CANADA, U.S. BOLSTER BORDER SECURITY

Canada and the United States are expanding a special cross-border
crime-fighting force by five teams -- but none of the new units will be
located in Alberta.

Indeed, none of a total of 10 Integrated Border Enforcement Teams created
since last December are based in this province, and Solicitor General
Lawrence MacAulay can't say when, or even if, a team will be based here in
the near future.

"There will be four more announced, but it's up to security and police on
both sides of the border to decide the best place to establish these
IBETs," MacAulay said.

MacAulay added the lack of a team in Alberta doesn't mean the province will
become a conduit for cross-border crime or terrorism.

He had a blunt warning for all would-be border criminals: "We are coming
after them, and we are going to make sure the border doesn't facilitate
these types of activities."

Ottawa has budgeted $135 million over five years to create a total of 14
security teams.

The units comprise members from several law enforcement agencies, including
the RCMP, Canada Customs and Revenue and the U.S. Border Patrol.

Of the five new units, four will be located in Quebec and one in Ontario.

The teams greatly enhance both countries' ability to stop terrorism, drug
trafficking, and other cross-border crimes, MacAulay said.

"What we have done, and what we continue to do, is to make sure the border
is as secure as possible," MacAulay said, speaking at the Canada-U.S. Cross
Border Crime Forum in Banff.

"IBETs are truly the future of cross-border law enforcement co-operation
and I look forward to announcing more in the months to come."

Teams are currently located only in Ontario, British Columbia, New
Brunswick and Quebec.

Monday's meeting in Banff was the first official forum on border crime
since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

In a speech, Ashcroft praised Canada for its help in the war on terrorism.

Ashcroft also expressed his condolences over the deaths of four Canadian
soldiers killed recently in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan. The
four soldiers died after a U.S. fighter pilot mistakenly dropped a bomb on
them during a live-fire exercise.

"Let me again express our sorrow over the loss of Canadian lives in this
tragic accident," Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft praised the security expansion as a major step in the fight
against both terrorism and cross-border crime.

However, he also said Canada and the United States still have much work to
do to improve overall border security.

One of Ashcroft's key concerns is Canadian law that forces American law
officials to take "special precautions" with their weapons "if they find
their duty carries them to the other side of the border."

Ashcroft said a "seamless border" is needed to allow armed American law
officials to easily enter Canada to apprehend suspects.

Another concern, Ashcroft said, is improving lines of communication between
Canadian and American law agents.

For example, he said "radio frequencies reserved for law enforcement in one
country are reserved for commercial purposes in the other. We need to solve
this problem, so our law enforcement officials can talk to each other.

"We are making great progress, but there is work to be done," Ashcroft added.

"I urge us all to work toward a prompt resolution (of these problems) in
the interest of our own security."

MacAulay said security teams in Ontario and B.C. have been responsible for
several major arrests and drugs busts since their creation.

He said Canada will continue to integrate its border security with the U.S.
but warned that "it takes time to work (border issues) out.

"There's a lot to be done," he said.