North American defense and security after 9/11

Joint Force Quarterly, Jan, 2006 by Joseph R. Inge, Eric A. Findley

Canada and the United States fought as partners in World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Operation Desert Storm, the Balkans, and most recently in Afghanistan. Our mutual participation in these conflicts and membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) focused on joint and combined operations in overseas theaters. We have been allies in diplomacy and in the defense of North America, planning and acting within the intent of the Ogdensburg Announcement (1940), the North Atlantic Treaty (1948), and the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Agreement (1958). Our nations have a long history of cooperation that has resulted in the prosperity, safety, and freedom of our peoples.

In the 10 years after the Persian Gulf War, there were numerous terrorist attacks against the United States, to include the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993; a car bomb in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1995; a truck bombing in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in 1996; two U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998; and the bombing of the USS Cole near Yemen in 2000. Subsequently, force protection was enhanced in all overseas locations, and law enforcement officials investigated each of these incidents.

Throughout the 1990s and into the next century, the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND), like the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), focused on external strategic threats to the country. During this same period, the post-Cold War peace dividend saw military budget and personnel cuts, base closures, and a military focused on the away game in the Balkans and other distant theaters.

The New Threat Environment

The synchronized terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, made it clear that the Atlantic and Pacific oceans no longer insulated our people from foreign aggression. Although the Canadian homeland was not directly attacked, the terrorists had temporarily achieved one of their goals: to damage the North American economies by targeting the United States.

Canada and the United States have the largest trade relationship of any two countries, with $1.8 billion in trade per day in Canadian dollars. Some 85 percent of Canadian exports go to the United States and 25 percent of U.S. exports go to Canada. Additionally, 39 states consider Canada their top export destination. Hence, the economic impact of the 9/11 attacks was felt by both nations at the local, state and provincial, and national levels. For instance, increased border security resulted in a 30-mile line of trucks at the border immediately after the attacks, depleting inventories that relied on just-in-time supplies. Although the impact on both economies was temporary, it became clear that an attack on one nation affects the safety, security, economy, and well-being of the other.

Both governments recognized that by working together to strengthen their partnership, they could meet the challenges of this new threat environment. Homeland defense and homeland security became top priorities for our nations as articulated in Securing an Open Society: Canada's National Security Policy and The National Security Strategy of the United States of America. (1)

Recognizing that we must fight the away and home games simultaneously, President George W. Bush launched the war on terror with Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001. Canada began Operation Apollo in Afghanistan, contributing significant land, sea, and air forces totaling 2,300 men and women. As part of the United Nations International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Canada has been the lead nation in the Kabul Multinational Brigade, providing both the commander and deputy commander from 2003 through 2004. The home game has also changed. Prime Minister Paul Martin emphasized in the National Security Policy that

the September 11 attacks demonstrated the profound effect an event in the United States could have on Canadians and the need to work together to address threats.... Canada is committed to strengthening North American security as an important means of enhancing Canadian security.

Similarly, President Bush described the Canada-U.S. relationship as vital during the Summit of the Americas on January 13, 2004, emphasizing that "we share the same values: freedom and human dignity and treating people decently." He elaborated in the National Security Strategy that "there is little of lasting consequence that the United States can accomplish in the world without the sustained cooperation of its allies and friends in Canada." Hence, both leaders have articulated their visions of a safe and secure environment for our peoples. In addition, meeting in Ottawa, Prime Minister Martin and President Bush issued the following joint statement:

Canada and the United States will work to ensure the coherence and effectiveness of our North American security arrangements by:

* improving the coordination of intelligence-sharing, cross-border law enforcement, and counterterrorism

* taking further steps to secure the Canada-U.S. border while improving the flow of legitimate traffic, through investments in border infrastructure and a land pre-clearance initiative