'Smart Border' plan takes shape

Canadian deputy prime minister John Manley and White House homeland security advisor Tom Ridge have hammered out more details for the "Smart Border" initiative between the U.S. and Canada. Ridge said Smart Border is a blueprint for securing the flow of people and goods across the world's longest undefended border. The two finalized a 30-point action plan that lays out efforts to increase border security while also speeding up legitimate travel and trade between the two nations. Included in the plan is an effort to create a new joint program border program, Free and Secure Trade, to efficiently move commercial shipments across the border with a greater degree of security. Other joint efforts involve the creation of a bi-national steering group to reduce the risks to critical border infrastructure and speed the sharing of information and intelligence, including the creation of a total of 14 integrated border enforcement teams over the next 18 months. Joint counter terrorism training exercises are also planned along the border, including a major exercise scheduled for May 2003.