Obama/DHS poised to grant amnesty for Hezbollah under Executive Order

Just a month ago, it was a Homeland Security alert that Somalian jihadists would be crossing the TX border. Even now, while Obama’s ever busy legal counsel prepares briefs to file suit against Arizona for their recently enacted immigration law, DHS is considering circumventing existing immigration laws by using an Executive Order to defer action or parole to existing aliens present in the US illegally. An accusation, I might add that DHS doesn’t dismiss when they clarify it may just be “selective” reprieves to the segment of population holding expired visas.

And therein lies the amnesty that Obama and Napolitano will grant to Hezbollah… either by extreme stupidity, or willful ignorance. For the single reality that rises above the point/counterpoint immigration debate is the O’admin stalwartly rejects Mexico border battles as national security, preferring to spin it solely as immigration issue.

But NC’s Representative Sue Myrick may have fired the final shot across the O’admin’s bow, forever altering any ability to spin that perception. Rep. Myrick’s June 23rd letter to Janet Napolitano cites increasing evidence that Iran’s Hezbollah has more than an uncomfortably close relationship to the Mexican drug cartels terrorizing Arizona and other border states.

Thanks to the good work done by the Treasury Department, terrorist organizations like Hezbollah have found it increasingly hard to obtain or transfer funds through financial institutions. As a result, Hezbollah has increased their presence in drug trafficking to obtain funds that cannot be traced.

Many experts believe Hezbollah and drug cartels have been loosely working together for decades. We have seen their cooperation in countries across South America, particularly the tri-border area of South America (bounded by Puerto Iguazu, Argentina; Ciudad del Este, Paraguay; and Foz do Iguazo, Brazil). Hezbollah operates almost like a Mafia family in this region, often demanding protection money and “taxes” from local inhabitants.

In fact, while speaking about Hezbollah and the drug cartels, former Chief of Operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Michael Braun stated: “Hezbollah relies on the same criminal weapons smugglers, document traffickers and transportation experts as the drug cartel…They work together; they rely on the same shadow facilitators. One way or another they are all connected.”

The connection between Hezbollah and the drug cartels has seemed to grow over the past few years. This may be especially true on the US Southern border.

Across states in the Southwest, well trained officials are beginning to notice the tattoos of gang members in prisons are being written in Farsi. We have typically seen tattoos in Arabic, but Farsi implies a Persian influence that can likely be traced back to Iran and its proxy army, Hezbollah. These tattoos in Farsi are almost always seen in combination with gang or drug cartel tattoos. These combinations have been increasing in number and point to the fact that these criminals are tied to both Hezbollah and gangs and drug cartels.

Former intelligence officials have pointed to the terrain that makes up our border, especially in the San Diego border sector, as a reason why drug cartels have been partnering with Hezbollah. This terrain is very much like the areas around Israel’s borders. As we well know, Hezbollah is extremely skilled in the construction of tunnels. Israel has time and again found Hezbollah tunnels leading into Israel, some of which are large enough to accommodate trucks. Likewise, these intelligence officials say that the drug cartels, in an effort to dig larger and more effective tunnels, are employing the expertise of Hezbollah. For their expertise, Hezbollah could be receiving a cut of the drug money or even be helping put cash up front to assist in the overall drug operations.

Hezbollah members are suspected of learning Spanish in Chavez’s Venezuela, then obtaining false documentation to enter the US as Hispanics. Documention… get that? This documentation potentially, and likely, brings them under the protection of Obama and DHS’s proposed “selective segment of population” that can be granted amnesty with the EO.

Nor have we much of an ally in Mexican President, Felipe Calderon. Rep Myrick has been keeping a close eye on Calderon since his Mexican SOTU address back in Sept 2007, when he clearly stated his visions of Mexico knew no boundaries, and that “Mexico does not end at the border. Wherever there is a Mexican, Mexico will be there.” From Calderon’s speech INRE US immmigration policies:

“Finally, I have said that Mexico does not end at the border, that wherever there is a Mexican Mexico is there; this is why the actions of the Government in favor of our migrating countrymen is guided by principles, by the defense and protection of their rights, by prevention for detecting measures that may affect our people and by the professionalism we must offer our co-nationals.

For this reason, we are already using all the resources of our consular network for the benefit of Mexicans abroad.

On behalf of the Mexican Government, I again strongly protest the unilateral measures taken by the United States Congress and Government, measures that are making the persecution and humiliating treatment of undocumented Mexican workers worse.

The insensitivity shown toward those who contribute a great deal to the economy and to society in the United States has been incentive to redouble our battle to gain recognition of their enormous contribution to the economies of both nations and to defend their rights.

Therefore, the Government of Mexico will continue to firmly insist to both countries’ societies and Governments on the necessity of comprehensive immigration reform and of categorically rejecting construction of a wall on our common border.

Calderon, enjoying the support of our own POTUS, is incensed at Arizona’s immigration law that allows law enforcement to demand proof of citizenship on any detention for probable cause INRE other tort violations.

In addition, Iran has been quietly, but persistently, nurturing increased trade ties with Mexico, holding regular meetings of a Tehran-Mexico City joint economic commission. In February 2009, Iran’s ruling clerics sent emissaries to Calderon for the first time since deposing of the Shah, focused on increasing “…political, cultural and economic arenas” between the two nations…. just as Ahmadinejad as done with most of Mexico’s Central American neighbors.

By Nov 2009, Mexico and Iran had been trading “energy” experts:

Annual trade between Iran and Mexico has not yet reached the level that some of Mexico’s neighbors enjoy with the Islamic Republic. According to remarks made by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Reza Salari during an official visit to Mexico City in February 2009, Iranian trade with Mexico was a mere $50 million, far below Iran’s $2 billion annual trade with Brazil.[3] “We are here to investigate, why so low?” Salari told reporters. “With Mexico, there is absolutely no political problem between us. No cultural problems. It shows we have many shortcomings in our trade relations.”

Salari continued to say that Iran sees opportunities to expand tourism and energy cooperation with Mexico, but has said that such efforts are still only in the planning stages.[4] Mexican House of Representatives Speaker Ruth Sayala has called the two sides’ cooperation “very important” and has said that Mexico is interested in learning from Iran’s experience in the energy sector.[5]

According to Mexican Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Lourdes Aranda, the Mexican government presented a bill to parliament that claimed that Mexico was willing to use Iranian experience to help increase energy efficiency. The two countries subsequently agreed to exchange energy experts.[6] Not long after in 2008, Mexico and Iran held a joint economic commission meeting in Tehran where they discussed increasing their bilateral economic cooperation.[7]

To appeal to a poverty-ridden Mexico’s bottom line is a clever, and likely successful back door entry to more serious trade partners in the future. As Calderon sees the US as increasingly strict in immigration, with a consumer population that will (according to Obama and Geither) no longer be “dependable” on driving the world economy, Iran’s appeal is going to be elevated.

And the O’admin state department? When a spokesman was confronted with the Iranian activities – embarrassingly which were commencing simultaneous to Clinton’s and Napolitano’s April 2009 visit to Mexico – he/she was genuinely caught with his intel pants down.

In contrast, Iran’s outreach in Mexico has proceeded with scarcely any public mention. The overtures took place (by design or not) amid the distractions of visits to Mexico by high-ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano, to discuss supporting Mexico in its war against rampaging drug cartels.

“This is the first I’ve probably ever heard about this,” said a State Department official closely involved in bilateral diplomacy and high-level American visits to Mexico. “And to tell you the truth it’s probably something that’s not going to come up (during the official U.S. diplomatic visits) — unless it’s somehow forced onto the agenda.”

Andy Lane, a State Department spokesman in Washington D.C., appeared unaware of the Iranian proposal when a GlobalPost reporter called on the eve of Clinton’s Mexico visit.

After seeking the administration’s response, Lane called back: “Many countries in the hemisphere have relations with Iran, and it is their sovereign right to pursue relations with any country that they choose.” Lane said he was not authorized to elaborate.

Well, Mr. Lane… Ms. Clinton… and Ms. Napolitano… can we consider Iran’s relationship with Mexico now “forced onto the agenda” in light of all these Farsi tattoo’d illegals in detention? And will the O’admin acknowledge that our southern border, and AZ, have irrevocably crossed that chasm from being about immigration, and is now firmly entrenched as a matter of national security?

Not likely….

Based on realities on the ground, any Obama EO on “selective reprieves” for expired visa holding “Hispanics”, who just may be from Iran, now reeks of amnesty for terrorists. And this shall not stand.