Background for CNN, "Northern border and terrorists", 10 PM Oct. 11, 04

Reminder: CNN 10 PM tonight -- "Northern border and terrorists"

1999: LAW ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS AT THE BORDER BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: DRUG SMUGGLING, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND TERRORISM

2004: Remember the above problems were in 1999 prior to Ressam and 9/11. Today, law enforcement are still short about 2500 RCMP officers. Take this in context with the CNN program at 10:00pm tonight.

Some information before the program might be in order. Link and read the whole or at least, skim this.

LAW ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS AT THE BORDER BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: DRUG SMUGGLING, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND TERRORISM 2000 HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND CLAIMS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, APRIL 14, 1999, Serial No. 17

[. . . . ] This subcommittee has never held a hearing specifically addressing the northern border. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of reports highlighting the lack of Federal resources on the northern border and the resulting threat to U.S. national security and community safety. Three threats need to be addressed: drug smuggling, illegal immigration and terrorism. All these threats are exacerbated by the lack of resources on the northern border. In fact, the Border Patrol currently has only 289 agents along the 3,500 mile northern border. It is obvious that if we do not know who comes into our country, we do not know what comes into our country, like illegal drugs. A porous border is an open invitation for illegal drug smugglers and for terrorists and their goal of mass destruction.

Drug smuggling at the northern border is a significant concern. Numerous articles have documented the alarming rise in the smuggling of a type of highly potent marijuana grown indoors in British Columbia. This marijuana is five times as potent as regular marijuana and is more likely to increase drug addiction.

[. . . . ] What about illegal immigration? In fiscal year 1998, fewer than 300 agents apprehended 12,146 aliens attempting illegal entry. The question is, of course, how many did they miss? So few agents cannot monitor a border thousands of miles long, 24 hours every day. The Border Patrol knows that the drug and alien smugglers monitor the Border Patrol's shifts and simply wait until agents go off duty.

[. . . . ] It may surprise many people to learn that Mexican nationals can enter Canada without visas, so it is often cheaper for them to fly to Canada and walk across the northern border than to have smugglers bring them across the southern border.

The number of Asian nationals being smuggled into the U.S. also is increasing. Regarding third country nationals, Canadians themselves make up the fourth largest group of illegal aliens in the U.S.

One of the most dangerous threats to our national security is the risk of a terrorist crossing our northern border undetected. This happened in 1997 when Gazi Ibrahim Abu Mezer crossed the northern border and attempted to blow up the New York subway system. In this case, the terrorist was caught before the crime was carried out. Next time, we may not be so fortunate. Since 1995, there have been at least 13 other cases of terrorists crossing the border from Canada, two in Blaine, Washington alone.

In 1998, the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service acknowledged the presence of 50 terrorist organizations in Canada and outlined their activities: fundraising in aid of terrorism, smuggling, providing logistical support for terrorist acts and providing transit to and from the United States, ''one of the world's pre-eminent terrorist targets.''

[. . . . ]

There is more, but this will give you some idea before the program why the US is concerned about the northern border with Canada.