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Important Research Material! Judicial Watch just released records obtained under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from the International Trade
Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce concerning the
“Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.” Links to each document are included at the bottom of this press release.
(Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch,
the public interest organization that promotes transparency,
accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law, today
released records obtained under the provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) from the International Trade Administration of
the U.S. Department of Commerce concerning the “Security and Prosperity
Partnership of North America.”
{sidebar id=1}On March 23, 2005, heads of government Vincente Fox,
George W. Bush, and Paul Martin launched the North American partnership
at a meeting in Waco, Texas, with the expressed goal of “a safer, more
prosperous North America.” According to the documents, the
partnership’s “working groups” include government and business leaders
from the United States, Mexico and Canada, who are addressing a variety
of topics, including movement of goods between countries, traveler
security, energy, environment and health. Proponents of the
partnership claim its purpose is to increase security and prosperity
for all three nations through enhanced cooperation. Critics maintain
the partnership will sacrifice U.S. sovereignty by establishing a
“North American Union,” with open borders and a common currency.
The Commerce Department also provided substantial
documentation concerning the North American Competitiveness Council. The council consists of 30 members, 10 each from the United States,
Mexico and Canada. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Council of the
Americas “agreed to jointly lead the U.S. Secretariat.” Documents
describing the North American Competitiveness Council’s launch, its
recommendations, and meeting minutes were also uncovered by Judicial
Watch’s FOIA request, which was filed on August 15, 2006.
The council’s recommendations to the North American
“partnership” include advice on how to handle an international disease
outbreak: “It is also essential that throughout a pandemic all borders
and major roads remain open…” With respect to border enforcement, the
council recommends that, “A reasonable grace period should be
established at border crossings, during which time people lacking
documents are educated about their options and allowed to pass.” The
council also makes recommendations on energy issues such as the
“…enhanced integration of the Mexican [electricity] grid with that of
the United States.”
“Many Americans are interested in where this North
American partnership process is going,” said Judicial Watch President
Tom Fitton. “Given all that is at stake, the federal government has a
responsibility to make sure this process is transparent and open to
public scrutiny -- so the release of these documents is an important
step forward.”
The newly released documents include contact lists,
meeting agenda and minutes, recommendations, fact sheets, speakers’
quotes, action items, and procedural guidelines. The records are
available on the Judicial Watch Internet site: www.JudicialWatch.org.
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Select from the list below to view the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America" FOIA Documents
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Section I - SPP Contact Lists and Organization Charts
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Section III - SPP Meeting with Commerce Secretary Gutierrez, March 15, 2006.
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Section IV - Launch of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC), May 26, 2006.
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Section V - Final Recommendations of the U.S. Section of the NACC.
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Section VI - Launch of the NACC with SPP Ministers, June 15, 2006.
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Section VIII - Prof. Robert A. Pastor’s Seminar on Building a North American Community, September 21, 2005.
Judicial Watch,
Inc., a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, promotes
transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and
the law.
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