Were Shots Fired?

Gaurdsmen Overrun At The Border

News Report Video

This story caught my eye for two reasons. #1 The fact that a National Gaurd Unit was over run and #2 The fact that it is unclear whether our soldiers were allowed to return fire. The way I understand the gaurd's mission is that they are to "observe and support the border patrol" in a nut shell. But what is the directive if they are fired apon? I mean lets think about this for a moment. At what other point in our history have we ever allowed our border and/or our military to be fired on without it being an international incident, decleration of war, etc... This is not Jose and his family with a handgun trying to sneak accross the border for a better life, these are armed drug militias, sometimes aided by corrupt federalies and soldiers infiltrating our southern borders.

The article says, "The Border Patrol will not say whether shots were fired". They mean shots fired by us, and as a citizen of this country I want to know that my military is authorized to do whatever is needed to repel any such attack. If not, why not.

The article also says the shooters retreated back into Mexico which says to me that they are probing our defenses, trying to see whether or not we shoot back, etc... trying to figure out whether our military at the border is really just for show, or whether we will actually use them to protect and defend our borders. Thusly the question for me is no longer how many troops are there, but what the mission parameters are of the ones who have been sent.
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STACLU Has a good post with lots of links to other good posts about this issue