No Script

Please Wait...

Al-Ahed Telegram

Canada Slams US Proposal to Station Troops on Border

Canada Slams US Proposal to Station Troops on Border
folder_openUnited States access_time4 years ago
starAdd to favorites

By Staff, Agencies

Canada on Thursday attacked a proposal by the United States to deploy troops along the undefended joint border to help fight the spread of coronavirus, considering the idea as unnecessary and would damage relations.

The uncompromising comments came as a surprise, since Ottawa has enjoyed smooth relations with the administration of US President Donald Trump over the past 18 months. Last week the two nations agreed to close the border to non-essential travel to ease the strain on health systems from the outbreak.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, however, made clear the Liberal Party government had no time for a plan to send hundreds of troops to the border to help boost security.

"Canada is strongly opposed to this US proposal and we have made that opposition very, very clear ... this is an entirely unnecessary step which we would view as damaging to our relationship," Freeland told a news conference.

"The public health situation does not require such action," she said, noting Washington had yet to take a final decision.

A US official said the proposed deployment would help border patrol officers enforce the ban on non-essential travel by providing communications and monitoring capabilities.

The Canada-US border stretches 8,891 km, touches three oceans and is a crossing point for one of the world's largest bilateral trading relationships.

Comments