Bush turns back on Israel to protect borders

In a shock move to protect US Borders with an "electronic fence "President Bush has turned his back on Israeli contractors and turned to major Industrial military complex providers Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, who say that within 3 weeks three they would submit bids within two weeks for a multibillion-dollar federal contract to build what the administration calls a "virtual fence" along the nation's land borders.

Operation Hold the Line in El Paso or Operation Gate Keeper in San Diego, using National Guard and men on the ground have failed so he has turned to hi-tech surveillance using high priced hi-tech tools - Umnanned Aerial vehicles (UAV's) like Predator, Global Hawk, ground surveillance / imagery satellites and motion-detection video equipment

Through its new fancy sounding Secure Border Initiative, the Bush administration says it is not just h-tech they turn to but a blend of electronics and patriotic personnel to patrol the periphery of the United States.

"This is an unusual invitation," the deputy secretary of homeland security, Michael Jackson, told contractors this year at an industry briefing, just before the bidding period for this new contract started. "We're asking you to come back and tell us how to do our business." ... and he should have added ."spend our money".

"We are launching the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history," Mr. Bush ( a man described as the President of the United States) said in his speech from the Oval Office on Monday.

The Department of Homeland Security and its Customs and Border Protection division will still be charged with patrolling the 6,000 miles of land borders - so that will be adding another layer of administration to slow response and add more costs.

It could also mean the sight of aerial pollution such as the Tethered Aerostat Radar, a helium-filled blimp twice the size of the famous Goodyear blimp that Lockheed Martin has made for the Air Force, tethered statically, the airship can hover overhead and automatically monitor any movement night or day and carries the AN/DPS-5 S-band CFAR/MTI and AN/TPS-63 search radars.... but not on windy days when the hi-tech winch will pull it in.50/60% up time is standard.

Meanwhile he is sending in ..er... 6,000 National Guards. i.e men with guns.

Just in case you missed it ...The Federal Aviation Administration first advised Customs to begin looking for aerostat sites on the Southwest border and the gulf in 1981. Major General Piotrowski, in hearings before the House in 1983, urged consideration of the use of aerostats in the war on drugs. The requirement for the Tethered Aerostat Radar System network was established in 1984 by the U.S. Customs Service to help counter illegal drug trafficking.

...and Lockheed Martin is to rollout local Vendor Industry Days to meet with potential suppliers for SBInet, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) comprehensive multi-year plan (i.e unending) to secure America's borders (well the Mexican one anyways) and reduce illegal immigration.

To build a world-class team of industry partners, Lockheed Martin is actively seeking small business participation through a series of supplier information and outreach sessions being held across the United States. i.e we are desperately searching for ideas for Uncle Sam to spend his taxpayer's dollars. Roll up...Roll up.Suppliers and universities with services, technologies, or product capabilities that might support SBInet can find more information and submit contact information at: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/secureborder

"As a systems integrator, Lockheed Martin recognizes need for diversityin a team, and is committed to including small, small disadvantaged, women, HUBzone, Native American, service disabled veteran and veteran-owned businesses in our SBInet solution," said Jay Dragone, vice president, Homeland Security Programs.i.e spread the tax dollars around amongst the areas most affected by illegal throughput.

SBInet will create an integrated border security system to transform, integrate and expand technology and infrastructure systems throughout the border to reduce illegal entry to the United States. SBInet will integrate multiple state of the art systems and traditional security infrastructure into a single comprehensive border security suite.... excuse me this paint needs watching carefully.....

Can I tender to write the speech a future President will make to explain why SBInet didn't work as planned ?