Thought this might be useful for the future employee of the EPSRC
funded project focusing on Resilient Design (RE-DESIGN) for counter-
terrorism. The email below is the latest update about anti-terror
measures in North America.
A short excerpt: "this integrated security regime promises to usher
us fully into the world of CSIS: security for the few and justice for
no one, state control and surveillance, racial profiling, the rule of
suspicion and fear. Specifically, this means biometrics, agreements
on seasonal labour, collaboration on police training, integrated
systems of electronic eavesdropping, shared data-banks of personal
information, closer relations between security and intelligence
forces in the three countries, borders patrolled by drones and
sensors, and, of course, coordinated no fly lists."
This has been dominated by police and security services, as Jon
Coaffee points out. And now planners and urban designers will help
out too. And might these planners and urban designers consider human
rights (and the foreign policy mentioned by Peter North), or is that
not part of the resilient plan and design? I think we've seen enough
terror from "counter-terror".
Begin forwarded message:
From: "RPCIS" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 3 August 2007 15:40:23 BDT
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Aug 16: Denounce CSIS Abuse, Against the SPP
AUGUST 16TH, DENOUNCE CSIS ABUSE AND INCOMPETENCE!
No security without justice and dignity! Against the SPP!
******************
Demo and Action against CSIS and the SPP
Thursday, August 16th, 2007 at noon, sharp!
Dorchester Square (Rene-Levesque and Peel), Peel metro
******************
As a part of the week of action against the Security and Prosperity
Partnership (PSP), the People's Assembly against Security Injustice
(PAASI)
invites you to a demonstration to denounce the Canadian Security
Intelligence Service (CSIS) role in the criminalization, harassment, and
profiling of refugees, immigrants and non-status people.
Before, and increasingly since September 11th 2001, CSIS has
contributed to
creating a climate of suspicion, mistrust, and paranoia directed towards
specific migrant communities. With the support of the Liberal and
Conservative governments and under pressure from the US government,
Canadian
secret services have intervened in the selection of refugees,
immigrants and
visitors, creating incriminating and false files, and coercing
refugees and permanent residents into spying on their own
communities. The
security certificate masquerade - with its secret evidence, confessions
obtained under coercion and torture and media leaks - is a good
illustration of the oppressive and illegal ways in which CSIS works.
CSIS was created in the aftermath of the McDonald Commission that
brought
to light the criminal activities of the RCMP in the 1970's. The fiasco
surrounding the Air India attack in 1984 was the coup de grace for
the RCMP.
Despite all this, the RCMP, along with CSIS, was heavily implicated
by Judge
O'Connor in the deportation and torture of Maher Arar. O'Connor
recommended
a further inquiry into the cases of El-Maati, Nouredine and Al Malki.
In its
short history, CSIS has infiltrated unions and has been involved in
several scandals of its own.
The SPP is an initiative of the American, Canadian and Mexican states,
pushed by corporate interests formalized as the North American
Competitiveness Council. These three states and the corporations
behind them
want to force the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) even
further
towards economic and security integration. In the short term, this
means a
series of sectoral agreements focusing on water, food security,
transportation of
goods, energy, and the environment, with the goal of harmonizing trade
between Canada, the US, and Mexico.
As in all free trade agreements, the circulation of goods and
services is
to be liberalized while immigration, border controls, and labour are
further
restricted. The SPP goes further: it aims to create a "common security
perimeter" around
US, Canada and Mexico.
In the « Homeland Security » era, this integrated security regime
promises
to usher us fully into the world of CSIS: security for the few and
justice
for no one, state control and surveillance, racial profiling, the
rule of
suspicion and fear. Specifically, this means biometrics, agreements on
seasonal labour, collaboration on police training, integrated systems of
electronic eavesdropping, shared data-banks of personal information,
closer
relations between security and intelligence forces in the three
countries,
borders patrolled by drones
and sensors, and, of course, coordinated no fly lists. CSIS's
exaggerated
and racist "threat assessments" have already helped to prepare the
ground
for these developments. And its role, within the framework of a
reinforced
"Fortress North America," could become more important than ever.
The People's Assembly against Security Injustice is made up of
individuals
and groups opposed to the security diversion, to the profiling of
immigrant
communities and to the repression of dissent.
**** We also invite you to participate in the Day of Action against
the SPP
in Montebello, on Monday, August 20th. Details at www.psp-spp.com. ****
INFO : [log in to unmask] ou 521-859-9023.
BACKGROUND:
On the SPP: www.psp-spp.com
On CSIS and its impact: www.peoplescommission.org
ACTION SUPPORTED BY:
No one is illegal, People's Commission on Immigration Security Measures,
Block the Empire Montréal, the Immigrant Workers Centre, Solidarity
across
Borders and Tadamon! Montréal. (Contact us at [log in to unmask] if you
would like to add your name.)
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