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U.S. and Canada Working Closer Togther

You might not notice it, but along the 4,000 or so mile border between the United States and Canada, federal agents, local police, and Canadian Mounties are working together to fight crime and terrorism. Canadian and American law enforcement agencies have been working closer together since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, echoing the long military cooperation between the two as embodied by the NORAD ((North American Aerospace Defense Command) facility at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. Recent cases that have led to arrests include major cross-border drug operations stopped and the discovery of a terror cell in Canada.

The cooperation between Ottawa and Washington stands in stark contrast to the relationship on the southern, almost 2,000-mile border America shares with Mexico. Law enforcement officials working on the American side of the border claim to have seen Mexican police protecting drug or migrant smugglers, this is denied by Mexican police, though they are known for the corrupt nature of their police organization, often extorting American teenagers trying to cross the border.

American officials are able to trust their Canadian counterparts more, it is said, not because of language but because of the nature of the country?s government. Still, there are holes?many Americans see Canada as a haven for Islamic militancy, and this leads to some friction. The borders are still too porous for America?s liking. All in all, however, the fairly healthy relationship between the U.S. and Canada in terms of ?parallel? law enforcement is a good start.