Despite all the post 9/11 furore and the millions spent on gear, the Great Lakes
have been the Achilles heel of Canada-U.S. border security for the intervening
decade.  U.S. Coast Guard authorities were so concerned at one point that they
moved to equip their Great Lakes vessels with 50-calibre machine guns until they
were told to stand down. 

Now a report commissioned by Defence
Research and Development Canada has documented what it considers a growing
security threat from small boat traffic in high-intensity border regions on the
Great Lakes.  The study warns that public safety and cross-border trade are both
at risk.  Police, military, port and other government authorities all told the
report's authors that millions were wasted on the initial knee-jerk response to
a perceived, heightened security threat post 9/11.  

See more at www.beaumontcomm.blogspot.com

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