Most politicians go with the herd. And so, for example, if everyone in Washington is talking about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, well, that's what most pols talk about, too. Which is why the airwaves and newspapers are full of people uttering pieties about policies in a country that most of them have never been to. But to be blunt about it, there's not much to be done from Washington DC. Bhutto's tragic murder happened in another country, about which we know little and about which we can do little--The New York Times recently reported that American diplomatic personnels are not safe in big swathes of the country. So it's no wonder, therefore, that most of our $10 billion in foreign aid has been wasted over the last seven years.
Yes, it's great that we have a foreign policy establishment full of new ideas and plans for helping Pakistan, and some of them might even help--although it sure seems to me that pushing a tribal/feudal country prematurely into "democracy" is a formula for trouble. But don't take my word for it--ask the Bhutto family.
But in the meantime, the average American needs protection, too. And it's the issue of homeland security--the sine qua non of sovereignty--that politicians can make a difference, if they choose to worry about such humdrum topics as the folks back home. Because, as we have learned, the long arm of jihadism, including from Pakistan, can reach deep into the United States if we aren't careful. Not just to New York and Washington, as we saw on 9-11, but also to such out-of-the-way places as Lodi, Calif.
And so Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) has focused on a vitally, perhaps life-savingly important issue: The status of Pakistanis coming to the US, legally and illegally. To be sure, the question of Pakistanis coming into this country is not a "top drawer" issue with the DC-NY elites; no doubt there won't be a single seminar by the Council on Foreign Relations on the issue. But in terms of actually making a difference in people's lives, here in the US, the Freedom and Sovereignty Caucus believes that Jones should get credit for keeping his eye on the ball--the ball here at home.
The graphic above is a copy of Jones' letter to President George W. Bush, in which Jones reminds the Administration about the importance of homeland security, and asks a pointed question about the status of Pakistanis who have overstayed their visas in the US. I wonder when he will hear back from the White House, or the adminstration.
Here is Jones' December 28 press release:
Jones urges review of U.S. immigration policy toward Pakistan
Washington, D.C. – In a letter today to President George W. Bush, Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC) urged the President to conduct an immediate top-level review of our nation’s immigration procedures regarding Pakistan.
“In light of the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto, I am very concerned about the current state of our nation’s immigration policy toward Pakistan,” the letter states. “Now more than ever, border security equals national security, and national security equals border security.”
“According to the Department of Homeland Security, in 2006, 17,418 Pakistanis were admitted as legal permanent residents to the United States and 53,458 were admitted as non-immigrants. Additionally, the Denver Post reported in March 2006 that as many as 660 Pakistanis were caught entering the United States illegally between 2002 and 2005 – which means many more Pakistani nationals, as well as other nationals, successfully infiltrated our borders and were never apprehended,” the letter states. “This is a serious situation, made all the more serious by Pakistan’s status as a nuclear power. In addition, Pakistan’s close proximity to Iran and Afghanistan is a continuing source of concern, increasing the need for American vigilance.”
“Also, according to the Department of Commerce, ports in my home state of North Carolina have received many shipments from Pakistan during the first 10 months of 2007 alone,” the letter continues. “I know that your Administration’s Proliferation Security Initiative seeks to thwart the trafficking of deadly nuclear materials, including “loose nukes,” but in light of Pakistan’s troubled status, I hope you will agree that a searching scrutiny of our port security posture – from Wilmington, North Carolina to Washington State – is much needed.
“Mr. President, in view of Pakistan’s volatile political climate and its considerable stockpile of nuclear weapons, it is essential for the United States to seriously assess its current policy of immigration and importation from Pakistan,” the letter concludes. “As part of your assessment, I respectfully request a report from you on the number and possible whereabouts of all Pakistanis who are presently residing in the United States on the basis of overstayed visas. I am sure you will agree that vigorous law enforcement is needed here at home, even as we mourn the loss of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan.”
Jones is a controversial figure in American politics; many disagree with his criticism of the Iraq war, although none who know him dispute his sincerity or his patriotism. But here's what really matters: Over the Christmas holidays, Jones was alert enough to sniff out an important issue, and to bring it to the attention of the Bush administration--which has all too often been lackadaisical about these matters--and the nation, which is only beginning to wake up to the mortal threats we face on the home front.
In fact, Jones has been on the forefront of issues concerning American Sovereignty, including illegal immigration and also dubiously legal Mexican trucks. He has also been a tireless champion of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, the two Border Patrol agents who, many believe, were given an unfair trial and extraordinarily harsh prison sentences for doing their enforcement duty along the Rio Grande River two years ago.
If the Bush administration ever gets serious about border and port security, Jones will be remembered as one of the reasons why.
But in the meantime, Jones does what he can from his Congressional perch; and that counts for a lot. Pro-Sovereigntists everywhere agree that Walter Jones is to be praised for his foresight, and for his energy and dedication on behalf of his constituents, and in defense of all Americans.
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