US BEGINS AIR PATROLS ON ALBERTA BORDER

The "longest undefended border in the world" is becoming anything but.

Jets and helicopters began continuous patrols of the airspace above
the Montana-Alberta border starting on Mon, Oct 16, coinciding with
the opening of the Great Falls Air Branch at the airport in Great
Falls, Montana by the US Customs and Border Protection, part of the
US Department of Homeland Security.

The base is the third of five air patrol centres planned for the
US-Canada border. Detachments are already up and running in
Bellingham, Washington and Plattsburg, New York; bases in Detroit,
Michigan and Grand Forks, North Dakota will open next year.

Up to 52 personnel, including federal law enforcement officers,
pilots and aircrew, will be continuously deployed at the Great Falls
Air Branch. The base also boasts two Blackhawk helicopters, two
inceptor jets and one surveillance aircraft, although unmanned
surveillance drones could be added before the end of this year. The
state's politicians were quick to laud the initiative. "We've worked
hard to bring the Air Wing to Great Falls, working with the federal
government to bring the assets to the airport, bringing these jobs to
this community, and improving our northern border security against
terrorists, immigration and narcotics," enthused Republican Senator
Conrad Burns in a press release. "Today's event is an opportunity for
Great Falls to see how our efforts have paid off."

Critics of the plan accuse the Americans of overstating Canada's
perceived status as a "haven" for terrorists as an excuse to ramp up
patrols along the border simply in the hopes of reducing the massive
amount of Canadian marijuana being smuggled into the US. American
officials reject this charge, insisting that their efforts are
primarily targeted at preventing terrorism, although Republican
Congressman Dennis Rehberg admits that the beefed-up security will
also crack down on "illegal activity" in the area.

"The Great Falls Air Wing is positioned to be an integral part in
securing the northern border," said Congressmen Rehberg in the same
release. "Ensuring Montana's residents and infrastructure are as safe
as they can be from terrorist attack is obviously a top priority of
mine and the Air Wing will help us meet that goal."

The Americans also reject the idea that they are violating the spirit
of having an "undefended" border.

"We are not militarizing the country," insisted Customs and Border
Patrol Air and Marine assistant commissioner Michael Kostelnik. "We
would be concerned with somebody coming through Canada and crossing
the border undetected with a weapon of mass destruction."