Officials Calling for Increased Security at the U.S.-Canadian Border

MEDIA COMMUNICATIONSDivision of University Relations403 Olds HallMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48824-1047

MEDIA CONTACT:J T. Forbes, University Relations, (517) 353-7958

12/3/01

EAST LANSING, Mich.-- News that U.S. officials in Detroit today are calling for helicopter patrols and increased military presence at the U.S.-Canadian border has drawn attention to the need to balance issues of safety and financial security. Last week, a group of 21 political, business and higher education officials recommended to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and U.S. President George W. Bush a joint, integrated approach that balances trade and security concerns, including not only increased patrols in the short run, but the creation of a "smart border approach" as an interim solution and the establishment of a "zone of confidence" in the longer term.

Michigan State University President Peter McPherson, who is former deputy secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department and former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, co-chairs the group with Thomas d'Aquino, chief executive of Canada's Business Council on National Issues.

For a copy of the letter, additional information or an interview, contact J T. Forbes at Michigan State University, (517) 353-7958, or link to http://www.ur.msu.edu/media/releases/nov01/border.html

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