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Great White North
Canadian Conservatives Vow to Give Border Guards Arms
2006-01-26
Edited for brevity.
Steve Janke at Angry in the Great White North reports that the Canadian studies of border issues were routinely vetted by Liberal officials and all recommendations for arming the border guards were removed.
A prominent member of Canada's incoming Conservative government said Wednesday the party will stand behind its promise to arm border guards, a day after guards fled their posts because two murder suspects were heading for the border from California. Vic Toews, who will soon be a part of the government after serving as Canada's justice critic in opposition, said he did not relish the sight of Canadian border guards leaving their posts as gunmen approached. "It's simply a practical matter of how soon these officers can be trained and the firearms issued to them," he told The Canadian Press. "That's our commitment and I trust our minister will do exactly that."

Toews suggested Canada should be embarrassed by the incident. "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," he said. "I understand their concerns very well and don't fault them. What surprises me is that the former government refused to properly equip our officers."

The Canadian side of the U.S.-Canada border is monitored by the 4,500-member Canada Border Services Agency, supplemented in some posts by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local police departments. Border guards are supposed to allow anyone suspected of being armed and dangerous into Canada and then call police.

A vice president of the union that represents border guards said he was pleased by Toews' statements.
Posted by:Dar

#1  Don't blame the CBSA, they'll at least live to fight another day. I'd be a hoof'n it TOO! Violates the cardinal rule of the Yukon, "never take a torch to a gunfight."
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-01-26 16:54  

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