North American Cooperation in an Era of Homeland Security
Section snippets
The “Undefended Border”
There is also a deep-seated conviction that the northern part of the North American continent could not in any meaningful sense be regarded as a security problem. Generations of Canadian, and some American, schoolchildren have been formed in the conviction that the Canadian-American border is the world’s “longest undefended frontier.”
The 60 Minutes Version
Senator Clinton is far from being the only American political figure to be concerned about the country’s northern border. Those Americans (and Canadians, for that matter) who are convinced that Canada has become a safe haven for terrorism were certainly not comforted by an April 2002 60 Minutes broadcast featuring interviews with two retired Canadian intelligence and immigration officials, David Harris and James Bissett. Harris and Bissett depicted Ottawa as running a refugee and immigration
No Thanks
It can only be assumed that the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues understood only too well that some adjustments were indeed going to have to be made if the border was to be kept reasonably open to Canadian travellers and goods. But Ottawa’s assertion of sovereignty not only did little to comfort Canadians, it also annoyed Americans. The government was clearly caught wrong-footed on this issue.
“An Inescapable Duty To Collaborate”
If to a growing number of Americans Canada has become part of the problem, to many more it figures as part of the solution to America’s homeland security challenges. It has to, for what option does it possess other than “an inescapable duty to collaborate” with the United States in the continental aspects of the post-9/11 struggle against terrorism?
Canadian-American Military Cooperation After 9/11
Military cooperation as a means of building or preserving trust is generally thought valuable when it occurs between countries that not too long ago were adversaries. But it is as relevant to the Canadian-American relationship. One often hears references in official Ottawa to the immunity military cooperation provides against American “help.” “Defense against help”40 refers to the prospect of the
Conclusions
Militarily, there can be no doubt that Canada remains a trustworthy ally for the United States, even if not in the same category as Britain and Australia. Though the American military might and does wish the cf were better funded, it is probably the most well disposed of any U.S. sector toward Canadians. As for the American public, to the extent it pays attention to Canada, there is evidence of growing irritation as a result of war-related tensions, particularly at moments when Canadians enjoy
David Haglund ([email protected]) is the Sir Edward Peacock Professor of Political Studies at Queen’s University. He is grateful to the Queen’s University Faculty of Arts and Science, the Security and Defence Forum of the Canadian Department of National Defence, and the National Defence College of Sweden for their support for the research and writing of this article, and also to the Geneva Centre for Security Policy for assistance in producing the manuscript.
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David Haglund ([email protected]) is the Sir Edward Peacock Professor of Political Studies at Queen’s University. He is grateful to the Queen’s University Faculty of Arts and Science, the Security and Defence Forum of the Canadian Department of National Defence, and the National Defence College of Sweden for their support for the research and writing of this article, and also to the Geneva Centre for Security Policy for assistance in producing the manuscript.