Security theater is the carrying out of actions which are designed to look as if they improve security whilst at the same time there is little improvement, or possibly even a loss of security through those actions. The term was coined by Bruce Schneier for his book Beyond Fear but has gained currency in security circles as a good term for a very common phenomenon and in particular for describing airport security measures and by experts such as Edward Felten to describe the security measures imposed after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Security theater gains importance both by satisfying and exploiting the gap between perceived risk and actual risk.
Pres. Bush gave a primetime speech last night on immigration and border security (here's the full text of the speech). A lot of the speech covered familiar ground for those who have followed the immigration and border security debate closely; but he did provide some new specifics on his plan for border security, the most newsworthy element of which is the proposal to deploy up to 6,000 members of the National Guard on the southern border as a stopgap measure. (I use the term 'newsworthy' very loosely since it was widely leaked to the media and members of congress).
Bush discussed a proposal to increase the number of Border Patrol agents to 18,000 by the end of 2008, from a current level of 12,000. This proposal is simply fulfilling existing law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorist Prevention Act of 2004 which mandated a doubling of the size of the Border Patrol over five years. Since this proposal is already law, he should have no problem getting it passed, and declaring victory. As a stopgap measure leading up to 2008, Bush would deploy a rotation of 6,000 National Guard troops as a temporary measure, commenting in his speech:
One way to help during this transition is to use the National Guard. So in coordination with governors, up to 6,000 guard members will be deployed to our southern border. The Border Patrol will remain in the lead. The guard will assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building patrol roads, and providing training. Guard units will not be involved in direct law enforcement activities -- that duty will be done by the Border Patrol.
This initial commitment of guard members would last for a period of one year. After that, the number of guard forces will be reduced as new Border Patrol agents and new technologies come online. It is important for Americans to know that we have enough guard forces to win the war on terror, to respond to natural disasters, and to help secure our border.
UPDATE 05/16/06 5:45 AM: Below are remarks by Sec. Chertoff last December from an interview with Bill O'Reilly on the idea of sending the National Guard to the border:
Chertoff: Well, the National Guard is really, first of all, not trained for that mission. I mean, the fact of the matter is the border is a special place. There are special challenges that are faced there....
Chertoff: I think it would be a horribly over-expensive and very difficult way to manage this problem.
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Overall, this proposal has all the marks of being costly and ineffective. And this analysis doesn't even cover the issue of the National Guard already being overstretched as a result of the war in Iraq and the Guard's disaster management responsibilities, which is also a concern. The flip side is that at least it will put the guard to work actually defending this country, instead of spreading democracy in the middle east.
So, most importantly -- will this 'Bold, New Plan' fulfill its real promis, which is to stop the Pres. bleeding in the polls? Will he be able to effectively navigate between the two diametrically opposed views within the republican party: the law-and-order, police-state republicans, and the pro-business, social conservatives that seek amnesty for illegal immigrants?
Update 9:08 AM EST:
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Comments: 8
I tend to disagree that this is a bad idea. Although the Guard is stretched thin, they are already along the border assisting with drug interdiction. So, I'm unclear as to whether or not these same individuals will be utilized in the immigration plan or not. What bothers me is that the Northern Border has been completely ignored in all this. We cannot possibly talk about securing the nation if we do not address all the issues surrounding illegal immigraiton. The Southern Border is not the entire problem.
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060117-121930-3169r.htm
as "mere mistakes and possibly imposters". I doubt that.
I disagree with President Bush on how to reform immigration. We simply must demonstrate that we can control the border before we can talk about rights for the 12 million illegal aliens already in the country. Nevertheless, I give President Bush credit for his willingness to take on this very difficult issue.
I think it is playing straight into the hands of the racists who want this country to be and "english speaking nation".