Canada after 9/11: the economic security of anti-terrorism and border security

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2008
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Abstract
After the al Qaeda attacks against New York City and Washington, D.C., the Canadian Government introduced a variety of security initiatives and strengthened existing arrangements with the ostensible aim of protecting Canadians from terrorism. Although 24 Canadians were killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11, Canada did not suffer a terrorist attack, nor was Canada used as a staging ground for the attacks. Nevertheless, Ottawa's response would lead many observers to believe that Canada had been attacked on 9/11. Successive Canadian governments have devoted considerable resources to fighting terrorism internally and at its borders. Beginning with introduction of Bill C-36 in December 2001, followed by immigration reform, the creation of the Public Safety Department, and increased intelligence capabilities, Canada imitated Washington's domestic response to the 9/11 attacks. Canada worked and continues to work extensively with the United States on security issues along their shared border. Both countries agreed to the Smart Borders Agreement (SBA), the Container Security Initiative (CSI), and the Security Prosperity Partnership (SPP). This thesis will argue that while protecting Canadians from danger is the primary responsibility of the government, Canada's security initiatives after 9/11 have been the result of powerful economic relations more than primarily protection from terrorism. America's economic preponderance, Canada's dependence on American markets, and Washington's security policies mean that Canada faced an implicit yet powerful ultimatum after 9/11: improve security and counterterrorism or face economic consequences.
Description
Bibliography: p. 129-144
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Citation
Kent, J. (2008). Canada after 9/11: the economic security of anti-terrorism and border security (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/2015
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