Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 3 November 2018

A look at the troops being sent to US-Mexico border

By ROBERT BURNS and LO- knowledged “there could
LITA C. BALDOR be incidental interaction”
Associated Press between migrants and sol-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- diers. In light of that possibil-
dent Donald Trump or- ity, the soldiers “are going
dered troops to the border to be fully trained in how to
in response to a caravan do that,” he said.
of migrants slowly making Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Pen-
its way through Mexico to- tagon spokesman, said the
ward the United States and military will not disclose de-
still about 900 miles away, tails of its rules on the use of
with many dropping out. force.
Here’s what we know so far DOES CONGRESS SUPPORT
about the military’s mission: THIS MISSION?
WHAT TROOPS ARE IN- With members of Congress
VOLVED? focused mainly on Tues-
More than 7,000 active day’s midterm elections,
duty troops have been told reaction has been mild.
to deploy to Texas, Arizona A group of senior House
and California. They are a Democrats wrote a letter to
mix of forces, including mili- Mattis on Thursday express-
tary police, an assault he- ing opposition to the mili-
licopter battalion, various tary mission and demand-
communications, medical ing answers on its cost. The
and headquarters units, Members of the U.S.military place razor wire along the U.S.-Mexico border near the McAllen- deployment of active duty
combat engineers, plan- Hidalgo International Bridge, Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, in McAllen, Texas. troops, they wrote, “only
ners and public affairs units. Associated Press exacerbates the potential
As of Friday, one week af- their protection. and temporary housing. southwest border may to unnecessarily escalate
ter the Pentagon acknowl- WHAT IS THEIR ROLE ON THE WILL TROOPS BE ARMED? open fire if migrants throw the situation.”
edged that Defense Sec- BORDER? Yes, many of them will be, rocks at them, he insist- Chuck Hagel, a former
retary Jim Mattis had ap- The Pentagon is adamant mainly for self-protection. ed Friday that he meant Republican senator and
proved a Department of that active duty troops will Military police at the bor- that rock-throwers would Army combat veteran who
Homeland Security request not do law enforcement, der will be armed, although be arrested. “I didn’t say served as defense secre-
for military support at the which they are forbidden they will have non-lethal ‘shoot,’” he told reporters tary under President Barack
border, the troop deploy- from doing under the Posse options for dealing with at the White House. Either Obama, told CNN the mis-
ment was still unfolding, Comitatus Act in the Con- unexpected conflict. Pen- way, his scenario of vio- sion is “folly” because there
with about 3,500 at staging stitution. Troops can’t arrest tagon officials say they lence captures in a nutshell is “no need, no threat.”
bases in the Southwest. Of people at the border. Their are planning for a worst- the risk of using active duty Retired Army Gen. Martin
those, about 2,250 active main job will be to support case scenario of violence troops for domestic secu- Dempsey, who preceded
duty troops are at stag- the Border Patrol. that could force soldiers rity: Their mission does not Marine Gen. Joseph Dun-
ing bases in Texas, about This means the military will to rely on their training to include confronting mi- ford as chairman of the
1,100 Marines are at Camp transport border patrol make split-second deci- grants, but some may be Joint Chiefs of Staff, took
Pendleton in California agents to and along the sions to defend themselves unable to avoid it. double-barreled aim at
and fewer than 200 are in border, help them erect or civilians. MPs might, for The commander in charge the border mission. Writ-
Arizona. About 100 troops additional vehicle barriers example, be dispatched of the military operation, ing on Twitter Thursday, he
are actually on the border, and fencing along the bor- to provide armed security Air Force Gen. Terrence called the military mission
at the port crossing near der, assist them with com- for military engineers plac- O’Shaughnessy, head of a “wasteful deployment of
McAllen, Texas. munications and provide ing barricades at locations U.S. Northern Command, over-stretched Soldiers and
Most of the troops are be- some security for border where there are no border said earlier this week that Marines” that would be
ing used to facilitate the agent camps. The military patrol agents to provide handling migrants will be “made much worse” if they
movement of border patrol also will provide the border protection. primarily the job of the used force disproportional
agents, house them, feed patrol agents with medical One day after Trump sug- Customs and Border Pro- to the threat they face on
them and provide some of care, pre-packaged meals, gested soldiers on the tection agency. But he ac- the border.q