08 June 2006
U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Seeks To Boost Security
System will require fraud-resistant documents for travelers, U.S official says
By Lauren Monsen
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- A new system of screening travelers entering the United States significantly would enhance U.S. defenses against terrorism, says Paul Rosenzweig, acting assistant secretary for policy development at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) would require anyone crossing into the United States by land, air or sea first to present secure documentation that shows identity and nationality, Rosenzweig told the House Judiciary Committee's Immigration Subcommittee June 8. The initiative would require U.S. and Canadian citizens to do what citizens of most countries always have had to do when crossing national borders, he said.
By requiring that all individuals carry a passport or other acceptable documents, the WHTI would reduce the potential for identity fraud, he added. "Advanced technology imbedded in these travel documents, with appropriate privacy protections, will allow real-time checks against terrorist and immigration databases."
The need for more rigorous security standards has been underscored by recent arrests of suspected terrorists in Canada, Rosenzweig said. Moreover, "the number and types of documentation currently accepted -- often a driver's license or birth certificate -- are prone to counterfeiting and fraud and are obtainable by terrorists and other dangerous persons who wish to enter our country illegally," he told legislators.
He added that the U.S.-Canadian border traditionally has received less scrutiny than the U.S.-Mexico border.
"We enjoy a very close relationship with our Canadian neighbors, [both] culturally and economically, ... [yet] we are two distinct countries that share similar values but have diverse populations and have historically employed different immigration laws," said Rosenzweig.
Rosenzweig said that the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) -- launched in March 2005 by President Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canada's then-prime minister, Paul Martin -- also has played a key role in cementing a strong security partnership among the three neighboring North American countries. (See related article.)
A collaborative U.S.-Canadian approach to establishing appropriate documentation for border-crossing travelers is imperative because a senior Canadian intelligence official recently estimated that "approximately 20,000 immigrants have come to Canada from the Afghanistan/Pakistan region since 2001," said Rosenzweig.
An influx from such a volatile region could be problematic because "some extremists have demonstrated the ability to blend into a number of the large communities existing in major U.S. and Canadian cities," he said, adding that large cities offer opportunities for terrorists to conduct fund-raising and recruiting activities.
Rosenzweig said "the government of Canada has shown that it is taking strong action to protect itself, which also helps protect our citizens" and added that "the vast majority of persons who immigrate to Canada are law-abiding, simply seeking a better life for themselves and their families."
But "as populations increasingly mix and extremists recruit native-born youth and converts, travel documents become even more critical in identifying terrorists" and establishing their travel patterns, he said.
BALANCING SECURITY REQUIREMENTS WITH TRAVEL AND COMMERCE NEEDS
Notwithstanding their firm commitment to improve security, the United States and its neighbors want to ensure that legitimate travelers and legitimate cross-border commerce will not experience unreasonable delays, Rosenzweig said.
"It is important to bear in mind ... that security and commerce are not exclusive of each other," he said. "In fact, standardized and automated travel documents will enable us to quickly, reliably, and accurately identify a traveler and his or her citizenship without having to review an assortment of documents and pursue a line of questioning to determine who the person is; this will facilitate the entry of travelers."
To assist U.S. citizens, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State "are developing plans to produce an alternative form of the U.S. passport for use at land border crossings" since both agencies "realize that a traditional passport book may not be the most convenient or effective form of documentation for land border use, particularly for frequent crossers," he added.
A proposed travel card for U.S. citizens that would be issued by the Department of Homeland Security, "is envisioned as wallet-sized and convenient to obtain, costing the bearer substantially less than a traditional passport," he explained. "The card will contain security features and will use technology to link the identity and citizenship of the bearer to a U.S. government database in a privacy-protective manner."
Finally, the initiative would be implemented in two phases -- for entries via sea and air by 2007 and for land-border crossings by 2008, he said, adding that the Bush administration plans to “continue to work with Canada and Mexico, and our other Western Hemisphere neighbors, to ensure the successful implementation of this initiative."
The full text (PDF, 10 pages) of Rosenzweig’s prepared remarks is available on the Web site of the House Judiciary Committee.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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