "free market" with a debt to GDP ratio pushing 105% and credit that was downgraded recently. I wonder how long we can keep spending before everything is an interest payment.

It could be much worse, they want to make it worse.

[nikcers]

It could be much worse, they want to make it worse.

It's not like they have any intention to solve the problem they created in the first place. They are getting a good deal, look at all that interest,and it won't ever go the other direction with the people who created this boondoggle in power. Face it, Trump is a neocon globalist, and that's why he was allowed to win. You don't think with all the election shenanigans that happened over the last couple years that the election isn't rigged? Trump even said it was rigged, thats the funny part.

[enhanced_deficit]

This is bit confusing, besides Hillary, even Trump doesn't support vigorous border defense model like Israel's where tax payers funded troops happily interact with and even kill en masse those who approach border?

Trump calls out Hillary Clinton for her support for Israel’s separation wall