Hello DOUG.

04 Jan 04 18:30, you wrote to me:

 MG>> Immigrant ID-card program under fire

 MG>> The cards were announced in 2002 as part of new security measures in
 MG>> reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

 MG>> "The department of Citizenship and Immigration couldn't organize a
 MG>> peanut stand. Clearly the system is not primed and ready to
go", said
 MG>> Victor Wong, executive director of the Vancouver Association of Chinese
 MG>> Canadians. "You have to ask yourself what kind of security device is
 MG>> this?" Mr. Wong said. "We're concerned from a
human-rights perspective".

 DP> And I'm concerned from a security persepective.  If you have this sort
 DP> of requirement in place, the only one you'll know for sure if it works
 DP> is if you start having to turn people away.  It's working; it's
 DP> inconvenient; and it's the price you pay for being secure.

IMO, it'll only have temporary effectiveness. It's only a matter of time
until the PR cards are faked as well. When you have high levels of
financial support being funneled to terrorist groups, then they can find
high tech solutions to high tech security measures.

End result? The border remains as porous as it was before, we collectively
gain a false sense of security, and our civil liberties are infringed upon.
All that just plays into the hands of the terrorists.

Our resources as a nation would be put to far better use in tracking down
those who pour money into terrorist groups, and cutting off the money flow.
Also, no one ever looks at the root cause of terrorism; which is mainly
driven by economic poverty and desperation. Terrorists prey on these people
because they are easily swayed. Since they have little to live for, they
are often willing to die for a cause.

Make some real efforts to improve life for these people, and you will take
away the largest resource presently available to terrorist groups.

--- GoldED/W32 3.0.1