Fire in the lake

Dear True,

Here is the latest Internet fish I caught.

Some interesting and informative links:
Armed Canadian Border Patrol:
http://www.washingt onpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/ article/2006/ 08/31/

War Timeline from Mother Jones:
http://www.motherjo nes.com/bush_ war_timeline/

The Myth of the Omnipresent Enemy
http://www.foreigna ffairs.org/ 20060901facommen t85501/john- mueller/is-
there-still- a-terrorist- threat.html

Article contents:
The world's longest undefended border no longer exists,' says Sarnia
Mayor Mike Bradley.
By CHIP MARTIN, FREE PRESS POLITICS REPORTER

Now that it has armed its boats with machine guns, the U.S. Coast Guard wants to test-fire them on the Great Lakes.
While the Coast Guard prefers to call the 34 test-fire areas "safety zones," a spokesperson concedes they're designed to provide "operational readiness" for national security, defence and maritime law enforcement. He also conceded there's no plan to alert Canadian boaters or harbourmasters to the tests.
One of the test-firing areas is barely 20 kilometres north of Sarnia and the move has so upset Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, he's appealing to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to stop it.
"The world's longest undefended border no longer exists," Bradley said, adding he's "stunned" at the development that follows an agreement to allow arming Coast Guard cutters.
The news comes on the heels of Ottawa's decision to equip border guards with sidearms as security concerns grow. The Canadian and U.S. governments agreed to amend the Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817 that essentially disarmed ships on the Great Lakes after the War of 1812. The U.S. Coast Guard's cutters now are armed with machine guns that can fire up to 600 rounds a minute. Under the agreement, if they venture into Canadian waters they must be accompanied by RCMP
officers and keep their weapons out of sight.
All test-fire areas are on the American side of the lakes, with four in western end of Lake Erie -- one off Cedar Point, Ohio -- and five in the southern portion of Lake Huron -- one not far from Port Sanilac, Mich. None are planned for Lake St. Clair.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Robert Lanier said each area would be used two or three times a year. He said marine radio broadcasts would alert boaters to the testing and harbourmasters on the U.S. side would be notified. Lanier conceded no plan exists to alert Canadian boaters or Canadian harbourmasters.
"We could do that," he said, adding the issue hasn't been raised. He said the U.S. Coast Guard is seeking approval from Washington to proceed with its plan for the test/safety zones for the next boating season. Lanier said Canadian boaters needn't be alarmed.
"It isn't something they should be worried about," he said. "The weapons we are using are low-calibre machine guns" and officers would never likely use their full capacity.
Bradley complained he only recently learned about the plan.
"We treasure the Great Lakes as a safe zone, not as a free-fire zone," he said. "This is simply unacceptable. You can see the potential for tragedy. I find it incomprehensible this would even be considered."
He said he takes no comfort in the fact the zones would be on the American side of the lakes since Canadian and American boaters are constantly in each other's water.
"When did the Harper government know about this and was this part of the deal when they let the Americans re-arm the Great Lakes? That is the key question," he said.
Dick Peever, owner of Maitland Valley Marina in Goderich, said he hadn't heard of the plans, but wasn't overly concerned. "I have faith in the Coast Guard to use common sense," he said, adding the vast majority of boaters don't venture far from Great Lakes shorelines so the plan should not be a serious concern or hazard for them.

HAVE YOUR SAY
If you want to comment on the U.S. Coast Guard's plan to establish test-firing zones on the Great Lakes:
By mail: Send comments to Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District, 1240 E. Ninth St., Room 2069, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., 44199.
For further information: Call the U.S. Coast Guard at Cleveland,
216-902-2608.

Jane Marple,
Old Tabby Grapevine