Thread: U.S.-Canadian Border Fails "Dirty Bomb" Smuggling

The Threat From The North
GAO: Security On U.S.-Canadian Border Fails "Dirty Bomb" Smuggling Tests

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 26, 2007

(CBS) To combat drug smuggling and illegal immigration, the federal government is fortifying the Mexican border -- adding thousands of new patrol agents, surveillance cameras, sensors and unmanned aerial drones.

In contrast, the Canadian border is a 5,000 mile expanse, which a new government investigation warns may be a welcome mat for terrorists with weapons of mass destruction.

A report by the Government Accountability Office obtained by CBS News concludes: "A determined cross-border violator would likely be able to bring radioactive materials ... undetected into the United States..."

Over eight months, government investigators crossed the northern border unchallenged at least six times, carrying a small duffel bag meant to represent a "dirty bomb." The teams did not carry any real explosives or radioactive material, but carried simulated cargo, that, upon further inspection, would have seemed suspiciously like the real thing.

Border roads were "unmanned and unmonitored" with barriers "that could be driven around."

In one case, a citizen alerted authorities, but "the U.S. Border Patrol was not able to locate the investigators with the duffel bag."

The May 2007 findings also point to a great disparity in manpower, with 11,986 Border Patrol agents along the Southern boundary and just 972 patrolling the much longer Northern front.

Security officials argue the Southern border poses the greatest risk.

"When you take a look at the challenges with the economic migrants coming across, as well as the criminal migrants coming across, as well as the 2 million pounds of drugs that cross into the Southern tier into the United States, that's a huge threat that needs to be addressed,â€

What a load of hooey! I am a Naturalized Canadian, American by birth. It totally pisses me off when the US Government places all this "threat"crap square on the shoulders of Canada. If it's not security, it's the drug Companies...

When I started getting my Parents their Medicines thru MY Physician in Canada they were SHOCKED at the price difference. But if you listen to Bush and American Drug Companies you would think Canada is some kind of third world country. And the sad thing is my Dad retired from IBM... his insurance is still VERY good, but I could beat the prices here in the States by a long shot.

This is thrown up at this time to try and take people's attention away from the biggest threat: THE MEXICAN BORDER and the crappy job being done to secure THAT border.

Sorry folks about the rant, but I have steam coming out of my ears each and every time Bush's buddies puts down Canada. I know there are a lot of places where you "could" cross like they said... but if you tried in the winter you would truly have to be an experienced "Mountain Man". What they fail to mention is that they have unmanned "DRONES" in the sky all along the border with infa-red body imaging.