The Americas Look to Security Concerns

[Rose Siding]

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- Security chiefs from 34 countries in the Americas outlined broad strategies for fighting money laundering, passport fraud and drug smuggling, warning that Islamic terrorists could exploit lawlessness in the region to raise money and slip through borders....

The initiative would bring to almost 400 the number of port officers trained by the anti-terrorism committee, a branch of the Organization of American States that concluded a three-day conference in Trinidad's capital of Port-of-Spain on Friday.
...
"There has been some intelligence that terrorist organizations, including al-Qaida, would utilize routes that are traditionally used by drug smuggling organizations and would use that capability to move people into the United States," said U.S. Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson....

U.S. officials also say tens of millions of dollars in drug trafficking and arms smuggling in the tri-border area connecting Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina are ending up in the hands of Islamic militant groups like the Palestinian Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AMERICAS_FIGHTING_TERRORISM?SITE=TXDAM&TEMPLATE=NATIONALSECURITY.html&SECTION=HOME

[leveymg]

1. Tragic side-effect of this is to cut off northward refugee escape route

I know there is a legitimate, pressing need to address border security, but an accomodation needs to be made for the movement of refugees to their intended destinations.

The US, Canada, Australia and the EU need to reconform with their historical obligations under international asylum law.