Government Security News

International training essential to
global stability and security
Continued from page 26
close striking distance. And if
viable threats do exist, nations
with autonomous capability can
contain them without U.S. assistance
in most cases. Finally,
in the extreme cases where a local
or regional threat is not easily
contained with indigenous forces,
threatened partner nations
can function inter-operably with
U.S. and/or other friendly foreign
forces to most effectively neutralize
menaces to stability.
We are currently seeing a
shift to more U.S. defense contractors
performing and/or providing
support to security assistance
missions utilizing an
extremely capable cohort of
largely former military personnel.
This U.S. veteran workforce
combined with highly motivated
private sector individuals is ensuring
critical missions continue
to successfully train and better
prepare foreign military partners
for self-defense and/or coalition
participation.
The U.S. will always play an
important role in international
stability and the future will rely
more and more on the strength
and capability of our partners.
Increasing the capability of our
partners through security assistance
training is the most effective
solution to mitigate the U.S. military
drawdown
while preserving
regional and
global security.
We simply can’t
afford not to!
Scott Seavers, former USAF Colonel
and Air Force Security Assistance
Training Commander, is a
Vice President at Salient Federal
Solutions in Fairfax, Virginia.
U.S./Canada sign preclearance
agreement
Continued from page 5
by which CBP Officers stationed
abroad screen and make admissibility
decisions about passengers
and their accompanying goods
or baggage heading to the United
States before they leave a foreign
port. CBP officers do, however,
42
retain the authority to inspect
passengers and their accompanying
goods or baggage after
arriving in the United States.
CBP officers currently conduct
preclearance operations at eight
Canadian airports: Calgary, Edmonton,
Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa,
Toronto, Vancouver and
Winnipeg.
This agreement achieves a
key component of the Beyond
the Border: A Shared Vision for
Perimeter Security and Economic
Competitiveness Action
Plan. On February 4, 2011, President
Obama and Prime Minister
Harper released the Beyond the
Border Declaration, articulating a
shared vision in which our countries
work together to address
threats at the earliest point possible
while facilitating the legitimate
movement of people, goods
and services across our shared
border. The Action Plan outlines
the specific steps our countries
intend to take to achieve the security
and economic competitiveness
goals outlined in the Beyond
the Border Declaration.
For more information, visit
www.dhs.gov.