Arizona 'Virtual Fence' to Get Final OK

[Chris_]

Arizona 'Virtual Fence' to Get Final OK

WASHINGTON (AP) - A 28-mile "virtual fence" that will use radars and surveillance cameras to try to catch people entering the country illegally has gotten final government approval.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Friday was to announce approval of the fence, built by the Boeing Co. (BA) and using technology the Bush administration plans to extend to other areas of the Arizona border, as well as sections of Texas. These projects could get under way as early as this summer, officials said.

The virtual fence is part of a national plan to secure the southwest border with physical barriers and high-tech detection capabilities intended to stop illegal immigrants on foot and drug smugglers in vehicles. As of Feb. 8, 295 miles of fencing had been constructed.

The virtual fence already is working.

On Feb. 13, an officer in a Tucson command center - 70 miles from the border - noticed a group of about 100 people gathered at the border. The officer notified agents on the ground and in the air. Border Patrol caught 38 of the 100 people who tried to cross illegally, and the others went back into Mexico, a Homeland Security official said.

The virtual fence system includes 98-foot unmanned surveillance towers that are equipped with an array of sophisticated technology including radar, sensor devices and cameras capable of distinguishing people from cattle at a distance of about 10 miles. The cameras are powerful enough to tell group sizes and whether people are carrying backpacks that may contain weapons or drugs.

Well, it's better than nothing, and it will serve to piss off the libs, so that's a plus.  I'd still prefer a 20' high concrete wall with landmines all around it.   

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[DumbAss Tanker]

The problem with the whole virtual fence thing is that to make it work, you have to have fairly massive and highly mobile ground assets immediately at hand as a reaction force.  The functionality of the whole thing can be compromised completely by short-sheeting the reaction resources, which is a large part of the current problem with Bush's desire to help out his pals in Big Ag and other service industry fatcats in the Southwest.  All it takes to render this system totally ineffective is either the Executive allocating the mobile resources badly (incompetently or on purpose) or for the Legislative to short-fund the response assets; it's attractive to both of them because either one therefore has the power to make sure it doesn't accomplish anything without the necessity of obtaining the other's cooperation. 

[Chris_]

The problem with the whole virtual fence thing is that to make it work, you have to have fairly massive and highly mobile ground assets immediately at hand as a reaction force.  The functionality of the whole thing can be compromised completely by short-sheeting the reaction resources, which is a large part of the current problem with Bush's desire to help out his pals in Big Ag and other service industry fatcats in the Southwest.  All it takes to render this system totally ineffective is either the Executive allocating the mobile resources badly (incompetently or on purpose) or for the Legislative to short-fund the response assets; it's attractive to both of them because either one therefore has the power to make sure it doesn't accomplish anything without the necessity of obtaining the other's cooperation. 

Maybe it's just supposed to keep out virtual illegals.
 

[CactusCarlos]

Well, it's better than nothing, and it will serve to piss off the libs, so   that's a plus.  I'd still prefer a 20' high concrete wall with landmines all around it.    

I like the way you think. 

[Bondai]

The Israelis already have the plans for a big ass concrete fence, and it seems to be working very well. Hell, let them build it.