You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Home Front: WoT
Ishtiaq Hussain shot & companion captured in high speed chase to US-Canadian border
2006-01-25
Original title was "Stretch of U.S.-Canada border shut down"
BLAINE, Wash. - A high-speed chase that ended in gunfire closed the U.S.-Canadian border crossing near here for hours Tuesday, authorities said. Two men sought in a California homicide were arrested after one of them was shot and wounded...A car carrying two men matching the description was seen about six miles south of the border on Interstate 5. When a sheriff's deputy tried to stop the car, the occupants sped off, reaching speeds of 100 mph...a Customs and Border Protection agent fired his gun, striking one of the men...[The two suspects] were sought in the Saturday shooting death of a 43-year-old man [in Richmond CA].

We can all be sure terrorism was not a factor
The most interesting line to me was
An unspecified number of Canadian border agents, who are unarmed, left their posts during the incident because they were concerned about their safety...Managers took over and security was not compromised

If the Canadian border agents are that concerned about their safety, they should seek different employment. They must not know there's a war on.
Posted by:Crairong Omomotch6492

#17  Amen to Frank G. In a related development,
The Conservative justice critic [MP who served as justice critic in Opposition] says the party will stand behind its promise to give guns to Canada's border guards a day after two murder suspects from California made a run for the border before they were stopped in a shootout...said in an interview Wednesday he was bothered by news that a reported 40 Canadian border guards left their posts as the gunmen approached the border.

"I think it does nothing for our national image. I find it very disturbing that our officers felt compelled to leave because of this threat to their personal safety,"...A vice president for the Customs Excise Union, which represents border guards, was pleased that Toews said the Tories would keep their election promise.

"We will never work in a safe environment," said Steve Pellerin-Fowlie. "What we've been calling for for years is the tools that will provide the maximum amount of safety possible."

The Tories outlined in their platform promises to arm border guards and double staff at 139 locations where officers work alone.

Pellerin-Fowlie said that guards became resigned to the fact that the weren't going to get the protection of firearms under the Liberal government.

We can be thankful the previous Canadian Liberal government just lost the election.
Posted by: Flerert Whese8274   2006-01-25 22:46  

#16  Rafael - IMO your border guards REPRESENT your country. Harming them on entry and exit simply because they're unarmed is a weak answer fronm Canada on how hallow it views its' sovereignty. As usual, they depend on the weapons and efforts on our side. We are criticisizing only because of that lack of seriousness....
Posted by: Frank G   2006-01-25 21:11  

#15  If the Canadian government prohibits the arming of their own border agents, that government and those agents are contributing to lack of border security.

But that's simply not true. In this scenario, guns are a purely defensive weapon (for the guards, not the country). The guards don't stop illegal entry by shooting everyone who attempts it.

These guards should have guns, but for their protection, not the country's.
Posted by: Rafael   2006-01-25 20:53  

#14  I hope they get well trained with MP45s. They should have vests in any case.
Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom   2006-01-25 20:10  

#13  Canadian border guards are unarmed.

The guard union had requested arms for border guards.

The former Liberal goverment had a consultant review the situation and he recommended arming the guards. They then REMOVED that section of the report before they presented it to Parliament!

The new Conservative goverment has said they will arm the guards.

Posted by: john   2006-01-25 19:49  

#12  Oh. Well. Er...there you go reading between the lines again, PD.

;-)
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-01-25 16:51  

#11  #4 - You have missed the entire point of my comment in the original post. (I use many different ways to access Rantburg & don't keep track of my nicks.) There is a war on, whether or not you admit it. If the Canadian government prohibits the arming of their own border agents, that government and those agents are contributing to lack of border security.
Posted by: Whutch Threth6418   2006-01-25 16:29  

#10  So, um, Em - did they have nice buns?
Posted by: .com   2006-01-25 16:19  

#9  I was on Via Rail at the Canadian border on my way to T.O. when the BordersCanada gents came through. They seemed quite professional and well trained. I didn't even notice the lack of weaponry.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-01-25 16:14  

#8  I was on Via Rail at the Canadian border on my way to T.O. when the BordersCanada gents came through. They seemed quite professional and well trained. I didn't even notice the lack of weaponry.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-01-25 16:09  

#7  if i feared for my safety at work then i would carry my own firearm where no one knew i had it.
Posted by: Elmiting Gluger1772   2006-01-25 15:58  

#6  Raphael, their Managers are not armed either. Yet had no problem stepping in to the abandonned posts.

Nuttin ta da wit guns.
Posted by: Whineger Phaviting8058   2006-01-25 15:04  

#5  The Canadian border guards are involved in union bitching. They feel they should be armed, just like their American counterparts. They do not currently carry weapons.

Their "protests" to being unarmed include abandoning their posts anytime something scares them.

Idiots.
Posted by: Whineger Phaviting8058   2006-01-25 15:01  

#4  If the Canadian border agents are that concerned about their safety, they should seek different employment. They must not know there's a war on.

They are UNARMED. Did you expect them to throw themselves in front of the car? Or maybe throw sticks and stones or something?

They must not know there's a war on.

What a ridiculous statement. What does that have to do with anything? These dweebs were criminals pure and simple.
Posted by: Rafael   2006-01-25 15:00  

#3  Alias Smith and Jones.
Posted by: .com   2006-01-25 14:25  

#2  Earlier report said:

"Gagan said police have reason to believe that Hussain may try to flee to Pakistan and Barajas may try to flee to Mexico."

Sounds like a couple a guys just tryin to live the American Dream.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2006-01-25 12:41  

#1  I heard that the accused murderers were driving directly at the Border agents, who then fired at them. The fugitives responded by pulling onto a medium, and were rammed when they reached a south bound lane. The capture was made on the Canadian side.

We have all seen the movies where pursued people step across a border, and the chase promptly ends. I doesn't work that way. Hot pursuit privilege allows some freedom of operation. The last Canadian government would probably have claimed jurisdiction over the accused (AKA: scumbags). But they are history.
Posted by: Flomotch Thaiper2166   2006-01-25 10:10  

00:00