The Canadian peril
By Olivier Guitta
I just wrote a piece for the Weekly Standard on the dangers coming from our northern border.
You can read the full article here.
Here is an excerpt:
The Canadian Peril
Why they're checking passports at the border now.
In terms of Islamic extremists in Canada [as] they regard the proximity of Canada to the U.S., it's making Canada a kind of Islamic extremist aircraft carrier for the launching of major assaults against the U.S. mainland.
--David Harris, former chief of strategic planning for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The above, slightly overdramatic statement is taken from an interview with Frontline all the way back in May 2001. Just last week, the United States finally got around to instituting identification checks on its sparsely patrolled 5,500-mile northern border. These replace the longstanding honor system beloved of frequent border crossers and aspiring terrorists alike.
As of January 31, U.S. and Canadian citizens age 20 and up must present proof of citizenship and identity to enter the country. The simple oral declaration that one is an American or Canadian citizen will no longer suffice.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a service of the Department of Homeland Security, has its work cut out for it. In just three months last year, from October to December, CBP officers reported 1,517 instances of individuals stopped at the border falsely claiming to be U.S. citizens.
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