It's no secret that our nation's southern border -- particularly where Arizona meets Mexico -- is as porous as pumice. In addition, The Associated Press reports that recent intelligence indicates al-Qaida terrorists are fully aware of the situation.

So why all the whining from U.S. government officials about civilian border patrols intent on stopping illegal immigrants from crossing?

''The Border Patrol does this every day, and they are qualified and very well-trained to handle the situation,'' said Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner. ''Ordinary Americans are not. So there's a danger that not just illegal migrants might get hurt, but that American citizens might get hurt in this situation.''

That's certainly a legitimate concern. But can Mr. Bonner name any incident in which these civilians -- who call themselves the Minutemen -- have injured an American citizen?

Civilian patrols of some sort have been operating on the Arizona border for years, with scant reports of serious problems. In fact, the most highly publicized tragedy on the border over the past few years involved U.S. soldiers who killed a teen-ager as he tended to his flock of sheep along the Texas-Mexican line. They apparently mistook him for a drug courier.

''There's a storm gathering here on the border, and there are conditions ripe for some difficulty,'' said Glenn Spencer, president of the private American Border Patrol.

Something must be done to curb the years of crime, property damage and trash dumping caused by the border crossings, California resident Jim Gilchrist, who is helping recruit new "Minutemen," told the AP. ''Things are out of control'' he said. ''And they've been out of control for decades."

Sounds like the Border Patrol should be grateful for all the help it can get.