Two U.S. Representatives from Texas, joined by 17 border-county sheriffs from Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, have written a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta requesting that military materiel made surplus by U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan be redeployed to America's notorious sieve of a Southern border.[War surplus sought for U.S. security |2 lawmakers cite need at border with Mexico, By Jerry Seper, Washington Times, March 27, 2012]
This is an excellent idea. Of course, it is unlikely to receive a reasonable hearing from Panetta or anyone else in the Obama Administration. Nevertheless, it puts down a marker. It may force the Obama Administration to go even more blatantly on the record as being opposed to any real security measures along America's Mexican border—and this in a presidential election year. So far, so good.
But the proposal, while worthy, is incomplete. A true national defense proposal would involve the redeployment with all due speed to the United States of all U.S. forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, anywhere else they are in the Middle East (the Fifth Fleet excepted), Korea and Europe.
U.S.-based expeditionary and strike forces can meet America's overseas defense needs on an as-required basis. There is no need to garrison a vast number of foreign countries while—deliberately—leaving America's own frontiers unguarded.
The U.S. government's Middle Eastern misadventures are insane and serve no valid American interest. But perhaps the most irritating is the continued American presence in South Korea. In 1950-1953, the United States, with some mostly British help, fought a war to protect South Koreans from North Koreans. Americans have been sitting on Korea's DMZ for that purpose ever since, at American expense, presumably so South Koreans may live in peace without fear of being occupied by their Communist countrymen.
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