I don't know why this surprises me. The Government doesn't show respect to our OWN damned, pourous borders, so why would they respect Canada's sovereignty? Looky here (source: Vancouver Sun): The U.S. Attorney prosecuting three Canadians in the cross-border drug tunnel case will ask a Seattle judge next week to seize the B.C. property on which the tunnel was constructed. A court order would mean the little piece of Canada on Zero Avenue would be surrendered to the U.S. government if property owner Francis Devandra Raj is convicted on trafficking charges, regardless of whether individuals or banks in Canada have an outstanding claim on the Langley land. So, now we're going to hoist Old Glory on Canadian land? I think we need to file this one in the "bad idea" department. Read on... The tunnel case is just one of several recent cross-border investigations that have some legal experts concerned about what they see as growing encroachment of U.S. law enforcement agencies into Canada and the erosion of Canadian sovereignty. What's going on here? It almost sounds to me as if our Government is attempting the "assumptive close" on making Canada an official province of the U.S., subject to the whims of this Government. Last March, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association wrote to the RCMP Public Complaints' Commission about in incident in which an off-duty Vancouver police officer was stopped in the Fraser Valley by Texas state troopers working with the RCMP to detect motorists under the influence of marijuana. The Vancouver constable, David Laing, also complained to the commission about the involvement of foreign police agents and received a settlement from the RCMP. "The Texas Rangers example is one of the most brazen examples of Canadian authorities acquiescing to U.S. control on Canadian soil," Jason Gratl, president of the civil liberties association, said Friday. "It is not just about this guy's rights. It is really about our territorial integrity . . . . It is absolutely outrageous that a foreign law enforcement official would be on the front lines of policing in British Columbia." It is bad enough that we Americans fear, and look over our shoulders for "Big Brother". We do NOT need our Canadian brothers and sisters fearing the same "Big Brother"; absolutely ZERO good can come as a result of it. Sure, both our Government, and the Canadian Government officially enjoy a tight relationship with each other, but you DO NOT want the average citizen of Canada resenting Government intrusion... BY UNCLE SAM. Look: Ian Hillman, spokesman for the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, won't give the exact number of law enforcement agents from his country operating here, but notes that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Department of Homeland Security are all represented. See? American spooks are running around on Canadian soil. Until now, I had no idea. Did you? "[U.S. agencies] are instigating and inspiring and consulting on, and sometimes directing, the course of criminal investigations in Canada. That clearly constitutes an infringement on Canadian sovereignty. It is an infringement that is officially encouraged by the police and tacitly encouraged, I think. by the government." Okay, I'm sure this will all work out in the end, but that is not the point. I'm simply pointing out the tendency of our Government to pretty much just do what it wants, when it wants, WHERE it wants, end of story. With every passing year, I am seeing more and more similarities between the United States and the Roman Empire, and we all know the end of that story. While I'm not pulling a "Chicken Little" here, I am rather concerned that we would spend our time, resources, and money on surveillance on Canadian citizens rather than just PLUG OUR BORDERS. This would be the ultimate demonstration of respect of both our sovereignty, and Canada's. Of course, you know I would like to see the same thing happen on our Southern border with Mexico. Sgt. John Ward, of the RCMP's B.C. regional headquarters, said there is no erosion of sovereignty by American police agencies operating in B.C. "Law enforcement officers conducting operations doesn't happen. It doesn't happen. For example, the Texas guys, whenever visiting law enforcement officers are in Canada they are under the direct supervision of Canadian police officers. It is done with some very stringent parameters . . . they can't carry weapons, they can't interrogate suspects. They are very much here as observers or liaison. They have no police powers whatsoever." Uh-huh, yeah, right, sure; WHATEVER. If that were the case, I'd see no reason why more and more Canadian citizens would be growing so alarmed at the long arm of Uncle Sam reaching across their border. I have this funny little feeling we have not heard the last of this one.