From: Harry Krause

No offense to these brave Cubans, and I'm glad they're here safely, but
these kinds of landings speak volumes about the failure of the Bush
Administration to protect out borders. Virtually anyone who wants to can
land a boat on our shorelines, and offload terrorists carrying dangerous
chemical or biological materials. Or they can run a boat into one of our
harbors and have a nice tactical or even a small strategic nuke aboard.
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Speedboat smuggles 13 Cubans into U.S.


MARATHON, Fla. (AP) Thirteen Cuban migrants were picked up by U.S.
Border Patrol agents after being smuggled into the Florida Keys aboard a
speedboat, an official said.

Members of the group said they left from Cuba on Friday night, and the
boat left them on Duck Key, about 90 miles southwest of Miami, around 3
a.m. Saturday, Border Patrol supervisor Kerry Heck said.

The group had made it to shore by the time they were spotted, and will
therefore likely be allowed to stay in the country.

When border agents arrived, the boat was gone, and the group - which
included 11 adults, a 3-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy - gave no
information about their smugglers.

Heck said the group would be taken to a Border Patrol office, then to
the Krome detention center in Miami before they are released. All of
them said they have family members in Florida, who will pick them up
when they are released.

Under the "wet foot, dry foot" policy, Cubans who reach U.S. shores are
generally permitted to stay, while those caught at sea are usually taken
back.


You're joking, right? Ever since Fidel took over Cuba in 1959 Cubans have been
escaping to the U.S. by whatever means available to them. We have not been able
to stop the influx of Cuban refugees under Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford,
Carter, Reagan, Bush 1, or Clinton. So, therefore tell my how Bush 2 is doing
any worse than those who preceded him in the office of the President. Homeland
Security not withstanding probably has no more influence stopping the Cuban
influx than any other government program.

Homeland Security is, my understanding anyway, aimed more at the potential
terrorist threat than it is aimed at Cuban refugees trying to escape the
conditions in Cuba and come to the U.S.

The only way, as I see it to stop the Cuban refugee problem would be to build a
Berlin type wall alround our whole border with armed guards stationed every 10'
or so and that might solve the problem of Cuban refugees.

Bush 2 has done no better or worse at stoping the influx of Cuban refugees. I
would like to think that someone as intelligent as you seem to be can see this
too. If not you are letting your dislike or hatred of Bush 2 cloud your
judgement more than just a little bit. The only time the Cuban refugees will
stop trying to come here is when Cuba is once again a "free" country. That may
never happen given the nature of the people there. Only time will tell.

46 days to go..