July 26, 2004

The 911 Commission’s Final Report—Just Another Trashy Paperback?

By Juan Mann

[See also by Juan Mann: What The 9/11 Commission Needs To Know About The EOIR and Remember 9/11? Another Reason To Oppose The Bush Betrayal]

Now that the final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States has been unveiled on the internet [PDF] and at bookstores near you, America’s enemies know once and for all just how ambivalent our ruling Beltway elite is toward federal immigration law enforcement.

Since I already spent $10 on the 9/11 Commission’s paperback as a public service to VDARE.com readers, I’ll save you the trouble of wading through the 576-page taxpayer-funded tome searching for real immigration reform proposals:

There are none [0].

I have located the only section remotely relevant to immigration law enforcement.  It’s in the “What to do? A global strategy” section—Chapter 12, page 390 [PDF].

Remember, this is the final work product of the public investigation of the most devastating terrorist attack ever by foreign nationals on American soil.

Read it and weep . . .

The 9/11 Commission writes:

“Our borders and immigration system, including law enforcement, ought to send a message of welcome, tolerance, and justice [My translation: non-deportation] to members of immigrant communities in the United States and in their countries of origin.  We should reach out to immigrant communities.  Good immigration services are one way of doing so that is valuable in every way—including intelligence.

“It is elemental to border security to know who is coming into the country.  Today more than 9 million people are in the United States outside the legal immigration system [My translation: 9 million illegal aliens].  We must also be able to monitor and respond to entrances between our ports of entry, [My translation: illegal aliens entering illegally] working with Canada and Mexico as much as possible.

“There is a growing role for state and local law enforcement agencies.  They need more training and work with federal agencies so that they can cooperate more effectively with those federal authorities in identifying terrorist suspects. [Hmm, what about local police just arresting all illegal aliens…including, by definition, the ones who have not yet revealed themselves as terrorists?]

“All but one of the 9/11 hijackers acquired some form of U.S. identification document, some by fraud.  Acquisition of these forms of identification would have assisted them in boarding commercial flights, renting cars, and other necessary activities.

“Recommendation:  Secure identification should begin in the United States.  The federal government should set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as drivers licenses. [Hmmm, does this mean NO drivers licenses for illegal aliens?] Fraud in identification documents is no longer just a problem of theft.  At many entry points to vulnerable facilities, including gates for boarding aircraft, sources of identification are the last opportunity to ensure that people are who they say they are and to check whether they are terrorists.” The 9/11 Commission Report—“What to do? A global strategy” –Chapter 12,  page 390 [PDF].

Of course, of course, we should have secure ID in U.S. And I guess it’s good that an official report finally recognizes we don’t.

But is that all?—in a document of 576 pages?

What about one (1) mention of deporting all illegal aliens and criminal alien residents? In exchange for this "tolerance” and “reach out” claptrap?

The plain fact is that vigorous nationwide immigration law enforcement, and the summary deportation of all illegals and criminal aliens, would make the American homeland a lot safer right now.

Not to mention the equally plain fact that the 9/11 attacks could have been foiled simply by arresting, detaining and deporting the perpetrators for basic immigration violations.

Unfortunately, the 9/11 plot was not foiled by immigration law enforcement at the state and local level.

No such enforcement existed.

And the Treason Lobby and its Beltway minions are doing their best to make sure there’s not going to be any real immigration law enforcement happening anytime soon.