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National Guard on U.S. Mexican Border - Is Canada Next? |
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Written by Staff
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Tuesday, 16 May 2006 |
As the United States prepares to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard troops to the border between the U.S. and Mexico, the Bush administration does not discount the possibility of similar security tactics on its northern border with Canada.
Although President Bush did not mention Canada in his address to the nation Tuesday night, the CBC is reporting that White House officials have indicated that deploying troops to the U.S./Canadian border is not outside the realm of possibility.
In his televised speech from the oval office on Tuesday, the U.S. president stated that the influx of illegal immigrants was a "matter of national importance" and went on to set out his plans to re-gain control of the nation's borders, a move said the president that is "an urgent requirement of our national security" adding, "The border should be open to trade and lawful immigration -- and shut to illegal immigrants, as well as criminals, drug dealers, and terrorists."
Although illegal Canadian immigration to the U.S. has never been a problem, the Bush administration continues to maintain that the northen border is the route used by some criminals, drug dealers and terrorists to enter the U.S. illegally.
The U.S. and Canada developed a joint border security arrangement shortly after the events of September 11, 2001. The 'smart border' plan was implemented to make the border more secure while allowing trade at key crossings to go faster. At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley suggested that the Canadian government would consider allowing armed U.S. border guards on Canadian soil in an increased security effort. That particular proposal was never pursued.
The Canadian Press is reporting that some U.S. state governors in northern states bordering on Canada may be considering making a request for similar National Guard protection on the 49th parallel. In 2005 when the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps announced that they would be situating their group at points along the Canadian border, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said, "the [U.S.] government neither supports nor discourages Minuteman work." |
