Posted on 04/17/2003 5:52:43 AM PDT by Lorenb420
OTTAWA and WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has agreed to exempt Canadian citizens from homeland security measures that will require visitors to register with American border officials when entering and leaving the United States, senior U.S. officials say.
Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, said yesterday Washington is nearing a deal with the Chrétien government that would waive a requirement for Canadians to be part of the plan to track the entry and exit of all visitors to the United States.
Tom Ridge, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and John Manley, the Deputy Prime Minister, are putting the final touches on the agreement, Mr. Cellucci told the National Post.
"Secretary Ridge and Minister Manley and their teams did a lot of work on entry-exit. We are still looking at the legal questions, but it appears that U.S. and Canadian citizens will be exempted from it," Mr. Cellucci said.
The deal marks a victory for Canadian officials, who have complained the U.S. entry-exit system would be cumbersome and have worried it would cause border delays.
But it is also part of a U.S. effort to ease strained relations caused by Ottawa's decision to stay out of the war against Iraq and anti-American remarks from several Liberal backbenchers and Cabinet ministers.
The Canada-U.S. relationship reached a low point last week when George W. Bush, the U.S. President, cancelled a May 5 state visit to Canada. Mr. Cellucci also warned of other short-term consequences for Canada.
But in an interview, the U.S. ambassador said the Bush administration wants to get bilateral relations back on a sound footing. He dismissed concerns of a backlash in trade relations and fears that Americans might boycott Canadian goods in retaliation for the Liberal government's position on Iraq.
"I just don't see any of that happening. Our ties are too deep, too long-standing," Mr. Cellucci said.
"When it comes to trade and energy and security, I don't think there are any consequences."
But Asa Hutchinson, the U.S. Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, said Canadian citizens will see no change in the way they are treated when entering the United States, even when the border control program is put into effect.
Only Canadian residents who are foreign nationals will have to check in and out of the United States, Mr. Hutchinson told the National Post.
"Under the current law and our current plan, we simply need to know the non-Canadian citizens who come across the border and leave," Mr. Hutchinson said.
Although he called Canada's decision not to help in the war against Iraq "disappointing," the U.S. border czar said the two countries are still working well together.
The need for co-operation overrides minor annoyances because the United States still senses a potential terrorist threat from the border, he said.
"In terms of our overall partnership, and in particular the border issues, there has been no slowdown of our communications, of our completion of the smart border accord that has been signed by both our countries," he said.
Although Mr. Hutchinson said Washington recognizes the sovereignty of Canada, he did call on the two countries to harmonize their visa requirements.
"It's important that there's some positive relationship between the immigration laws of Canada and our own immigration laws," he said.
Tensions between Washington and Ottawa broke into the open last month when Mr. Cellucci publicly rebuked Mr. Chrétien for staying out of the war and refusing to discipline MPs who made anti-American remarks.
"All I can say is that it wasn't helpful. For those here who think that people don't pay attention in Washington -- they do," Mr. Cellucci said.
"I think it is pretty clear that the decision was a disappointment and some of the stuff around it was not helpful. But at the working level -- government to government -- things are going very well."
The ambassador said he still expects Mr. Bush to visit Canada before Mr. Chrétien retires next February, and dismissed reports that the White House has scotched efforts by the Prime Minister's Office to set firm dates for a fall visit.
"I wouldn't read too much into that," he said. "The President and the Prime Minister agreed on a trip. They have [now] agreed to postpone it. But there are a lot of issues like energy that need some attention and focus ... so I think there would be value to a meeting."
Mr. Cellucci said the two governments must still overcome disagreements on foreign policy, particularly Canada's demand for United Nations approval for international military action.
"There is a little bit of a gulf there," Mr. Cellucci said.
He disputes accusations that the United States has become too isolationist
"We get criticized when we act -- the invasion of Iraq. We get criticized if we don't act quickly enough -- trying to resolve the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We understand that goes with the territory," he said.
"But I think the facts are overwhelming. It is United States' troops that stand between North and South Korea. It is Secretary Powell and Secretary Rumsfeld who went to India and Pakistan and pulled those two countries back from the brink of a nuclear confrontation last year.... We care, and we will remain fully engaged around the globe. But bottom line -- we are going to protect our people. If we can do it effectively with multilateral institutions, we think that is the best way to go. But if we can't do it, we have to reserve the right to protect our people."
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