Canada criticizes US border lockdown

Canada urges U.S. to 'take time to get it right' in requiring border IDs

Stephen Thorne
Canadian Press

Monday, October 31, 2005

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada urged the United States on Monday to "take the time to get it right" in developing new border identification requirements, cautioning it to not throw the baby out with the bathwater in its bid for tighter security.

In a submission to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the federal government asked Washington not to be tied to its January 2008 deadline for new border identification requirements. It said it is critical that, while enhancing security, the two governments "streamline the movement of low-risk travellers and trade."

"Changes to document requirements on either side of the border - if not done right - have the potential to disrupt the health of our economies," said the brief, citing tourism and the auto sector as examples of countless industries that rely on a border that is both secure and efficient.

"It would also cause significant disruption in shared border communities across Canada and the United States. Backlogs and congestion themselves create security vulnerabilities."

The report comes in response to the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which would require cross-border travellers to carry passports or some other secure identification document yet to be determined.

Critics fear the plan could cost both countries billions of dollars in trade and tourism, as well as immeasurable costs, including damage to cross-border relationships.

Currently, Canadians and Americans need only a birth certificate or driver's licence to cross the border. The Americans are considering a so-called "passport lite" for residents living near the border as a cheaper, easy-to-carry alternative to a regular passport.

The border lockdown. Isn't this what the neo-cons complained about with the Soviets?

Read the rest here.