Posted on 02/04/2011 1:03:59 PM PST by rabscuttle385
WASHINGTON — A massive security gap along the nation’s northern border is cause for grave concern as Maine combats a growing drug smuggling trade, says Sen. Susan Collins.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, says the Department of Homeland Security “must continue to analyze the right mix of resources, ensuring there is effective use of personnel, technology, and international, state, and local agency partnerships that allow the border be open to our friends, but closed to those who would do us harm."
A new federal report highlights just how vulnerable Maine’s long border with Canada is to an array of illegal activity, from the potential of terrorists entering the country to the problem of methamphetamine trafficking, says Collins, R-Maine.
(Excerpt) Read more at onlinesentinel.com ...
Is reality hitting her in the face?
So what’s maine claim to fame anyway?
Stephen King. Isn’t he the guy that keeps getting
run over by cars?
I have to agree. When one looks at the terror camps in the northern border states that are being populated through the porous norther border it is alarming.
The bottom line is we need to secure our borders.
Ha! I was correct....you ARE a Daily KOS/DU refugee!
Ran out of facts, I see....
Yes there are so many terror camps in the northern border states it is alarming. I think osama bin laden is ontario.
Enquiring minds need to know!!
Are you related to barney rubble?
yep - let’s keep ignoring the rising crescent tide in Canada - nothing to see there. Move along. Forget about the many cells and explosives and plots that have been uncovered in the past 10 years.
or you could watch this video - particularly starting at about minute 5:25.
Yep. In six years, lets see where our most danger is coming from - better study up on the proper way to drop your face to the ground five times a day.
Keep you eye and all your attention on just one problem - at your peril.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHsn_aUmuKE
The facts are plain for everyone to see.
You lied. No 911 conspirators came from Canada and no current islamic fanatical terrorist that are part of terror cells being busted in the states come from canada. They bust terror cells in america, canada and europe. They are american, canadian and euro citizens. Muslims are all over the west. I encourage intelligent readers to find out for themselves who is right. Myself who says no 911 conspirators came from Canada, or you who say they did. Look it up people and judge for yourself. No spin here.
Do you really think ONLY Mexicans are coming across?
or is the REAL non-concern due to the fact that not many MEXICANS come over the Canada border - )
I think you just called all of us who live in states that border Mexico, racists! You are ignorant.
The U.S. Homeland Security chief has clarified earlier remarks that suggested the 9-11 terrorists entered the U.S. through Canada.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made the comments during a media interview earlier this week, much to the chagrin of Canadians on both sides of the border.
In a release Tuesday night following the interview, she called Canada a “close ally and an important partner” and said she was simply misunderstood.
“I know that the September 11th hijackers did not come through Canada to the United States,” she said in the statement.
“There are other instances, however, when suspected terrorists have attempted to enter our country from Canada to the United States. Some of these are well-known to the public — such as the Millennium Bomber — while others are not due to security reasons.”
Ottawa rushed to defend its border security on Tuesday amid the diplomatic scuffle that broke out over Napolitano’s earlier remarks.
In recent years, Ottawa has invested a great deal of effort into dispelling perceptions among Americans that Canada’s border is an easy entry point for terrorists planning attacks on U.S. soil.
“Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9-11 terrorists came from,” said Michael Wilson, Canada’s ambassador in Washington.
“As the 9-11 commission reported in 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the United States from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued by the United States government and no 9-11 terrorists came from Canada.”
Wilson, who was the keynote speaker at the Border Trade Alliance meeting in Washington on Tuesday, said Napolitano’s staff attempted to tamp down the controversy by blaming the comments on a simple misunderstanding.
“Her comment from her people is that she misunderstood,” Wilson said, adding that he was planning a personal meeting with Napolitano in the near future.
The furor began when Napolitano was asked to clarify statements she had made about equal treatment for the Mexican and Canadian borders, despite the fact that a flood of illegal immigrants and a massive drug war are two serious issues on the southern border.
“Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn’t have a drug war going on, it didn’t have 6,000 homicides that were drug-related last year,” she said.
“Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it’s been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there.”
When asked if she was referring to the 9-11 terrorists, Napolitano added: “Not just those but others as well.”
However, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan downplayed the comments and said that Napolitano is well aware that Canada was not the source of the 9-11 terrorists.
“We spoke about it back in March, and we were sharing a chuckle at the fact that the urban myth does circulate,” he told CTV’s Power Play.
“Ms. Napolitano understood quite clearly, then and now, that none of the September 11 terrorists came through Canada, as the 9-11 Commission found.”
Still, that positive outlook wasn’t shared by other Canadian officials.
On Tuesday afternoon, RCMP Commissioner William Elliot expressed frustration with the comments during an interview on CTV’s Power Play.
“I was somewhat surprised and disappointed,” he said, adding he hopes the misconception has been cleared up.
“I understand and am happy to hear that she has issued a statement acknowledging that that didn’t happen.”
But Thomas d’Aquino, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, decried Napolitano’s comments on Tuesday.
“I am a longstanding friend and ally of the United States, but sometimes failures in our two-way dialogue cause me to shake my head in sadness and dismay,” he said in a press release.
“The claim that some of the 9/11 terrorists entered the United States from Canada is, quite simply, a myth - an urban legend that began with a handful of erroneous media reports in the days following the terrorist strikes.”
Somebody could not stay civil
Tsk Tsk.
Giggetty Giggety Goof.
I’m limiting my responses to adult commentors.
I thought the “Millenium Bomber” attempted to come in through Canada?
Yeah he “attempted”.
Well dip shit you might want to extract your bean head from your anus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr8FexoNO1M
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmVacPB9DbzLtldIxau-YEIvsO4W1PQ6wjaEp9Io8l78wX3F7T&t=1
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,494424,00.html
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/terriost-camps.jpg
Another un-educated uncle sammer living off the Globe newspaper headlines. You are a joke.
Why don’t you go to washington with a sign protesting the canadian invasion and how all the 911 attackers came from Canada. Go on, make yourself heard. Your credibility is mind numbing you big ol sack of ***t.
Hilarious..this goof just made my point.
All his links point to home grown islamic issues in America Not Canada. Incroyable.
Where did Timothy McVeigh come from?
You Canadian? Hey?
I am
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
