# Canada-US Security cooperation



## kaspacanada (4 Apr 2004)

I‘m writing a paper on US-Canada security cooperation as it pertains to the war on terrorism.  My main arguement is that the emphasis on the military centred view of contintental defence detracts from emphasis on non-military cooperation and that Canada‘s interests have been so closely tied to the US that it has no choice but to act to reassure the US that it is a safe country.  Accordingly, Canada has done this.

What do you think are the best ways for Canada to participate in the ‘War‘ on terrorism?  Has a war on a concept ever been won?  My take on the situation: 

I believe the forces needs more money, particularly for equipment acquisition. On the other hand, I also think that the government needs to get defence policy and finance IN-LINE with Canada‘s foreign policy and the role that Canada will play in the world. If that can be done, then our forces may be funded accordingly. If not, we may end up in the same boat we have been in for a long time. 

Canada‘s international role - with or without the United States - is its own choice. 

Canada needs to be prepared, but how much is enough?  What do we really need?  Is it even possible to clearly answer that question without getting our foreign policy in line with our defence bugdet and policies? (sure the obvious, new helicopters, an influx of recruits, new jets or the modernization of our old ones...what else to we need?) 

That being said, the current lack of immediate conventional threats is no reason to be unprepared.  Given the present situation however; it seems to make more sense to take a more wholistic approach particularly in terms of continental security. Personally, I think that it would be more constructive to focus on internal policies and law enforcement/intelligence cooperation with the United States to protect North America from terrorists. 

This the Canadian government has done.  Even Jack Granatstein, a defence advocate, noted that border slowdowns after September 11th, 2001 had caused the Canadian government to move with ‘great speed‘ to bring its ‘slovenly‘ lax immigration and refugee policies in line with those of the US.  We have enacted a ridiculous amount of anti-terrorist legislation, sent troops, ships and special forces to the Indian Ocean, while the RCMP, various Canadian law enforcement agencies, CSIS, US law enforcement agencies inlcuding the FBI, the DEA, the US State department, Canadian department of Foreign Affairs have virtually daily contact at many different levels of their organizations.  There are various bi-national panels for cooperation at teh cabinet level.  If we (the US and Canada) can cooperate like that addressing transnational crime, then I think we should be further strengthening these avenues of cooperation in the ‘war‘ on terrorism.  

Anyone wanna place up their ideas on the best way to go about dealing with terrorists?  Anyone have information that could help my paper?


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