Thread: NAU Meeting in Canada

Border security, immigration, terrorism dominate trilateral talks among ministers.

The Associated Press
Published: February 23, 2007

OTTAWA: Though promoting prosperity was at the top of the agenda when some of North America's most powerful cabinet ministers gathered in the Canadian capital, security, immigration and the threat of terrorism also dominated the unprecedented trilateral talks.

Nine foreign and security ministers from Canada, Mexico and the United States were in Ottawa for the Security and Prosperity Partnership meeting Friday, including U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

The talks were a lead-up to a meeting of the countries' leaders this August in Canada.

They reviewed an exhaustive 63-page report from the North American Competitiveness Council on how to streamline border crossings, harmonize regulatory standards and improve the supply and distribution of clean energy sources. They also discussed ways in which to deal with a global bird flu pandemic, natural disasters, organized crime and drug trafficking.

But after a full day of closed-door meetings, when they addressed joint news conferences, the issues of security, illegal immigration and how each country is dealing with the perceived threat of terrorism dominated the questions from reporters.
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Rice was asked if she discussed the sensitive case of Canadian engineer Maher Arar with her Canadian counterpart, Foreign Minister Peter MacKay.

Canada and the United States are at odds over the treatment of Syrian-born Arar, who was secretly nabbed by U.S. officials to Damascus for interrogation about links to terrorism. He spent a year in a cell and was tortured, before the Syrians shipped him home to Canada.

Though cleared by a Canadian federal inquiry and given a formal apology and multimillion dollar settlement by Ottawa, Washington refuses to comply with Canadian demands that Arar be removed from its no-fly lists.

"Well, we respect the decision of the Canadian government concerning Mr. Arar," Rice responded. "The United States, of course, makes decisions based on information that we have and based on our own assessment of the situation."

MacKay said the two sides, at this point, "agree to disagree."

The talks were partially overshadowed by a ruling earlier in the day by the Supreme Court of Canada, which overturned as a violation of human rights an anti-terrorism provision that allows the government to indefinitely detain foreign terror suspects without charge or trial.

MacKay insisted the ruling did not impact the trilateral meetings, and reiterated Canada's commitment to protected North American borders from terrorism.

"This ruling does include, I understand, a one-year period in which the government will have the opportunity to react and to respond accordingly," he said. "Clearly, we will take the time to do just that. But in the meantime, we will very much remain vigilant in our pursuit of measures necessary to protect Canadian citizens."

The United States, Canada and Mexico, under the North American Free Trade Agreement, enjoy the largest trading partnership in the world. With a combined gross domestic product of US$15 trillion (€11.4 trillion), the three nations exchange goods and services worth nearly US$1 trillion (€760 billion) and see about 500 million legal border crossings a year.

Some critics believe the Bush administration has put too great an emphasis on border security and not enough on the economic alliance. A Mexican journalist told Rice that this was the growing perception in his country, to which she disagreed.

"I think that if you look at everything from NAFTA on, including our extensive trade relationships, our extensive economic relationships, you can see that the United States and Mexico have been deeply concerned about one another's prosperity," she said. "But as the president has said, ultimately when one talks, for instance, about the issues of immigration, we want very much to see a Mexico in which Mexicans can find work and can take care of their families in Mexico."

Mexico wants Washington to usher through reforms to create a guest worker program, provide a legal path for millions of Mexicans living in the United States and allow for the reunification of families split by immigration laws. U.S. President George W. Bush supports giving Mexican migrants temporary work visas, but has failed to win support in U.S. Congress.

There are an estimated 11 million Mexican-born people living in the United States, and about 6 million of those are believed to be undocumented.

Mexico's Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa said newly elected Mexican President Felipe Calderon was approaching his first 100 days in office.

"I would like to say that the issues dealt with in this meeting coincide fully with the priorities that the president of the republic established as the objectives of his mandate," said Espinosa.
http://www.bewareofthis.info/pagecache/ ... ached.html

Thank god its getting some press

I hope some one taped the thing in put it on the net. Also I hope they put it on there spp site. It will be more fire power for us.

This is breaking hard over 200 news reports have it. This is starting to really see the light of day when you have that many.
http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=na ... 3474&hl=en

But after a full day of closed-door meetings

This is what concerns me, the secrecy.

Yes, at least the media are finally talking about it other than just Lou Dobbs.

U.S., Mexico and Canada Discuss Border Issues
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By CHRISTOPHER MASON
Published: February 24, 2007
OTTAWA, Feb. 23 — American, Mexican and Canadian cabinet ministers met here on Friday to set the agenda for a meeting later this year by the leaders of the three countries, with the discussions taking an increased focus on protecting cross-border trade in the face of increasing border security measures.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez met their Canadian and Mexican counterparts amid concerns that new United States border restrictions — particularly the requirement of passports, beginning in January 2008, for land and sea crossings — would hamper the $880 billion in annual trade among the countries.

No firm agenda emerged for a planned meeting later this year of President Bush, President Felipe Calderón of Mexico and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada. But officials here were optimistic that the countries could continue to increase trade despite concerns by Canada over the passport requirement and by Mexico about United States plans to erect a security wall along their border.

“This is a broad agenda that is going to make life better for people, and it is the only way that we can achieve security and prosperity,” Ms. Rice said.

The passport requirement has been controversial in Canada, but its leaders have said they will adjust to, and not protest, the changes.

“We recognize that that will have an effect on life in general,” Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said. “That is why we pursue the areas of seeing our countries being as competitive as possible.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world ... anada.html

wow even so I don't respect the nytimes that much, but by them breaking that is huge. Also seattle and many others.

Business Leaders Mull NAFTA Strength
By BETH DUFF-BROWN 02.23.07, 6:26 PM ET

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Business leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States gathered with the foreign ministers of those countries Friday to propose some 50 recommendations on how to strengthen the world's largest trading partnership.

The North American Competitiveness Council - with business leaders from each of the three nations that comprise the North American Free Trade Agreement - suggested ways to streamline border crossings, harmonize regulatory standards and improve supply and distribution of energy.

They issued a 63-page report that calls for new policies to be introduced over three years.

"Since 1993, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has contributed significantly to the economic competitiveness of Canada, Mexico and the United States," reads the NACC report.

"Economic competition, however, has continued to intensify globally as emerging powers such as China and India transform patterns of trade and investment worldwide."

Within that competitive context, the NACC report said, the three countries must ensure that the focus on border security since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks does not undermine the economic efficiencies created by NAFTA.

The report went to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa, who were in Ottawa to attend the Security and Prosperity Partnership on border security and economic cooperation.

With a combined gross domestic product of $15 trillion, the three nations exchange goods and services worth nearly $1 trillion and see about 500 million legal border crossings a year, according to U.S. government statistics.


Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed


http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/02/ ... 58451.html

With this kind of talk out in the public now, they must went us to know about it.

http://english.people.com.cn/200702/24/ ... 52169.html

It has made it to china.

There are an estimated 11 million Mexican-born people living in the United States, and about 6 million of those are believed to be undocumented.

Where did they come up with those wimpy reduced figures? That's not correct at all.

http://www.freedom.org/naugreen2/player.html

If you are still a non-believer you won't be after watching this.