Terrorists might be smuggled into US, says Rumsfeld
Reuters - Pakistan Daily Times ^ | 11/16/04 (US) | Staff
 

Terrorists might be smuggled into US, says Rumsfeld
 

11/16/04
 

QUITO (Reuters): The United States is concerned that smuggling routes traditionally used to move illegal aliens into the country "could be used just as easily for terrorists," US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Monday.
 

Speaking ahead of a meeting of defense ministers from North and Latin America, Rumsfeld cautioned that nations in the region must work even harder to improve security ties, including control over jungle and mountain borders and ungoverned areas.
 

"What we have to do is be smarter and quicker and find new ways to cooperate," he told reporters traveling with him on a security trip to Central and South America.
 

"There is no question that there are terrorist organisations that are functioning in the United States, in North America and in South America and in Central America," he said, emphasizing violent narcotics cartels, smuggling of people, criminal gangs and hostage-taking for money. "And from our standpoint, obviously, the risk that some of these human smuggling routes into our country from this hemisphere could be used just as easily for terrorists."
 

Rumsfeld did not mention specific routes used to smuggle people into the United States illegally, although some are known to move across the Mexican border and others in small boats and cargo ships.
 

Rumsfeld and defense ministers from Canada and countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean will hold a biennial meeting in this high mountain city on Wednesday. The secretary praised budding efforts among many nations begun two years ago.
 

He specifically mentioned air interdiction of narcotics-loaded aircraft under a program involving Colombia, Brazil and the United States as well as maritime interdiction efforts including Panama and eight other countries.
 

"It is a continuing effort on the part of these countries through Latin America, but also particularly in Central America where they have some good things going toward security, to see that the countries in their own way developing an understanding of the 21st century and the roles and missions of the various security forces," Rumsfeld said.
 

"There are all kinds of seams that exist. There may be seams between different kinds of security forces, there may be seams between countries, there may be ungoverned areas, not being governed at all," he added.
 

Rumsfeld will hold personal meetings this week with the defense ministers of Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador as well as a joint meeting with ministers from Central America.
 

"When you think about it, no country including the United States or any other country in the world can deal with it alone because these problems are not problems that are located and contained within boundaries," he told reporters.