International terrorist attacks in North America are relatively rare. In 1999
the United States and Canada cooperated in investigating a noteworthy incident
involving the smuggling of explosives from Canada into Washington State.
Canada
In mid-December, U.S. authorities arrested Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian national,
as he entered the United States from Canada at Port Angeles, Washington. The
vehicle he was driving was carrying explosives and detonating devices. The Government
of Canada cooperated closely in the follow-up investigation into Ressam's activities
and associates in Canada. Some Algerians arrested in connection with this case
apparently are "Afghan alumni," who trained with the mujahidin
in Afghanistan and are linked to Usama Bin Ladin. Canada has a longstanding
cooperative relationship with the United States on counterterrorist matters,
and the two countries meet regularly to discuss ways to enhance this cooperation
and improve border security.
While a potentially serious incident was avoided with Ressam's arrest, at yearend
both Canada and the United States remained concerned about the possibility of
a heightened threat of terrorism in North America, and the two countries were
exploring new mechanisms for exchanging information on individuals with links
to terrorism.
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