9/11 Families for a Secure America

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Bush renews bid for reform"

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 22:51:27 EST

The President made a very public visit to a section of the Mexican Border that had been known for being a point through which countless illegal aliens have been entering our country without being inspected by our CBP (Customs and Border Protection inspectors. In his speech the President made a great deal about the fact that much progress has been made in the last year to secure that highly porous section of the border that is supposed to separate the United States from Mexico. The photo that accompanied the news story that I have attached below makes it clear that the National Guard is highly visible along that portion of the border.

Mike Cutler commentary on New York Times Opinion piece "They Are America"

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:44:27 EST

It seems that we are being barraged from nearly every quarter by those who are determined to open our nation's borders and blur the distinction between what it is to be a United States citizen, a resident alien and an illegal alien. Most of those who are involved in this massive public relations campaign fall into two categories. They are either seeking to gain a profit or political power by dong this, or they are well-intentioned but misguided. I share the concern that many feel about the terrible way that illegal aliens are treated. As an INS special agent I got to see this abuse "up close and in person" more times and in many ways I try to not remember especially when I try to fall asleep at night! It is time for those who are honestly concerned about the terrible situation these illegal aliens face seek to address the conditions in the homelands from which these aliens come. They are often fleeing grinding poverty and squalor that is utterly outrageous! These illegal aliens are being exploited by virtually everyone. They are exploited by the corrupt governments of the countries from which they come that want them to work in the United States and send money home to enrich the economies of those countries. They are exploited and abused by the smugglers who often beat and rob the aliens who fall into their evil clutches. These smugglers often rape the women whom they smuggle. When these aliens finally come across the border they are exploited by unscrupulous employers.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Cartels grow pot on 'national treasures,' drug czar says"

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:43:07 EST

Some time ago President Bush committed yet another gaff when he spoke in front of a number of reporters. He talked about the need for coordination in government. He said that it was important that the left hand knew what the right hand was doing. As he said this he confused his hands! That moment was one that was captured by so many cameras and was a source of a bit of humor but the point sure was well taken, our government needs to coordinate its efforts to address the myriad issues in the most effective manner possible.

The article I have attached below was written by Jerry Seper of the Washington Times. He is one journalist who has been tirelessly covering the immigration issue and other law enforcement issues that relate to our nation's unwillingness to secure its borders. Clearly John P. Walters, the Director of ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) has come to understand the tremendous damage being done to our national parks by Mexican drug traffickers operating in our country with the assistance of violent gangs. It would seem that the drug cartels are no longer content to simply smuggle their poison into our country, now they have taken to growing it in our country! Right now this is being done at an ever increasing rate in California. The question is, how long will it take for them to spread this new approach to other states?

Mike Cutler commentary on the Miami Herald article "Illegal immigrants 'rent' citizens' identities"

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:42:46 EST

For the longest time I have been making the point that the immigration crisis can only be solved if it is seen as a system that has failed. It is a system of many components but each of the components are essential. I have often compared the situation to a boat with many holes in its bottom. Simply plugging a couple of the many holes will not prevent the boat from winding up at the bottom of the lake. All of the areas of vulnerability and failure must be addressed.

During the last session of Congress, a bill was enacted into law that called for the construction of a fence along some 700 miles of the border that is supposed to separate the United States from Mexico. I was interviewed by a number of newspaper reporters and on a number of radio and television programs about that fence and was asked if I thought that the fence would ever be built. I predicted it would never be built, at least in its entirety but, the issue of the fence was almost a distraction. While I favor taking the steps to secure our nation's borders so that we can determine who should be allowed to enter and who should not, this is only one of many steps that should be taken to gain control over the now broken and largely dysfunctional system.

Mike Cutler comments on the CNN article "Report: Al Qaeda renewing efforts to sneak terror plotters into U.S."

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:42:19 EST

For the past several days Michael Chertoff, the current Secretary of Homeland Security has been appearing on various news programs conceding his concerns that Al Qaeda operatives are either attempting to enter the United States or have already done so in preparation for a major attack against the United States. He claims this is only a "hunch."

I think that Mr. Chertoff is hedging his bets, being able to say "I warned you" if we are, in fact, attacked. Once again the name of the game seems to be "protecting his backside" while our country is left vulnerable to the specter of a terrorist attack. The article I have attached below was just posted by CNN in conjunction with the Associated Press. As you read the article, notice the reference to the extremely dangerous Visa Waiver Program that just a couple of weeks ago, former Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge said should be expanded to include an additional ten countries.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Bloomberg article "U.S. Unable to Deport Most Illegal Immigrants Who Commit Crimes"

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 12:41:45 EST

I have said it many times before and I will say it again. When the President and the other advocates for open borders make the assertion that our nation has attempted to create an "enforcement only approach to illegal immigration and it does not work" as a justification for a Guest Worker Amnesty Program, the reality is that all that our nation has done is to attempt to create an illusion of enforcement and it is this illusion that does not work!

It has been said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." In law enforcement this means that the most effective approach to dealing with criminal activity is to provide meaningful deterrence. This means that those who would violate the laws have to be convinced that if they commit a crime that there is a real chance that they will be caught. If they are caught, they have to be convinced that they will be prosecuted and that upon conviction, they will face serious consequences.

Mike Cutler commentary on Terrorist Attack in Scotland

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:15:24 EST

Great Britain and its citizens were the beneficiaries of quite a bit of really good luck. The article I have attached below appears in yesterday's edition of the New York Times. According to the article, thus far 7 medical doctors have been arrested in conjunction with several car bombing incidents in the United Kingdom . Fortunately two of the cars never exploded and the car that was driven into the terminal at a crowded airport did not cause serious injury to any of the many people who were in the airport terminal at the time of the attack.

It has been said that "Hope is not a strategy." I might add that depending on good luck is not a strategy either. The fact is that the doctors who were involved in this series of planned car bombings would never have been able to carry out their attacks had they not been admitted to Great Britain . Certainly the fact that their names did not show up on watch lists would make it difficult to have prevented their entry into England, however, what is of particular concern is the fact that the article notes that their was no real screening system in place for medical doctors.

Mike Cutler comments on Washington Times article "Security on alert ahead of attacks"

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:14:59 EST

Our nation is confronting so many challenges today because our nation's "leaders" have steadfastly refused to take the commonsense measures to protect our nation and our citizens. Politicians understandably are focused on their own personal number one priority, getting re-elected. They are eager to please their deep pocketed campaign contributors while often ignoring their own constituents. In survey after survey, Americans consistently say that they want our nation's borders secured. The President and other advocates for open borders, repeatedly chant the mantra that we have tried an enforcement only strategy and that strategy has not worked. Thus they claim that we can only take the pressure off the border if we provide a guest worker amnesty program for millions of illegal aliens. Clearly this concept is fundamentally flawed. Rewarding illegal aliens who violate our borders will only encourage still more illegal aliens to violate our borders and our immigration laws. This sort of thinking would equate with having a homeowner who came home to find a burglar sitting in his living room offering that intruder a meal, a job and use of the guestroom. Clearly no homeowner in his right mind would do this, yet the politicians who favor a guest worker amnesty program expect the United States to do the equivalent!

Let us next consider the news article I have attached below that appears in today's edition of the Washington Times. How many times have we heard the President say that America would be safer if we allowed those aliens who wanted to simply work in the United States to do so, thereby enabling law enforcement to focus on the terrorists? I have often made the point that a day or two before a terrorist engages in a terrorist attack he (she) is likely to go to his job where he has been hiding in plain sight. A number of the terrorists who have been linked to the most recent attacks in England have been identified as being medical doctors. Although I have yet to read an article that states that any of them were practicing medicine in England , it would not be beyond the realm of possibility that they were working in England .

Mike Cutler commentary on comments Senator Sessions made on house floor

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:44:09 EST

As everyone knows, the debate is raging in the United States Senate about the insane immigration bill that was concocted by Senator Kennedy and a few other members of the Senate to legalize millions of illegal aliens whose true identities are unknown and ultimately, unknowable. This bill, if it was to become the law of the United States would represent catastrophic legislation that would greatly encourage huge numbers of illegal aliens to run our nation's borders and shield them from law enforcement. This would create a true national security and criminal justice nightmare whose implications would also hammer other aspects of the United States including the economy, health care, the education systems, the environment and other important components of our nation. This is why I have taken to referring to this legislative train wreak as the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007."

Mike Cutler commentary on a Washington Times article

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:38:40 EST

There are times when it is rewarding to be right. Anyone who has picked lottery numbers, bet on a race or bought stocks wants to be right. There are times, however when I would frankly not want to be right. I was not happy that my concerns about terrorist attacks being carried out against our nation proved more than justified on September 11, 2001. Before that terrible day, when I voiced my concerns to my friends and neighbors, some of them told me that I was sounding like "Chicken Little." How I wish that they were right and I was the one who was wrong!

I have written many commentaries about my concerns where massive immigration fraud would make it impossible to create an amnesty program that would have even a modicum of integrity. I have also voiced these concerns when I testified before a number of Congressional hearings. To her credit, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee drafted legislation to combat immigration fraud as a result of my testimony when she requested that I testify at a hearing conducted on May 18, 2004 by the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims at a hearing entitled, " PUSHING THE BORDER OUT ON ALIEN SMUGGLING: NEW TOOLS AND INTELLIGENCE INITIATIVES."

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Rough road ahead for immigration bill"

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:38:18 EST

It is "crunch time" on Capitol Hill. The Senate will vote on the issue of cloture for the Senate immigration bill that I have come to refer to as the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007." The article that I have attached below appears in today's edition of the Washington Times and makes it clear that at least a number of Senators understand that they are supposed to represent their constituents! What a novel concept in this day of deep-pocketed campaign contributors and special interest groups!

As I have noted so many times before, the United States is at war. This war is not only being fought on some far-off soil but within our nation's own borders. Indeed our nation has been attacked by alien terrorists several times, within the borders of the 48 contiguous states. In response to these attacks we have witnessed an erosion of our expectations of privacy and freedoms. A simple domestic airline flight by citizens of our country flying within the borders of the United States becomes an arduous exercise requiring that we arrive at the airport hours before flight time. It may require that we be thoroughly searched. We remove our jackets and shoes. We open all of our bags and must not be found to be carrying nail clippers or bottles of shampoo. Parking a car in a garage in many of the large office buildings in my home town of New York City often engenders a search of the trunk of my car and may include a security guard walking around my car with a mirror on a pole to check the underside of my vehicle to make certain there are no bombs concealed under the chassis. Trucks are routinely searched before they can drive through the tunnels that connect Manhattan with Brooklyn and Queens. Documentation required to obtain a driver's license has been increased to help make certain that we are who we claim we are.

Mike Cutler commentary on the NY Times article "Texas Town, Now Divided, Forged Bush’s Stand on Immigration"

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:09:35 EST

I came across the article that ran in the Sunday edition of the New York Times that I have attached below. I thought that it would be worth commenting on this article.

If the fact of the matter is that President Bush found the work ethic of the Mexican laborers he lived and worked with to be inspiring, I for one cannot fault him for appreciating their hard work. The issue where illegal immigration is concerned is not whether or not those who come from other countries to our country are conscientious; the issue is whether or not they are here legally or illegally. Mexico does not provide the only hard working people. Our nation, in fact, was built by immigrants who legally came to the United States from almost every nation on this planet. My mother, in fact, came to the United States from her native Poland a few years ahead of the Holocaust that would cost 13 million people their lives including the 6 million Jews, including my grandmother and other members of my family.

Mike Cutler commentary on July 4th

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:09:05 EST

July 4th is rapidly approaching. As we all know, the Declaration of Independence was signed on that date in 1776. On that historic date our leaders started the inexorable process that ultimately created our nation and our ongoing experiment with democracy! The Fourth of July is customarily celebrated by firework displays, parades, barbeques and department store sales. It is important to remember the real reason that we celebrate the Fourth of July: we are celebrating our nation's birthday!

The price of our freedom and way of life was and continues to be, very high and has been paid for, in large measure, with the blood of our soldiers who have fought in every war since the Revolutionary War. It has also been paid for with the blood of those Americans such as our police officers, federal agents and firefighters who willingly and routinely go in harm's way to preserve the lives of our citizens. Indeed, "Freedom is not free!"

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Immigration bill a 'No Go'"

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:08:40 EST

Usually I spend a fair amount of time providing my perspectives and insights when I comment on a newspaper article.

Today I will make my commentary relatively brief. The article I have attached below runs in today's edition of the Washington Times and is, in fact, a commentary that I am proud to tell you that I authored. I am, as you might imagine, pleased that the editors at the Washington Times have agreed to publish my commentary. The bigger issue here is that I am determined to provide my perspectives on the perilous and irrational "Comprehensive Reform" bill that has come out of a closed-door session in the United States Senate to as many Americans as I can. Having the widely read and well-respected Washington Times publish my commentary helps me achieve that goal.

As I noted in the article below, the most fitting name that could be bestowed upon this legislative detritus is the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007!" As I have often stated, the only thing worse than no security is false security. To claim that by providing millions of illegal (undocumented) alien’s official identity documents when there is no reliable way to know not only their true names but even their true nationalities and then assert that this process will make us safer because now we know what name they are now going by is utter folly! The politicians who are attempting to sell their colleagues and the citizens of the United States this absolutely false propaganda are clearly jeopardizing national security to please their wealthy friends and members of so-called "special interest" groups.

Mike Cutler commentary on CBS News Report congress pushes back passport requirement 17 months

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:08:11 EST

Just when you think you've seen it all, the government once again proves that where immigration and national security are concerned, all we can expect is incompetence! The CBS News article I have attached below is upsetting, but unfortunately not surprising. You know you are in deep trouble when we virtually take for granted the ineptitude, incompetence and corruption that now passes for "business as usual"

If you think about how many times politicians have made mention on the "War on Terror" and if you think about how many ways our expectations of privacy and freedoms have been lowered in the name of the "War on Terror" it is incomprehensible that nearly 6 years after the worst terrorist attack / mass murder ever carried out on our nation within our borders, that our borders still remain largely unprotected and the immigration system by which the terrorists managed to enter our country and game the immigration bureaucracy are still vulnerable to fraud and to the criminals and terrorists who would commit fraud in order to enter our country and hide in plain sight.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Visa Wavier Program

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:07:43 EST

I have attached an article below that appears on-line at CNN. The author of the article, Mike M. Ahlers is a producer at CNN who covers the Homeland Security beat for them. He and I have had numerous conversations about many of the issues concerning the nexus between immigration and national security and so I was pleased that he called me a couple of days ago to discuss the Visa Waiver Program and the outrageous position that none other than Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of Homeland Security has taken on this fatally flawed program.

Incredibly he is favoring an expansion of this extremely dangerous program at a time when it should be ended altogether! I find it interesting that the executive from this consortium of travel organizations should deny countries membership in this exclusive "club" by dropping those countries that have citizens who fail to depart the United States when they are required to do so. US VISIT is a program that the United States has invested heavily in. From what I have read, it has cost our nation more than one billion dollars. Yet US VISIT is unable to track the departure of alien visitors. Simply stated, our government does not know if aliens fail to depart the United States before their authorized period of admission expires even though the 911 Commission deemed this to be a critical issue!

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article " Bush lobbies Senate on immigration"

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:07:23 EST

As the news media has reported extensively, the President is at it yet again, pushing what he has come to artfully refer to as "Comprehensive Immigration Reform." He claims that the only way to gain control over our nation's borders is to provide a Guest Worker Amnesty Program for the millions of illegal aliens who are present in the United States today. The Senate refused to endorse the Senate immigration bill that was crafted by Senator Ted Kennedy and other members of the Senate who have been pushing for a Guest Worker Amnesty Program ever since President Bush began his efforts to carry out this outrageous plan. As you probably know, I have given that legislative trash masquerading as a bill worthy of the consideration of the Senate, the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007." I have copied an article about the President's lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill that appears in today's Washington Times.

Bruce DeCell commentary on the SFGate.com article "Immigration bill's demise suggests many are OK with status quo"

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:06:37 EST

Please when reading this article consider the following; the first two paragraphs are false because including the American public in them makes the whole premise of the proceeding article incorrect. “Status quo for the Citizens of this nation is not DREADFUL after all.” To this reporter it is not dreadful and she is editorializing and expressing her own opinion that 12 million illegal aliens (a low estimation) and more arriving each day is ok with the American public. Most polls illustrate the vast majority of the public do not want illegal immigration because it has more negative consequences for the nation than positive. The reporter in this article mentions may of the open borders supports and the fact that they all are feeding at the public trough and this is the reason that the American public is in this very negative position, facing 20 million or more illegal aliens. All are individuals who are unknown, creating many serious problems which the open borders supports are causing for profit and power to the peril of our national security, economic security, and the very existence of our sovereignty as a nation.

Bruce DeCell commentary on the NY Sun article "Court Okays Crackdown on Alien IDs"

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 00:06:05 EST

This week 9-11FSA supporters have witnessed two victories, one which is addressed in this article about New York State’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, rendering a decision to uphold the denial of drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens and the terrorists among them. The other is the defeat in the United States Senate of the Terrorist facilitation act of 2007 or Senate Bill 1348.

When our City Council Members here in State Island were contacted by the paper about this ruling they stated “those who break the law in order to remain in this country illegally should not be granted the privilege of a driver’s license”. In my opinion this is to the councilmen’s credit. However, most of the New York City Council is of the opposite view. Having attended several City Council hearings, with my own ears I have heard Councilmen say they support giving licenses to illegals. Believe it or not!

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Senate OKs amnesty for deportees"

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:05:26 EST

I have attached an article below that appears in today's Washington Times. It is an extremely important story because it makes it perfectly clear how Senator Kennedy feels about the laws of our nation and the need to abide by the laws. He has been one of the prime movers behind providing amnesty to the many millions of illegal aliens who are present in the United States today. He was a prime mover behind the Amnesty of 1986 that was an utter disaster. Back then he assured the American people as well as his colleagues in the Senate and, indeed, the United States Congress, that the "One time" measure of providing amnesty to illegal aliens would bring roughly 1.1 million illegal aliens out of the shadows to finally enable our country to create an effective immigration system. It is obvious that he crafted the trash known as the Senate immigration bill (S. 1348) in a closed door session because the light of truth would have killed it! Democracy demands transparency and we are not dealing with a democratic process here! Kennedy will leave quite a legacy in our nation's history books. The brother of two highly regarded men, President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General and New York Senator Robert Kennedy, Ted Kennedy is utterly ignoring President Kennedy's clarion call to service for all Americans when he famously implored us to "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!" Perhaps Ted Kennedy thought his brother said, "Ask what you can do to your country!"

Mike Cutler commentary on a video clip of Harry Reid

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:04:24 EST

As you may know, for nearly 3 years I have been appearing on the radio show, “Up Front With Vicki McKenna” which airs on WIBA a radio station that broadcasts from Madison, Wisconsin. I usually appear on her terrific show on Thursday afternoons but this week I will be on her show today, Wednesday at 5:00 PM New York time. In preparation for the show she sent me a video clip I recommend that you take the time to watch. Senator Harry Reid is seen on this clip referring to illegal aliens as “Undocumented Americans!”

Those who favor open borders have played the name game since the days of President Jimmy Carter who mandated that the term “Illegal Alien” be stricken from the vernacular of INS employees when he was the President. In point of fact, as I have often noted, the term “Alien” is not a pejorative and, in fact, appears in our Constitution as well as the Immigration and Nationality Act, that body of law that deals with the entry, deportation and adjudication of applications for various immigration benefits for aliens. When we say that an alien is illegally in the United States, what we are really saying is that he or she has violated one or more provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. When we, as American citizens travel to foreign countries, we are considered to be aliens in those countries and I do not know of a single country that would be bashful about telling you that you are an alien!

Mike Cutler commentary on terror plot to blow up fuel lines at Kennendy airport and the arrests

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:03:51 EST

My peaceful Saturday was interrupted by a phone call from a close friend, Bruce DeCell, a member of 911 Families for a Secure America. As you may know, I am advisor to that organization that is composed of ordinary folks who have one thing (at least) in common; they all lost a close family member of September 11, 2001 when terrorists carried out their infamous and brutal terrorist attacks on our nation and on our people. Bruce's son-in-law was one of the victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Bruce informed me that he had been watching television when the news covered the fact that 4 terror suspects had been indicted for planning to destroy the fuel lines and the storage tanks that hold huge quantities of jet fuel at JFK International Airport in New York City. He told me that according to the news report, three suspects were in custody and the fourth was being sought. He was clearly upset, and who could blame him. Bruce was a New York City police officer and his family had suffered the loss of a young man who had recently married Bruce's daughter. His life held the potential for all of those things that we would want for ourselves or our children. He went to work on September 11, 2001 excited that he was being promoted and that he was to attend a meeting in the World Trade Center where his promotion would be announced. His impending promotion and his invitation to attend a meeting at the World Trade Center caused him to leave his office in a nearby office building and enter a building that would, as we all know now, be obliterated that late summer morning with him and many others in those iconic towers. His tomorrows and the tomorrows of so many others were brutally taken from them in the biggest mass murder ever committed in the United States.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Access North Georgia article "Bush tells law officers security is key to immigration reform"

Thu, 31 May 2007 00:03:21 EST

I have attached an article below that reports on how President George Bush is at it again. This time he went to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Training Center in Georgia to push his insane Guest Worker Amnesty Program. He is quoted as having said, "We have a mission, a vital mission, and that's to protect our country," Bush said during a 30-minute speech at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. "You all are on the front line of that mission."

Joan Molinaro letter to the President

Wed, 30 May 2007 00:02:56 EST

Today is Memorial Day and I am thinking about the lives lost through the history of this great nation. So many men have given their lives to ensure the freedom of all Americans.

I think of all they left behind, Mothers, Fathers, and Sisters, Brothers, Wives and children. I think about the fear they must have felt and the tears they must have shed. I wonder how many called out to their Mothers as they lay dieing and my heart aches. I also realize that without those sacrifices, America would not be the great country it is today. Yet we are no longer the great nation we once were. We have stopped being a nation of creating and manufacturing, but rather a nation depending on other nations for energy, food, clothes and other products. Why? The answer is GREED! The dollar has more value today than human life. We have turned a day of remembrance into a day for barbeques, hot dogs, beaches, beers and folly. Why? Because big business runs ads telling us how to celebrate the beginning of summer - Memorial Day has become an earmark for a season, and nothing more for big business. Shame on us.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "Immigration Agency Mired In Inefficiency"

Wed, 30 May 2007 00:02:04 EST

There are many reasons why I am opposed to the Senate immigration bill that I have come to refer to as the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007." Rather than list all of my many objections and concerns I will just note two. First of all, there is absolutely no way that the beleaguered bureaucrats at USCIS would be able to know the true identities of millions of illegal and undocumented aliens. The fact that they are undocumented means that they have no secure documentary evidence to establish their true names, true nationalities or even how long they have been in the United States. Second, you must consider the agency that they work for, USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). The article I have attached below that ran in the Washington Post yesterday make it clear as to just how inept and indeed, how crooked that agency is.

USCIS is an agency of the government of the United States that is a critical component of the DHS (Department of Homeland Security). The shameful and frankly corrupt manner in which it has been operating is absolutely outrageous. If a private business in a local community operated that way, the Better Business Bureau would most likely move to strip such an enterprise of its license to do business. To think that aliens were divested of their money when the agency's managers knew that ultimately applications would be denied but not before the agency separated the alien applicants from their money is unbelievable! What also needs to be understood is that when an alien receives an interim permit he or she is then able to obtain a driver's license and other documents. For terrorists, this interim permit creates an opportunity to embed himself in a community and hide in plain sight. Meanwhile the decent aliens who are deserving of an immigration benefit are made to wait and pay more fees.

Mike Cutler commentary on the New york Times article "Spain Arrests 16 North Africans Accused of Recruiting Militants"

Tue, 29 May 2007 23:59:57 EST

I just came across this story that appears in today's edition of the New York Times. This story can be considered a "Good news / Bad news story." The good news is that 16 terrorist recruiters were arrested. The bad news is that the "All Clear" has not sounded and is not likely to sound for a quite some time! According to the article, Spain is being used as a hub for financing radical Islamic terrorist organizations and also for recruiting new members to participate in terrorist attacks. While the article does not mention that these recruits would be expected to conduct terrorist attacks in the United States but rather focuses on Iraq and other countries, it would not require a great stretch of imagination to envision a situation where citizens of Spain who might be recruited by these terrorist organizers to travel to the United States to carry out a terrorist attack.

Yet Spain is one of 27 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program.
On May 11, 2006 I testified at a Congressional hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on International Relations the topic, "VISA OVERSTAYS: CAN WE BAR THE TERRORIST DOOR?"

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "More Details on Flight 327 released"

Mon, 28 May 2007 19:22:27 EST

Here is yet another disturbing news report. This one appeared in yesterday's edition of the Washington Times and should serve as a reminder that there are individuals living among us who may well belong to terrorist cells who are hiding in plain sight by doing nondescript jobs that enable them to embed themselves in communities around the United States as they await instructions to initiate the next terrorist attack. Two weeks ago a terror cell was uncovered in New Jersey that had targeted Fort Dix. This article details an event that took place roughly three years ago. The point is that in order to embed themselves in our country, terrorists seek to acquire lawful immigration status so as to not call attention to themselves. As I have noted on many occasions, including when I have testified before Congressional hearings, it has been said that an effective spy has been described as someone who would not attract the attention of a waitress at a greasy spoon diner. The same could be said of an effective terrorist and, in point of fact, it might just be that the waiter or waitress at that diner might be a terrorist. I am not attempting to create an environment of fear; I just want you to understand the reality of how terrorists operate. In law enforcement we have an expression, "Just because you are paranoid, it does not mean you are not being followed!"

Mike Cutler commentary on the Orlando Sentinel article "Airport workers report breach"

Sun, 27 May 2007 19:22:27 EST

The article I have attached below appears in today's Orlando Sentinel and clearly illustrates a point that I have been making for quite some time; for years our government has been providing the illusion of getting the job done without really accomplishing its vital goals. To put it another way, figures don't lie but liars can figure! The creation of false statistics to provide assurance that arriving passengers are being thoroughly screened does not make our nation safer, it only creates an illusion that the vital mission of the inspectors is being done diligently while the arriving tourists easily stream through ports of entry. The title of the article notes that this was about "Customs" in point of fact this was about the other side of the CBP house- Immigration, the laws that the administration are so loathe to enforce.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Illegals deal alienates everyone"

Mon, 21 May 2007 19:22:27 EST

In listening to the politicians go at where the illegal immigration crisis is concerned, I am forced to wonder if most of these "leaders" have taken the time to consider the findings and recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the Attacks of September 11, 2001 or the companion report, "The 9/11 Commission Staff Report on Terrorist Travel." Those politicians who favor providing millions of illegal aliens (undocumented workers) in the parlance of Senator Kennedy and others, appear to be ignoring a basic issue that has not been, addressed in all of the discussions about the implementation of a Guest Worker Amnesty Program: How would the adjudicators at USCIS know what name and other identifiers should be imprinted on the "tamper-proof" identity documents that would be issued to many millions of illegals? This may seem to be a strange question, but let’s consider the facts. When Kennedy and others refer to these millions of illegal aliens as being "undocumented" a political agenda is in play here, they want to distract us from the fact that these people are aliens and that they are present in the United States in violation of law. That makes them "Illegal Aliens." Kennedy, in fact, has on occasion simply referred to these law violators as simply, "The Undocumented." This term is particularly devious because it neatly sidesteps the facts that these aliens are violating our laws. But, for a moment, let us consider what documents they are lacking so that he can blithely refer to them as "The Undocumented." They lack any form of reliable identification that properly identifies them. Without reliable identity documents, how can the adjudicators know the names, dates of birth or even the nationalities of these millions of illegal aliens? How would they determine when, where or how they entered the United States? These would be important questions under normal circumstances, but under the current situation where our nation is, on a daily basis, focused on averting the next terrorist attack, these questions become absolutely critical!

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "White House backs off alien safeguards"

Thu, 17 May 2007 19:22:27 EST

I often like to say that a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee; it ain't pretty and smells worse! While compromise and consensus are essential to achieve agreements in Washington with 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 Senators in the United States Senate and a President leading this polyglot collection of politicians, the idea that our security will be what is compromised is absolutely not acceptable especially as our nation continues to fight a war on terrorism. The article I have attached below that appears in today's Washington Times paints a disturbing picture about how the politicians in Washington are throwing caution to the wind at a time when the President is all too willing to point to this nation's "War on Terror" when you consider so many measures that have been taken to protect our nation and our citizens.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Border Patrol conflict widens"

Mon, 14 May 2007 19:22:27 EST

The article that I shall focus on today paints an extremely disturbing picture. The Border Patrol represents the "Thin Green Line" that is supposed to secure our nation's borders with Mexico and Canada. The situation along the Mexican border is especially contentious and represents not only a threat to the security of our nation, but to the lives of our valiant Border Patrol agents who are assigned to that perilous border. We have read of the outrageous arrests and prosecution of Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean and of the similar prosecution of other law enforcement officers along that border. All of us who have experience in enforcing the immigration laws know that no matter how many times the President asserts that a Guest Worker Amnesty Program would take the pressure off the border, the opposite will, in fact, happen. In fact, according to T.J. Bonner, the president of the Border Patrol Council, the union that represents the non-supervisory Border Patrol agents who go in harm's way each day when they go on duty attempting to secure our nation's borders, whenever the President utters the phrase, "Guest Worker Amnesty Program" the very next day, the Border Patrol observes that many more illegal aliens flood across our southern border. These illegal aliens apparently hope to participate in the program that is being pushed by President Bush and the other usual suspects (Kennedy, McCain, Reid, Guiliani, Pelosi, etc., etc.)

Mike Cutler commentary on the New York Times article "The Republican Presidential Candidates Debate"

Sun, 06 May 2007 16:41:27 EST

In watching the debate that aired on MSNBC I found many issues that concerned me. This commentary will be a bit longer than the commentaries that I usually write but I believe that these issues are important for your consideration. As you will see at the end of this commentary, both Mayor Giuliani and Senator McCain make it clear that they want "tamper-proof" identity documents to be issued to illegal aliens whose true identities and, in fact, even their nationalities, cannot be ascertained. As you will see, this makes absolutely no sense because the challenge is not to create tamper-proof identity cards but to create a system that has integrity so that our government knows what names and other identifiers including nationality should go on those cards in the first place. But I am getting ahead of myself...

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Error aggravates ICE doubts"

Tue, 08 May 2007 16:05:27 EST

It is of interest to me for several reasons. First of all, it makes you wonder if anyone at DHS even knows what immigration law enforcement entails. (Talk about having an identity crisis!) Next, the article makes it clear that the success rate (failure rate?) of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has not impressed members of Congress, nor do I believe it should. Indeed, all components of the immigration enforcement program are not carrying out their basic missions of deterring illegal immigration or adequately enforcing the immigration laws when aliens succeed in entering the United States either by running our nation's extremely porous borders and entering our country without being inspected by our inspectors of CBP (Customs and Border Protection) or by entering the United States through a port of entry, being inspected and then, in one way or another, violating the terms of their admission. In fact the number of fugitive aliens has nearly doubled since September 11, 2001 to the point where now there are more than 600,000 such aliens who are successfully hiding within our country in communities from coast to coast and border to border. Many of these 600,000 plus illegal aliens have serious criminal histories, thereby posing a threat to the people among whom they have embedded themselves.

Mike Cutler commentary on the New York Times article "Officials Raid Illegal-Document Operation"

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:21:27 EST

The use of altered and counterfeit identity documents by illegal aliens and criminals who are intent on concealing their true identities is not a new phenomenon. When I worked for the former INS I often found counterfeit Social Security cards in the pockets of illegal aliens I arrested. Sometimes they had multiple Social Security cards with different names and numbers on them. It was amazing that so many of these illegal aliens would explain that they had those cards because they found them lying in the street and picked them up! Occasionally we were able to get an illegal alien who was found to be in possession of such documents to cooperate as an informant and help us put an investigation together to target the vendors and counterfeiters who produced those cards.

Mike Cutler commentary on the New York Times article "The Republican Presidential Candidates Debate"

Sun, 06 May 2007 16:41:27 EST

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Guiliani calls for secure borders"

Wed, 02 May 2007 16:41:27 EST

When he was elected mayor of New York City, Mr. Guiliani declared New York City to be a "Sanctuary City" meaning that he did not want the city bureaucracy to notify immigration authorities when they encountered illegal aliens who were applying for a wide variety of benefits. This attitude was, I thought, bizarre for a mayor who had previously been a high-ranking member of the United States Justice Department and then became the Chief Federal prosecutor of the United States for the Southern District of New York, perhaps the most prestigious of all districts for the Department of Justice. It was also interesting that it was Mr. Giuliani who had described his successful approach to the drastic reduction in the crime rate in New York when he was elected mayor of New York City as being the "Broken Windows" approach. This meant that you did not ignore even the small crimes to make certain that everyone, especially criminals understood that the city had a zero tolerance to crime and vandalism. It seemed contradictory; to put it mildly, that this "tough on crime" mayor and former aggressive chief federal prosecutor for New York would implement a sanctuary program that certainly appeared to fly in the face of his own core beliefs and strategies.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Guiliani calls for secure borders"

Wed, 02 May 2007 16:41:27 EST

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "Immigrants Slow Rate Of Money Transfers"

Wed, 02 May 2007 16:21:27 EST

The President has been trying to paint a rosy picture where our nation's immigration is concerned. Last year he claimed that because arrests along the Mexican border were up, it should be interpreted that the Border Patrol was doing its job and the flood of illegal aliens across that border was being dealt with by the Border Patrol. This year the Border Patrol is claiming to be making fewer arrests and the President is now claiming that this indicates that there are fewer illegal aliens crossing our border with Mexico! It would seem that no matter what the statistics are, the President will find a way of showing that the statistics indicate that the crisis along our border with Mexico is being taken care of! It is a bit like saying, "Heads they win, tails we lose!"

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "5 Britons get life sentences in terror plot"

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:21:27 EST

What you should focus on in reading the newspaper account of these 5 convicted terrorists is that by virtue of the fact that they are, in fact, British subjects, they could have easily boarded airliners and sought entry into the United States without first applying for and receiving visas. Great Britain is one of 27 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program. While the visa process in and of itself does not guarantee that terrorists will not be able to enter the United States to carry out attacks against our nation and our citizens, it provides another layer of security. Security experts will tell you that security is most effective when it is done in layers with the most effective system requiring that the boundary around the location you are trying to protect being placed as far away from the location to be protected as possible. The visa requirement should be thought of as pushing America's borders out to the United States Embassies and Consulates overseas.

Mike Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "Bush Pitches Immigration Plan at College"

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:21:27 EST

President George W. Bush is on the campaign trail for what will undoubtedly be his final campaign. Fortunately this campaign is not for the office of the Presidency; even he knows he cannot run again! This campaign is about an issue that has been at the core of his agenda since he took office; a Guest Worker Amnesty Program for many millions of illegal aliens, many of whom having entered the United States since he became president. A large number of illegal aliens have entered our nation in violation of law, encouraged by the President's statements supporting a guest worker amnesty program, by statements made by senators such as Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, John McCain and a number of other members of the Senate. They also must have received great encouragement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who traveled to Mexico City in October of 2003 and decried the arrest of illegal aliens by special agents of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) as terrorizing the hard working undocumented workers (the term used by open borders advocates who try to obfuscate the issues by the artful use of language). It should be remembered that Mexico City, where MS Pelosi spoke, is the capitol of the nation that quite literally exports more of its citizens to the United States than any other country. The so-called "Sanctuary" policies of a number of American cities has also served to encourage aliens to violate our nation's borders, secure in the knowledge that by living in such cities, local officials would not report their illegal presence in the United States to immigration authorities.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "Clinton Campaign Tries to Keep Heat on Obama Over Debate Response"

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:21:27 EST

The focus of the article was on how the candidates would respond to a terrorist attack if it occurred while they were president. It would appear that they all want to appear decisive and strong. They were obviously eager to show themselves as possessing resolve and leadership. In reading the account of the debate I was struck by a term that frequently appears when politicians and open borders advocates discuss terrorism. Because these people are adamant about their open borders agendas, they often make the point that immigration is not about terrorism. They claim that in order to combat terrorism, we need to have good intelligence. That sort of thinking was quite evident by statements made during this debate. Although the report did not state that anyone discussed immigration, the fact is that the discussion did turn to the issue of intelligence.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Courts swamped by flood of cases in alien crackdown"

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:21:27 EST

The fact of the matter is that it is impossible to know how many illegal aliens are actually present in the United States. It is also impossible to really know how many illegal aliens run our nation's borders simply because the aliens who run our borders leave no paper trail that would enable law enforcement to know how many have entered the United States in that fashion. It has been estimated that some 30% to 40% of illegal aliens did not run our nation's borders but entered the United States through a port of entry and then, in one way or another, violated the terms of their admission. They may have overstayed the period of time for which they were admitted; they may have accepted illegal employment or they may have committed felonies for which they were subsequently convicted. The government does not know, however, how many aliens who were lawfully admitted left the United States within the time they were authorized to remain in the United States. This is because US-VISIT, the system that was supposed to use biometrics to track the entry and departure of aliens from the United States is unable to effectively track the departure of nonimmigrant aliens even though the government has already spent over one billion dollars on that program that was recommended by the 9/11 Commission. As I have stated on many occasions, most of the immigration system is dysfunctional and goals are seldom met and effective strategies have yet to be formulated and then implemented to deter illegal immigration and restore integrity to the system.

Mike Cutler commentary on the New York Times article "Officials Raid Illegal-Document Operation"

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:21:27 EST

Mike Mike Cutler commentary on the New York Times article "Echoes of Terror Case Haunt California Pakistanis""

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:21:27 EST

In the 1950's a very popular game show on television was "Name That Tune." In fact, a Marine pilot by the name of John H.Glenn appeared on that show before he became an astronaut and, in 1962, became the first American to orbit the Earth in his Mercury Spacecraft, "Friendship 7. Today I would recommend that someone should create a new quiz show and call it "Name That Bias!" The article below is the second one in two days concerning an immigration story that has run in the New York Times that truly makes me wonder what is going on at the "Gray Lady" as that newspaper is sometimes referred to.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Ultranationalist fervor hits Europe"

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 22:21:27 EST

I have never understood those who insist that only political conservatives want to stem the flow of illegal aliens into our country. I, myself, am a registered Democrat and I certainly understand the basic need for our nation to gain control over its borders and create an immigration system that possesses true integrity. I hold these beliefs because; when you consider the impact of immigration you realize how many other very important issues are impacted by illegal immigration. Everything from health care, education, the environment to criminal justice and national security are deleteriously impacted by the presence of millions of illegal aliens whose true identities are unknown and ultimately unknowable. Illegal aliens drive down wages in many industries. In fact, George Borjas, the noted professor and economist at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University published an analysis for the Center for Immigration Studies, the Washington-based "think tank" with which I have been proud to be associated for the last several years. He found that as of 2004 wages have been depressed by 4% across the board and that in lower paying jobs the impact was a reduction of more than 7%. I assure you the situation has only gotten worse in the last two or three years as many more illegal aliens flood our labor markets.

Mike Cutler commentary on the USA Today Post article "Public favors giving illegal immigrants a break"

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 22:21:27 EST

I believe that it is extremely important to consider what the article says especially when Senator Kennedy is quoted as stating that the immigration system is broken and the only way of fixing it is to create a program that would provide United States citizenship to illegal aliens. I ask you consider Senator Kennedy's quote, "As with so many issues, the American people are ahead of Washington on immigration reform. They know that only a plan that offers a path to earned citizenship will fix our broken system."

Bruce DeCell commentary on the Counter Punch article "Mexicans are not Combants"

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 22:21:27 EST

The article was written when President Bush visited the U.S. Mexican border in Yuma, Arizona April 9, 2007. It was a photo op to give the illusion that he has made a good faith effort to secure the Southern border since 9-11-01. He was surrounded by unarmed National Guardsmen, undermanned border patrolmen and other law enforcement personal whose stiff formality emphasized their lack of enthusiasm for the Presidents assertion that his “securing the border is a critical part of a strategy for “comprehensive immigration reform”. “It is a matter of national interest and it’s a matter of deep conviction for me.” Bush said. The President acknowledged that illegal immigration causes many problems, “it puts pressure on the public schools and the unpaid bills the hospitals incur drain the state and local budgets and it brings crime to our communities.” The President then urged Congress to get behind a tangle of proposals ranging from more border patrols and a quest worker program to stiffer penalties for illegal immigrants and the people who employ them. But the heart of President Bush’s effort against illegal immigration is the multi-billion dollar Secure Border Initiative (SBI).

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "Import of Methamphetamine From Mexico Offsets Local Progress"

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:21:27 EST

The article appeared in yesterday's edition of the Washington Post. As you may know, Bruce is a founding member of an organization known as "911 Families for a Secure America," an organization that was formed by a group of people who lost a family member as a direct result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I act as an advisor to that organization. Bruce has become a good friend. His son-in-law was slaughtered at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Bruce was also a police officer of the NYPD. As you might imagine, he and I have had many discussions about a wide range of issues including, obviously terrorism and crime. One day I asked Bruce how many crimes he became involved in as a police officer that involved illegal drugs. He estimated that perhaps as much as 90% of the crime he dealt with as a police officer was directly or indirectly related to illicit drugs. I suspect that his concerns about the flow of drugs across our nation's borders prompted him to forward this article to me.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Time article "Bush Plays Border Sheriff"

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:21:27 EST

As someone who has participated in many debates and discussions at many varied venues including on numerous radio and television programs and on college campuses, I can tell you that it is often difficult to have an honest exchange of ideas where the emotionally charged issue of immigration is concerned. The reason I make this statement is that it is truly difficult to find objectivity in much of mainstream media's coverage of the immigration issue.The article I have attached below appears in this week's edition of Time Magazine. Time Magazine is certainly a news publication that enjoys a high profile as a reputable source of news. Yet consider the coverage of the Presidents visit to the Mexican border this week. Start out by considering the very beginning of the article:

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "Bush Makes Push To Resolve Status Of Illegal Workers"

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:51:27 EST

This is not the first article I have written a commentary about concerning the President's continuing efforts to legalize millions of illegal aliens who are present in the United States but I believe that as long as he and other advocates continue to push this wacky program it is vital that those of us who truly understand the ramifications of such an ill-conceived program speak out against it. I have cited a number of previous GAO and OIG reports in previous commentaries concerning the lack of integrity to the immigration benefits program. This time I will cite a CRS (Congressional Research Service report that was prepared for Congress entitled, "Immigration Enforcement Within the United States." This report was published on April 6, 2006 and bears the Order Code, RL 33351

Mike Cutler commentary on the NY Post article "U.K. SCHOOLS' SICKENING SILENCE"

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:51:27 EST

I have attached a story about Great Britain that does not deal directly with immigration but does deal with some of the fallout out of immigration as well as with the way that the educational system of England is failing its citizens and its children. Education is the means by which nations pass knowledge, customs and traditions along to succeeding generations. Education enables nations and their cultures and values to survive. It has been said that we must both study history and learn the lessons that history teaches or we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes and suffer as a result of it.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "President Renewing Efforts on Immigration"

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:51:27 EST

The idea that the immigration bureaucracy could even begin to administer such a program is ludicrous. Currently there are about 3,000 special agents at ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to enforce the immigration laws for the entire United States of America. Consider just how overburdened that law enforcement agency now is. It is variously estimated that there are anywhere from 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens present in the United States and the number of alien fugitives, that is to say aliens who were ordered to appear for an immigration hearing failed to do so has doubled since September 11, 2001. At present there are more than 600,000 such aliens. There are hundreds of thousands of aliens involved in violent gangs and about one-third of the federal inmate population is described as being foreign born. Millions of illegal aliens are working illegally in the United States employed by thousands of employers. It is also estimated that 40 percent of the illegal alien population is comprised of aliens who did not run our nation's borders but entered through ports of entry and then, in one way or another, violated the terms of their admission. Meanwhile, even after the expenditure of more than one billion dollars, US VISIT, the program that was supposed to use biometrics to track the entry and departure of aliens present in the United States for temporary visits is unable to track the departure of these aliens even though the 911 Commission deemed such a tracking system as being essential to national security.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Houston Chronicle article "Exporting night -vision goggles nets $100 million fine for ITT"

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

The article I have attached below appeared in yesterday's edition of the Houston Chronicle. At first blush you might ask what does the export of high tech military hardware have to do with immigration, the topic I generally write about. As you will quickly see, this article deals with the simple fact that corporations often see our nation's borders as being an impediment to doing business (making money). I am absolutely outraged that in order to fatten their bottom line, ITT executives were engaged in selling technology to China that could ultimately cost our soldiers and the soldiers of allies killed? The point to consider is that in the name of trade, ITT engaged in the selling of prohibited technology to China.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington times article "Manhunts swamped by fugitive alien toll"

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

Everyone wants to be a "success." Baseball players are obsessed with their batting averages, earned run averages and other statistics that show how effective they are when they play ball. Athletes in other sports attempt to demonstrate how effective they are. Salesmen are rewarded for demonstrating their ability to sell. They track their earnings and the number of sales that they make. Stock brokers track the earnings reports of corporations that offer stocks and bonds to investors, and based on these statistics, along with other factors, brokers advise their clients as to which stocks are worth buying and holding.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Chron.com article "Illegal immigrants allowed at least five strikes"

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

The article I have attached below appears in today's edition of the Washington Post. It makes it clear that the agencies that are engaged in attempting to protect our nation and our citizens from terrorists and criminals face a daunting challenge that grows tougher each day. The primary job of the intelligence agencies is, as you might expect, to gather intelligence. But more than simply gathering intelligence, these agencies need to then screen the intelligence to determine its validity and also to determine what needs to be done to further refine the name of a suspected terrorist, for instance and then try to positively identify that person so that other individuals with a similar or even identical name will not have his life turned upside-down when he tries to board and airliner to fly somewhere or gets pulled over during a routine traffic stop by a police officer. These nuggets of intelligence start with the most basic of identifiers, the suspect's name.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Houston Chronicle article "Illegal immigrants allowed at least five strikes"

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

In the last two days I have been on MSNBC three times to debate the issues raised by the apparent policy of the office of the United States Attorney in Texas to not prosecute illegal aliens who are apprehended by the Border Patrol at least 6 times and then returned to Mexico. The article I have attached below was published in the Houston Chronicle and addresses this policy.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Coke vs. Bolivia in the 'dignity' stakes"

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

On several occasions I have spoken on radio shows about how our nation has reacted to terrorist attacks and made the point that if a highly recognized writer such as Tom Clancy had written a political novel in 1990 predicting a number of violent events including the killing of two CIA employees and the wounding of three others by Amir Kansi, a Pakistani national; the first attack on the World Trade Center on February 26. 1993; the attacks of September 11, 2001 and various thwarted attacks and then wrote about how our nation's borders remained largely undefended and the immigration system remained as inept and incompetent at weeding out fraud, no publisher would have been willing to publish his book. If Clancy had included the fact that the President of the United States permitted the Transit Without Visa Program to continue for 23 months after the worst terrorist attack ever committed on our soil and the Visa Waiver Program was permitted to continue on and, indeed, the President has periodically called for additional nation's to be added to the list of participating countries of the VWP, I suspect that his agent, publisher and friends would have recommended that he seek psychiatric help! Add to the plot of this hypothetical novel the fact that many "leaders" in both houses of Congress and from both parties called for a Guest Worker Amnesty Program that would provide millions of illegal aliens in our country with authority to remain in the United States and provide them with official identity documents even though their true identities are unknown and ultimately unknowable. For good measure, throw in such fiascos as the naturalization of some 30,000 aliens even though their immigration alien files were among the 111,000 such files that were lost so that those aliens' files could not be reviewed to search for derogatory information and I suspect that the people closest to Clancy would have attempted to have him committed!

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Immigration bill moves to tighter enforcement"

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

Apparently the politicians who are attempting to draft immigration legislation understand that the majority of the citizens of this country want to see our nation's immigration laws enforced. So, for these politicians the challenge is to attempt to provide the illusion that they are getting tough about enforcement without really changing the status quo. I know that you must think I am being unfair, however, let us dissect the article and see if what is being proposed will really achieve the goal of securing our borders and creating an immigration system that has real integrity.

Mike Cutler commentary on the BBC News article "10,000 passports go to fraudsters"

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

9-11FSA Families and Friends:I have been writing and speaking extensively about the insane Visa Waiver Program that has been permitting aliens from 27 countries to enter the United States without first obtaining a visa from our consular officials overseas.The article I have attached below details how 10,000 British passports were issued fraudulently to citizens of Great Britain including two convicted terrorists!

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Post article "Al-Qaeda Suspect Says He Planned Cole Attack"

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

The wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly but in most instances, inexorably. Finally the terrorist behind the bombing of the USS Cole and other horrific terrorist attacks has confessed to his role in several terrorist attacks. According to the newspaper account that I have attached below

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "McConnell eyes 'bipartisan' illegals bill"

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

Because these politicians know full well that the majority of Americans oppose amnesty for illegal aliens they are forced to play a game of semantics claiming that providing United States citizenship or even lawful authority to remain in the United States even though they have violated our nation's supposed sovereign borders and other laws, that this program that they favor is not really an amnesty. I suspect that many of these very same politicians howled when former President Clinton attempted to defined the definition of the word "is!"

Mike Cutler commentary on the Breitbart.com article "FBI: Extremists Driving School Buses"

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:51:27 EST

I have just received a news item that gives me more than a little "cause for pause."Apparently the FBI has alerted law enforcement officials across the United States that they have information that aliens under recent investigations, with ties to extremist organizations have been involved with buying school buses and/or obtaining licenses to drive school buses, but that there is nothing to be concerned about!I find a couple of sentences in the article I have attached below to be particularly worrisome.

Mike Cutler commentary on the NY Times article "A Huge Hole in Airport Security"

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

How many times have we heard that our nation is fighting a "War on Terror?" How many times have we heard that the terrorists only need to get it right once while our officials need to be right 100% of the time if we are to avert the catastrophe that would be caused by a major terrorist attack?We have heard these assertions so many times from members of the administration and politicians that they are considered the "mantra of the day" that justifies a whole host of measures that have been implemented by our government to purportedly protect our nation. The War on Terror has justified our deployment of thousands of American troops in the Middle East, many of whom have returned home grievously injured or not at all! I will not comment on the military effort since I have no military background, other than to remind you that while the Border Patrol has sent members of their elite units to Iraq to secure the Iraqi border, our border remains as secure as a sieve.

Bruce DeCell commentary on the USA Today article "Homeland Security team to focus on U.S. terrorists"

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

The name of the article is Homeland Security team to focus on American terrorists. There are several points I would like to express. The DHS has created a unit to combat the threat posed by “homegrown terrorists” that is, citizens or legal residents who plot attacks from inside the nation’s borders. First on 9-11-01 our nation was attacked from within our nation’s borders but by illegal aliens who entered legally but overstayed their visas. Not only that but all the visa applications were all improperly filled out and despite these defects were approved by State Department officials.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Yahoo News article "Mexico pushes Bush for more in drug war"

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

In October of 2003 Nancy Pelosi went to Mexico City and decried the arrest of illegal aliens by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) special agents as constituting an act of terrorism carried out against hard working people who just happened to be illegal aliens, a fact conveniently overlooked by Ms Pelosi, now the Speaker of the House.Now we have George Bush touring Latin America and providing encouragement to millions of illegal alien wannabe's, the citizens of Mexico, and other countries, who desperately want to come to the United States to improve their personal situations. It is interesting that Mexican President Felipe Calderon has taken to referring to the fence the United States is supposed to construct as being comparable to the Berlin Wall. This is the same position taken by so many of the open borders advocates who know that they are being disingenuous, to put it mildly, when they resort to such absurd comparisons. The Berlin Wall was constructed by the government of East Germany to prevent their own citizens from fleeing that oppressive, communist totalitarian government that failed abysmally at meeting the needs of its own citizens. The fence that has been proposed for the southern border of the United States is not designed to keep our citizens from leaving the United States but rather to keep illegal aliens from entering our country in violation of law. Since Mr. Calderon wants to use comparisons, I have a couple of comparisons to offer that are far more appropriate. The fence that has been proposed for a portion of our southern border is the equivalent of a security door installed by a responsible homeowner who is concerned that burglars, and in this violent age, "home invaders" might seek to break into the homeowner's residence to steal his possessions and assault him and his family. The Berlin Wall, on the other hand, is the rough equivalent of bars on the windows of a prison that are designed to keep prisoners from leaving. Mr. Calderon was right, however, when he said that the solution to the illegal immigration issue was to provide more jobs and economic opportunities in Mexico. This should not be difficult for Mexico to do this when you consider that Mexico is one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Foreign influence in border agents' trial to be probed"

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

I am encouraged that the article I have attached below shows that there is at least one member of the Democratic Party, Bill Delahunt, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight who has agreed to work with Dana Rohrbacher, the ranking member (Republican member) of that subcommittee in being willing to consider what would appear to be extreme miscarriages of justice where a number of Border Patrol and a local law enforcement officer working on the Mexican border in Texas are concerned.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Bush stresses immigration"

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

President George Bush is touring Latin America and he continues to send a message that is, at best, one of ambivalence where immigration is concerned. He says that he is a person who believes in arresting people who violate the laws and then,virtually with his next breath, he winds up fielding questions from reporters at a news conference that deal with his proposal to provide illegal aliens, people who violated the immigration laws of the United States, with a guest worker amnesty program. It would seem that perhaps these two positions are not really as contradictory as they may, at first blush, appear. If the President and politicians such as Senator Kennedy have their way, the millions of illegal aliens in the United States would no longer be illegally present in our country and then they would no longer be subject to arrest. That would be the result if a guest worker amnesty program was created. These aliens would then become eligible to file applications to bring their families to the United States even though they themselves came to the United States illegally! The use of obfuscating language further clouded the issues when a reporter complained that Guatemalan immigrants were not being treated with respect. The individuals who were arrested, who the reporter referred to were Guatemalan citizens who were illegal aliens in the United States. They were not immigrants. I have made this point before and I will repeat it again: the difference between and illegal alien and an immigrant is the equivalent as the difference between a burglar and a houseguest. I do not believe that anyone would accuse the police of showing disrespect for a burglar by arresting him. The same principle applies to an alien who entered our country for running our nation's border or by violating the terms of admission once he entered the United States.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "City fights raided firm that hired illegal aliens"

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

Last week I wrote a commentary about the firm in Bedford, Mass that not only hired illegal aliens but provided them with Social Security Numbers to make it appear that they were complying with the immigration laws that prohibit the hiring of illegal aliens by employers. To add insult to injury, this firm, Michael Bianco, Ltd., had won a number of highly lucrative contracts to produce items for the United States government! Additionally, the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Newsletter that served as the basis for my commentary also documented how this unscrupulous employer demeaned its employees by docking them 15 minutes of pay for being late one minute, "fined" these employees for talking while working and creating other such "rules" and fines that justified reducing the paychecks for hundreds of employees. I have attached the ICE news release I noted above to this e-mail, for your convenience.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Officers outgunned on U.S. border"

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

I have attached yet another article written by Jerry Seper who has written many excellent articles about the various aspects of the immigration crisis confronting the United States. Today's article focuses on the ever increasing violence that is directly related to the drug trade in the border regions of the United States.

Mike Cutler commentary on the ICE article "New Bedford Manufacturer and Managers Arrested on Charges of Conspiring to Encourage Illegal Aliens to Reside in U.S. Through Hiring"

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:51:27 EST

I have attached an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) press release to this commentary and I have also copied it below. It was issued by ICE today and provides an insight into the sort of investigations that ICE needs to conduct on a routine basis. There are, I am certain, many more employers such as Michael Bianco, Inc., (MBI) that have entered into a conspiracy to provide illegal aliens with Social Security cards, alien registration cards (Green Cards) and other such documents that are either altered, counterfeited or stolen from their rightful owners. It is particularly disturbing that this major employer has secured several multi-million dollar government (military) contracts so that his company was turning out goods needed by our military while violating a number of federal laws.

Mike Cutler commentary on the U.S. News article "The feds are finding obstacles to sniffing out atomic weapons like suitcase nukes or dirty bombs"

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:51:27 EST

I am convinced that it is virtually impossible to go a single day without finding a news article from a respected and credible newspaper, magazine, broadcast or other source that sounds alarm bells where our nation's security is concerned. These articles also make it clear that our dysfunctional immigration system and porous borders, coupled with the stated desire of the administration to push free trade over border security exacerbate the perils our nation faces.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Bush, Cheney turn focus to terrorism"

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 23:51:27 EST

I am a fairly tolerant guy except where hypocrisy is concerned! Someone needs to tell President Bush and Vice President Cheney that they can not have it both ways! The President is often quoted as saying, "We are fighting the terrorists over there so that we won't have to fight them over here!" It is the sort of slogan that reminds of a slick commercial for laundry detergent or a laxative that upon analysis makes no sense! Let's review the facts. On September 11, 2001 four airliners were hijacked. All four airliners took off from airports located within the United States. All of the 19 terrorists who participated in these hijackings that initiated the worst terrorist attack in the history of our nation were aliens who had entered the United States through ports of entry. Other terrorist attacks had been previously carried out by other aliens who had managed to enter our country and attack or attempt to attack targets of value within the United States.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Posts article "Immigration Reform, Take 2"

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 18:51:27 EST

It is another one of those hand wringing tomes that expresses concerns that the President is not willing to go far enough in blurring the distinction between what it is to be a United States citizen, a resident alien (immigrant) and an illegal alien. The maddening thing about those who want to open our borders and reward illegal aliens for having violated our borders and utterly ignoring our laws is that rather than deal with the true issues, they resort to making accusations and intimidating those who would create an immigration system that possesses true integrity and secure borders that would keep out criminals, terrorists, drugs and those who would violate our nation's laws.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Americans selling personal identity to illegal aliens"

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 18:51:27 EST

How much more proof do we need to provide our nation's "leaders" that illegal immigration threatens national security and the safety of our citizens before they finally agree to secure our borders, create an immigration system that possesses integrity and remove the incentives that draws millions of illegal aliens into our country?

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Bipartisan opinions sought on immigration"

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 18:51:27 EST

Senator Kennedy is at it again! He reminds me of the guy who claims he is willing to compromise and then describes compromising as saying, "You do it my way and I will do it my way!" When you read the article that was published in the Washington Times, that I have attached below, you will understand why I am making this assertion.

Mike Cutler commentary on the UK Telegraph article "Secret report: Terror threat worst since 9/11"

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 18:51:27 EST

The war on terror is continuing and many of the countries that are America's staunchest allies are becoming increasingly aware of the threat that terrorists pose within their own borders. The article I have attached below should give all of us 'cause for pause.' The article states that there are more than 1,600 "home grown" al-Qaeda terrorists in Great Britain planning to launch attacks against England. Anyone who would launch a terrorist against attack England would have to see the United States as a potential target as well.

Mike Cutler commentary on the La Times article "Citizenship requests soar before big changes"

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:51:27 EST

It is worth considering for two basic reasons. First of all, it shows how the work level at USCIS continues to climb so that this beleaguered agency is akin to a dog whose tail has been clipped but he continues to run ever more quickly in circles in an effort to catch his tail! He, of course will never catch his tail, and USCIS will never be able to effectively adjudicate all of the applications it needs to deal with. Both experiences are frustrating, but the situation at USCIS has severe potential consequences given that the 911 Commission found that the terrorists who attacked our nation as well as those who may well be planning to attack our nation, did and still can utilize immigration benefit fraud to either enter our country and/or embed themselves in our country, hiding in plain sight until the day that they receive instructions to attack our nation and kill our citizens. Similarly, criminals have also gotten quite sophisticated and adept at gaming the immigration system.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Smugglers raise stakes in fight over border rule"

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 20:21:27 EST

To state it succinctly, violence is continually increasing placing them at risk along with the law enforcement officers who report for duty each day in those towns that contain the coveted routes that drug and aliens smugglers use to enter our country surreptitiously. Actually, I am not even certain if the word surreptitiously properly describes how many of these smugglers ignore our nation's borders and laws. They are often heavily armed and as we saw just a few weeks ago, a number of these heavily armed intruders had the chutzpah to confront National Guard troops who were stationed along the border in accordance with the much ballyhooed field operation known as "Operation Jumpstart." The unarmed National Guard troops followed their rules of engagement and retreated in the face of the intruders whose identities, intentions and cargo, should they have been moving drugs, weapons or illegal aliens will never be known. As I stated when I was on a recent edition of MSNBC, these troops did not provide our nation with desperately needed "boots on the ground" but rather with running shoes on the ground! In the process of running away, these troops, in effect, provided training to the thugs who showed nothing but utter contempt for what should be the sovereign borders of the United States and also, in effect, spit in the eye of our military and got away with it! The training that this encounter provided was that there is no reason to pay attention to our borders. It has been said that you only get one opportunity to make a first impression. What an impression we made on these international criminals! If you want to enter the United States, don't bother to get a passport. Run the border! If you don't want to have to sneak around when you enter the United States, bring some serious fire power and you will most likely be able to go where you want and do what you want!

Mike Cutler commentary on the New York Times article "Tougher Tactics Deter Migrants at U.S. Border"

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:21:27 EST

The article I have attached below is interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, it would appear that sections of the border separating the United States from Mexico have been able to reduce the flow of illegal aliens into the United States where additional resources have been provided. The advocates for open borders like to make it sound as though the control of our nation's borders is an unattainable goal. Clearly human resources and the placement of barriers can be effective in stopping and deterring illegal immigration.

Mike Cutler commentary on the Washington Times article "Senate illegals bill near complete"

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:21:27 EST

The article I have attached below makes it clear that Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain have created an unholy alliance to ram a Guest Worker Amnesty bill through the Senate that would give United States citizenship to illegal aliens and create a bureaucratic nightmare that would endanger national security.

Mike Cutler commentary on LA Times article "State inmate transfer ruled illegal"

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 19:21:27 EST

I have often made the point that our nation's dysfunctional immigration system has repercussions that reverberate through many aspects of our nation today. Illegal immigration impacts everything from health care, education, the environment, and the economy to criminal justice and national security. The news report I have attached below deals with the crisis confronting the prison system of the State of California.

Mike Cutler commentary on Washington Times article "U.S. 'rewarded' alien for his testimony"

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:44:27 EST

Here we go again!The news story that appears in the Washington Times today chronicles another incident of a Border Patrol agent, David Sipe, who was prosecuted after an alien was provided with all sorts of inducements to testify against the Border Patrol agent. Exculpatory evidence that might have bolstered the agent's ability to defend himself at his trial was kept from him and he was ultimately convicted of the use of excessive force in arresting an illegal alien who was quite obviously involved in the transportation of illegal aliens.

Mike Cutler commentary on Miami Herald article "Chertoff: Immigration reform will make borders more secure"

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:44:27 EST

There is a wonderful show on television I often watch called, "Mythbusters." On this program, two guys with lots of experience with special effects in the movies collaborate to carry out experiments to determine if the various "urban myths" and "old wives' tales" hold up when they seek to recreate the circumstances involved in these myths. Today, I will attempt to be a "Myth Buster" but without blowing anything up, except, perhaps, the arguments of the President, Secretary Chertoff and others who are advocates for a Guest Worker Amnesty Program. So, don't take out your safety goggles, but your reading glasses, and consider my commentary concerning the appearance of Michael Chertoff in Mexico. His trip to Mexico and the statements he made there were chronicled in the article in the Miami Herald I have attached below, when he claimed, for the umpteenth time, that a Guest Worker Amnesty Program will enable the Border Patrol to focus on criminals and terrorists because they would not be wasting their time by arresting those aliens who simply want to work in the United States.

Mike Cutler commentary on Washington Times article "Translator Who Faked Identity Pleads Guilty To Having Secret Data"

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:44:27 EST

The article I have attached below appears in today's Washington Post and is one that is of vital concern. This article reminds me of a favorite toy I had as a young boy, a kaleidoscope. When you look into a kaleidoscope as you turn it you see different shapes and colors. That one object could provide such variety fascinated me. This article also provides different issues as you explore all of the implications of the report.

Mike Cutler commentary on Washington Times article "NFL rejects Border Patrol ad"

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:44:27 EST

Here is another article for that file entitled, "You cannot make this stuff up!"The National Football League has always been thought of as being as American as apple pie and Old Glory, yet, the article that I have attached below reports on an incredible situation. The NFL has refused to run an ad that sought to recruit new Border Patrol agents! To quote the article:"The ad that the department submitted was specific to Border Patrol, and it mentioned terrorism. We were not comfortable with that," said Greg Aiello, a spokesman for the NFL. "The borders, the immigration debate are a very controversial issue, and we were sensitive to any perception we were injecting ourselves into that."

Mike Cutler commentary on CNN article "Report: Credit card pitch to illegal immigrants""

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:44:27 EST

I was sent an interesting CNN news article this morning which is attached below. This article deals with the offer of the Bank of America to enable individuals without Social Security Numbers to open bank accounts and have credit cards issued to them. They claim that they are doing this to help illegal aliens have access to banking services in the United States. A couple of years ago, Bank of America openly advertised a program that they called "SafeSend" which is a program that facilitates the wiring of money from the United States to other countries, especially Mexico. If you click on the link below, you will see that you are asked to indicate where you do your banking and if you answer that question and click on "Go" you will find yourself on a web page that is written entirely in the Spanish language explaining how SafeSend works.

Mike Cutler commentary on Washington Times article "Davis seeks 'straight answers' on sealing of border tunnels"

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:44:27 EST

As I read the many articles about the immigration crisis I am tempted to create a file for some of the more bizarre articles entitled, "You cannot make this stuff up!" The article I have attached below appears in today's Washington Times and would certainly belong in that file if I ever decide to create it!The fact is that our government continues to demonstrate that it is unwilling to secure our nation's borders Period! There is no other possible explanation. Congressman Thomas M. Davis, III asked Secretary Chertoff a simple question. He asked if the government had capped or otherwise sealed the 7 tunnels discovered under the border that separates Mexico from the United States.

Mike Cutler commentary on Washington Times article "The attrition solution"

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:44:27 EST

I am often asked the same question by many people, namely, when I testify before a Congressional hearing if any of the members of Congress are listening. Virtually every time I am on George Putnam's radio show, he asks me that very same question. He most recently asked me that question, in fact, last week when I was a guest on his terrific radio program, "Talk Back." In response to that very important question I sometimes express my frustration at members of Congress who seemingly don't listen by saying that Congress should hold "Listenings" instead of "Hearings!"

Bruce DeCell commentary on Bradenton Herald article "Immigration chief: Reform would be historic"

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 21:44:27 EST

I urge everyone to take the time to read this article and my commentary and then contact your elected representatives, and I ask you to tell them that you won’t be fooled by their “Newspeak”. The article reports on a daylong meeting in Miami by Emilio Gonzalez, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Gonzales compares “comprehensive immigration reform” that president Bush intends to pass with the importance of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. “Newspeak”!

Mike Cutler commentary on Washington Times article "U.S. faces lawsuit on citizenship delays"

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:44:27 EST

After reading this commentary and article please contact your elected officials using this information and demand that the immigration legislation they are considering be enforcement only and funding legislation with the goal of restoring integrity to the immigration system for national security reasons. Until integrity is restored to the immigration system there should not be any “guest-worker”, “path to citizenship”, “earned legalization” “AMNESTY”.

Mike Cutler commentary on Washington Times article "Acrobat admits guilt in visa scam"

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 13:55:27 EST

The article I have attached below was written by Jerry Seper, a reporter for the Washington Times who has been writing extensively about the immigration crisis confronting our nation for quite some time and, in fact, was the recipient of the Eugene Katz Award for Journalism given to him last year by the Center for Immigration Studies, the Washington-based think tank with which I have been associated for several years. Interestingly, the article was brought to my attention by a former colleague at the INS, Steve Merrill who retired from government service several years ago.