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Was the SPP
"Signed" or not?
For
that matter, was the agreement to allow US troops on Canadian soil
signed? Does it make any difference?
Referring page: Rome is burning, folks!
What the Canadian government says:
There was no signing;
it's just a dialogue:
Myth:
The SPP
was an agreement signed by Presidents Bush and his Mexican and Canadian
counterparts in Waco, TX, on March 23, 2005.
Fact: The
SPP is a
dialogue to increase security and enhance prosperity among the three
countries. The SPP is not an agreement nor is it a treaty.
In fact,
no agreement was ever signed.
(Full text of SPP agreement at bottom of this page)
What the media said:
Canada joins U.S., Mexico in security,
trade deal
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 | 9:53 PM ET
CBC
News
Prime Minister Paul Martin has signed a
pact with the presidents of the
United States and Mexico to boost co-operation on security, trade and
public-health issues.
The agreement, forged as Martin met with U.S. President George W. Bush
and Mexican President Vicente Fox in Texas on Wednesday morning, will
see the three countries increase their border security, and integrate
their approaches to cargo inspection and maritime and aviation safety.
The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America agreement also
aims to make their markets more competitive with the European Union and
China by: ...
===================
The End of Sovereignty?
Pacific
Free Press
The originating document for the Union, the Security and
Prosperity Partnership was signed in
Texas 2 years ago by Paul Martin,
Bush, and then Mexican President Vincente Fox
Written by Jack Etkin
Saturday, 17 February 2007
Bush, Harper, Calderone will meet in
Alberta to discuss North American Union
by Jack Etkin
[eds. note: Until now, any bringing up the planned NAU are
discounted in the corporate press as "conspiracy theorists." The theory
now seems reality.- lex]
The Victoria Times Colonist reported on Saturday Feb 17 that US
President George Bush will be coming to Canada in June for a summit
meeting on the North American Union.
The originating document for the Union, the Security and Prosperity
Partnership was signed in Texas 2 years
ago by Paul Martin, Bush, and
then Mexican President Vincente Fox... Since then there has been
a great deal of acitivity behind the scenes to move this 'corporate'
agreement ahead.
'CONDI' ARRIVING NEXT WEEK
According to the Times Colonist, "US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and Homeland Security czar Michael Chertoff arrive in Ottawa (next
Friday, Feb 23) to meet their Canadian and Mexican counterparts to
discuss the accord, in the lead-up to a summit of the heads of state in
Alberta this June."
No one knows exactly what the North American Union is or will be, but
we do know that it is corporate inspired and corporate controlled.
The goals are believed to include a common border around Canada, the US
and Mexico, with a common currency, and total domination by corporate
interests.
The North American Union story is largely unreported and unknown in
Canada, although there is growing opposition in the US and Mexico.
==========================
Closer trade ties will help sovereignty:
Martin
The deal Martin, U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President
Vicente Fox signed, also provides for
sweeping coordination with the
U.S. and Mexico on trade and public health issues.
Updated Thu. Mar. 24 2005 9:02 AM ET
CTV.ca
News Staff
Strengthening economic and security ties with the U.S. and Mexico will
also strengthen Canadian sovereignty, Prime Minister Paul Martin says.
"If you're competitive, if your standard of living is rising, then in
fact what you're doing is strengthening your sovereignty," he told
reporters Wednesday in Waco, Tex. after his summit with presidents of
the United States and Mexico.
The deal Martin, U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President
Vicente Fox signed, also provides for
sweeping coordination with the
U.S. and Mexico on trade and public health issues.
The leaders held a 90-minute meeting at Baylor University in Waco as
part of the trilateral summit. They then retired to Bush's ranch near
Crawford for the afternoon.
In a joint news conference after the Baylor meeting, Bush said the
three countries will work together to improve on the prosperity and
security of North America.
"It's important the two go hand in hand," he said. "We've done a lot of
trade with each other. And we're going to keep it that way."
The prime minister called the agreement a "road map" focused on
"finding practical ways to help our citizenship live healthier, safer
and more prosperous lives."
Fox said the three countries face "new threats that carry a risk for
our societies, but we also want to work toward the good performance of
our economies."
"We want to make North America the most competitive region in the
world, and we can do it with actions in the fields of energy,
education, technology, security and through protecting our natural
resources," Fox said in Spanish.
Robert Fife, CTV's Ottawa bureau chief, said part of the logic driving
the move is the ascension of China and India as economic powerhouses
and the creation of the European Union, which has made that continent a
giant free trade zone.
"If we want to maintain our high standard of living, then we have to
form a competitive economic bloc," he said.
Fife discounted any threat to Canadian sovereignty, noting Britain and
France had polar-opposite views on the Iraq war even though they are
both EU members.
Sensitive issues
Martin and Bush pushed aside questions from reporters about the
relationship between their countries, which soured last month when
Canada opted out of the U.S. ballistic missile defence program.
Martin said Canada won't re-consider its decision to pull out of the
program, adding that the two countries have had their share of
differences in the past but that the relationship remains strong.
Bush dismissed any differences that exist as natural. "I'm amazed we
don't have more sharp, whatever you called it, differences," he said.
The president said he knows firsthand that softwood lumber is clearly a
sensitive issue.
"But think about all the trade we've got between our countries. We've
resolved a lot of issues in a positive manner and will continue to
resolve them," he said.
Martin talked about the need to get rid of "nuisance regulations" that
would make sure North America stays competitive with rising economies
such as Asia.
"What we really want to do is to make very, very substantial progress,
and to make sure that we continue to do it so that the forces of
protectionism never take over in North America," Martin said.
Bush appears to be ooking beyond just North American integration, and
is setting his sights further to South America.
"What we're really talking about here is not a big bang. We're talking
about big progress," the prime minister said.
"What kind of union might there be?" Bush said rhetorically in response
to a question. "I see one based on free trade. It entails a commitment
to markets and democracy, transparency and rule of law."
But later, Martin denied 'union' meant handing powers to Washington.
"All three sovereign countries, and we were very clear about this, are
very jealous of their sovereignty. But we also recognize sovereignty is
stronger if North America is competitive."
A joint statement issued by the leaders outlines the establishment of
the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America -- a
"trilateral effort to increase the security, prosperity, and quality of
life of our citizens."
As part of their efforts to improve security, the countries promise to:
* implement common border security strategies,
* including a continent-wide screening process of
people and cargo;
* enhance protection of infrastructure;
* co-ordinate emergency response efforts in case of
a natural or terrorist disaster at the borders; and
* improve aviation and maritime security.
To improve trade, the leaders said they will:
* improve productivity through regulatory
cooperation;
* promote collaboration in areas of energy,
transportation, financial service and technology;
* reduce the costs of trade through the efficient
movement of goods and people; and
* enhance the "stewardship of environment" and
create a safer and more reliable food supply.
The three leaders gave their officials 90 days to draw up a plan to
bring this vision to life.
With reports from CTV's Tom Clark and Robert Fife, plus files from the
Canadian Press
Deadline looms on continental defence project.
Friday, November
12 2004 @ 02:50 PM MST
Sovereignty Watch
Contributed by: notacolony.ca
http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20041112145038281
In case you missed this buried "Deep Integration" news item on page
A4 of the Globe and Mail, Nov. 10, 2004: Deadline looms on
continental defence project.
Crucial to preserving Canadian sovereignty is maintaining an
independent armed forces.
The Americans want us to fold our military into theirs but Ottawa knows
that Canadians want no part of it.
That's why the Liberals might try this "about a year from now when
people cool down..." because "command under one commander may create
perceptions of sovereignty issues".
Unbelievably, Ottawa is willing to pursue this in spite of "difficult
questions about the legal liability of Canadian soldiers answering to a
U.S. commander and American soldiers operating on Canadian soil."
You read that right: "American soldiers operating on Canadian soil."
That means that should there be a major terrorist attack that can
somehow be tied to Canada, the Americans will have the legal right to
occupy our country.
Here it is:
Deadline looms on continental defence project
Martin government faces dilemma over proposal to join forces with U.S.
military
By JEFF SALLOT, Nov 10, 2004
OTTAWA -- The minority Liberal government will have to decide by year's
end whether to renew the mandate of a joint Canada-U.S. military
planning group, which has been working on an ambitious project that
could bring the armies and navies of both countries under a single
command for North American defence...
This is an awkward deadline for Prime Minister Paul Martin as he tries
to forge a new political relationship with President George W. Bush
while coping with a Parliament and a Liberal caucus that are divided on
questions of military co-operation with the U.S. administration.
"The military wants to get this deal done under the radar," said
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, chairman of the Senate national security
committee and a strong supporter of closer continental defence
co-operation between Canada and the United States.
Mr. Kenny said anti-Bush sentiment on Parliament Hill is high at the
moment. But he senses that a new continental defence agreement could be
reached "about a year from now when people cool down and get a better
perspective of the relationship. Right now [after Mr. Bush's
re-election] people want to personalize it a lot."
But first the Martin cabinet has to extend the mandate of the
binational planning group.
It was set up two years ago by the Bush administration and the
government of former prime minister Jean Chrétien in response to
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Bush administration, fresh from an electoral victory, is ready to
renew the mandate, U.S. officials say.
The project envisions a new treaty on continental defence and security
by the end of next year, and broadening the binational command
structure that now deals with defence of North American airspace to
include land and sea forces.
The group's interim report, dated Oct. 13, calls for Ottawa and
Washington to make "bold and meaningful strides toward streamlining
continental defence and security policy" by expanding the joint North
American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) to include army and navy
units.
The planning group, consisting of about 30 officers from each country,
is located at a U.S. Air Force base in Colorado near NORAD headquarters.
The planners say further integration will make it easier to plug gaps
in coastal defence, detect terrorists before they strike, and deal with
the aftermath of a disastrous chemical, biological, radiological or
nuclear attack.
The officers also know that integration is a touchy political issue,
especially in Canada.
"Command under one commander may create perceptions of sovereignty
issues," the interim report says.
Yet if the political hurdles can be cleared, the report says, "an
expanded, multidomain North American Defence Command could be
established before the end of 2005."
Military leaders in Canada and the United States have been down this
road before.
They completed work on a new "combined defence plan" for North America
before the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.
The draft plan went unsigned, however, as the military established in
both countries shifted gears and began thinking about the implications
of attacks by small, hard-to-detect terrorist cells armed with weapons
of mass destruction.
The Chrétien government showed little enthusiasm for reviving
the draft agreement after U.S. forces invaded Iraq last year without UN
approval.
Canadian officers say the binational command structure they envision
will deal strictly with the defence and security of North America and
will not require Ottawa to support U.S. military action in the Middle
East or anywhere else in the world.
Some critics, however, say closer military integration could skew
Canadian defence priorities.
Michael Byers, who holds the Canada research chair in international
politics and law at the University of British Columbia, notes that
Ottawa bought used British submarines so the Canadian navy could
conduct joint open-water exercises with the United States when it might
have been a better investment to acquire subs that could operate in the
frozen Canadian Arctic.
The planning group's interim report, Dr. Byers said, also glosses over
difficult questions about the legal liability of Canadian soldiers
answering to a U.S. commander and American soldiers operating on
Canadian soil.
© 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved
===================
What the US Government Said:
YYC: Surely all three at least signed the "joint statement" (below). Note:
this had been in the works for a "decade" prior to March 2005,
and intensified after 2001.
North American Leaders Unveil Security
and
Prosperity Partnership
Bush, Fox, Martin outline trilateral efforts during March 23 meeting
US
government info website
President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Mexican
President Vicente Fox announced the establishment of the "Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America" in a March 23 joint
statement.
Convening that same day in Waco, Texas, for a trilateral meeting, the
North American leaders said the security and prosperity of their
nations are "mutually dependent and complementary" and explained the
impetus for the new initiative.
"In a rapidly changing world, we must develop new avenues of
cooperation that will make our open societies safer and more secure,
our businesses more competitive, and our economies more resilient,"
they said in their statement.
The leaders indicated that the North American partnership will work to
achieve these ends and "is committed to reach the highest results to
advance the security and well-being of our people."
As part of their efforts to protect North America from external
threats, to prevent and respond to threats within North America, and to
streamline legitimate cross-border trade and travel, the three
countries will implement common border-security strategies, enhance
infrastructure protection, implement a common approach to emergency
response, implement improvements to aviation and maritime security,
enhance intelligence partnerships, combat transnational threats, and
implement a border-facilitation strategy.
To improve North American competitiveness and enhance the quality of
life in the region, the partnership participants will pursue regulatory
cooperation while maintaining high health and safety standards.
The North American nations will also promote sectoral cooperation in
energy, transportation, financial services, technology and other
areas. Other initiatives include reducing the costs of trade and
enhancing environmental stewardship.
To pursue the partnership mandate, ministerial-level working groups
will be established to set specific, measurable, achievable goals and
identify concrete steps toward these goals. Within 90 days, the
ministers will issue initial reports. Thereafter, the groups will
report semi-annually, the three leaders said in their statement.
Following is the text of the joint statement, as released by the White
House:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Crawford, Texas)
March 23, 2005
Joint Statement by President Bush, President Fox,
and Prime Minister
Martin Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America
We, the elected leaders of Canada, Mexico, and the United States,
gather in Texas to announce the establishment of the Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America.
Over the past decade, our three nations have taken important steps to
expand economic opportunity for our people and to create the most
vibrant and dynamic trade relationship in the world. Since
September 11, 2001, we have also taken significant new steps to address
the threat of terrorism and to enhance the security of our people.
But more needs to be done. In a rapidly changing world, we must
develop new avenues of cooperation that will make our open societies
safer and more secure, our businesses more competitive, and our
economies more resilient.
Our Partnership will accomplish these objectives through a trilateral
effort to increase the security, prosperity, and quality of life of our
citizens. This work will be based on the principle that our
security and prosperity are mutually dependent and complementary, and
will reflect our shared belief in freedom, economic opportunity, and
strong democratic values and institutions. Also, it will help
consolidate our action into a North American framework to confront
security and economic challenges, and promote the full potential of our
people, addressing disparities and increasing opportunities for all.
Mexican President Vincente Fox, left, President
Bush, center, and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, right, greet
each other.
Mexican President Viicente Fox, left, President Bush and Canadian Prime
Minister Paul Martin greet each other after a news conference in Waco,
Texas, on March 23. (AP/WWP)
Our Partnership is committed to reach the highest results to advance
the security and well-being of our people. The Partnership is
trilateral in concept; while allowing any two countries to move forward
on an issue, it will create a path for the third to join later.
Advancing our Common Security
We will establish a common approach to security to protect North
America from external threats, prevent and respond to threats within
North America, and further streamline the secure and efficient movement
of legitimate, low-risk traffic across our shared borders. As
part of our efforts, we will:
-- Implement common border-security and bio-protection strategies;
-- Enhance critical infrastructure protection, and implement a common
approach to emergency response;
-- Implement improvements in aviation and maritime security, combat
transnational threats, and enhance intelligence partnerships; and
-- Implement a border-facilitation strategy to build capacity and
improve the legitimate flow of people and cargo at our shared borders.
Advancing our Common Prosperity
We will work to enhance North American competitiveness and improve the
quality of life of our people. Among other things, we will:
-- Improve productivity through regulatory cooperation to generate
growth, while maintaining high standards for health and safety;
-- Promote sectoral collaboration in energy, transportation, financial
services, technology, and other areas to facilitate business; and
invest in our people;
-- Reduce the costs of trade through the efficient movement of goods
and people; and
-- Enhance the stewardship of our environment, create a safer and more
reliable food supply while facilitating agricultural trade, and protect
our people from disease.
Next Steps
We will establish Ministerial-led working groups that will consult with
stakeholders in our respective countries. These working groups will
respond to the priorities of our people and our businesses, and will
set specific, measurable, and achievable goals. They will
identify concrete steps that our governments can take to meet these
goals, and set implementation dates that will permit a rolling harvest
of accomplishments.
Within 90 days, Ministers will report back to us with their initial
report. Following this, the groups will report on a semi-annual
basis. Because the Partnership will be an ongoing process of
cooperation, new items will be added to the work agenda by mutual
agreement as circumstances warrant.
Through this Partnership, we will ensure that North America remains the
most economically dynamic region of the world and a secure home for our
people in this and future generations.
Created: 23 Mar 2005 Updated: 23 Mar 2005
yayacanada
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