Because terrorists don't use boats/ferries

With much fanfare we were told last year that as part of the president's Bold Plan to Protect Us (tm) all travellers across the Canada and Mexco borders would soon have to carry valid passports.

Well, maybe not so much ...

Yesterday, more details emerged:

The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security said while in Edmonton on Tuesday that certain types of travel will be exempt from new regulations on border crossings between Canada and the U.S.

...

"In particular, we will not be, for example, including in this set of regulations a requirement for passports for ferries or private watercraft, recognizing that this is a particular form of transportation that we don't want to interfere with," said Chertoff.

Because of course we all know that terrorists never use private watercraft (cough USS Cole cough) or ferries.

Add this to the mountain of evidence that when it comes to real security, this administration is all hat no cattle.

I shall now commence holding my breath waiting for the right-wing blogosphere and pundits to condemn Sec. Chertoff's traitorous revelation of this glaring hole in our border security.

•  terrorist use swift-boats n/t

  by nymosyn on Wed Jul 19, 2006 at 10:24:49 AM PDT

  •  Ah, of course

    How could I miss the connection?

    by jrooth on Wed Jul 19, 2006 at 10:26:00 AM PDT

•  OHHHhhh Good Move

  informing terrorists of holes in our border security. Holes that have already attempted to be exploited. A US Customs officer at an Immigration check point catches a terrorist on a car FERRY with a fake PASSPORT and 100 pounds of explosives on his way to LAX.

  Right. Let's just go hang our backsides out the window so that whomever may take potshots at them.

  Can we at least make the terrorists go to the trouble of forging passports - pretty please? And maybe while we are at it, keep the Immigrantion/Customs check points? And maybe we could refrain from pointing out exactly how bad our border patrol is (at least keep the paid help from talking)? Homeland Security? Nope. Dept. Homeland Stupidity.

  by sailmaker on Wed Jul 19, 2006 at 12:38:41 PM PDT