U.S. officials have not made public statements regarding the potential policy change but both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged they were aware of the source’s claims..“This is an entirely unnecessary step, which we would view as damaging to our relationship,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday..“Canada is strongly opposed to this U.S. proposal and we’ve made that opposition very, very clear to our American counterparts. At the end of the day, every country (makes) its own decisions but ours is an important and valued partnership and we are making clear Canada’s position.”.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged he had been in conversations about the potential militarization of the border..“Canada and the U.S. have the longest unmilitarized border in the world and it is very much in both our interests for it to remain that way,” Trudeau said during his morning press briefing..Global News reported sources said the goal of posting military around 30 km from the border, at irregular intervals not in line with official entry points, would be to stop irregular border crossers from coming into Canada..The policy would not allow the military to arrest or detain anyone, sources told Global, but would act instead as additional eyes and ears to monitor the area near the shared border. Military officials would contact border services officials to intercept would-be border crossers..Canada and U.S. officials agreed to temporarily halt non-essential traffic between the two countries on March 18. The border is to remain open for delivery of essentials, however..According to reports,the U.S. is also considering placing military along the southern border shared with Mexico..Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean is a Senior Reporter with Western Standard.dmaclean@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter @Mitchell_AB
U.S. officials have not made public statements regarding the potential policy change but both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged they were aware of the source’s claims..“This is an entirely unnecessary step, which we would view as damaging to our relationship,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday..“Canada is strongly opposed to this U.S. proposal and we’ve made that opposition very, very clear to our American counterparts. At the end of the day, every country (makes) its own decisions but ours is an important and valued partnership and we are making clear Canada’s position.”.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged he had been in conversations about the potential militarization of the border..“Canada and the U.S. have the longest unmilitarized border in the world and it is very much in both our interests for it to remain that way,” Trudeau said during his morning press briefing..Global News reported sources said the goal of posting military around 30 km from the border, at irregular intervals not in line with official entry points, would be to stop irregular border crossers from coming into Canada..The policy would not allow the military to arrest or detain anyone, sources told Global, but would act instead as additional eyes and ears to monitor the area near the shared border. Military officials would contact border services officials to intercept would-be border crossers..Canada and U.S. officials agreed to temporarily halt non-essential traffic between the two countries on March 18. The border is to remain open for delivery of essentials, however..According to reports,the U.S. is also considering placing military along the southern border shared with Mexico..Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean is a Senior Reporter with Western Standard.dmaclean@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter @Mitchell_AB
