Judicial Watch Releases Pentagon Records From 'North American Forum' Meetings

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By News release, Judicial Watch, January 29, 2007

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-29-2007/0004515386&EDATE

Judicial Watch, the

public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government

corruption, today released documents obtained November 2006 under the

provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from U.S. Northern

Command (NORTHCOM). The documents concern the participation of NORTHCOM

Commander, Admiral Timothy Keating, NORTHCOM Political Advisor Deborah

Bolton, and Plans, Policy & Strategy Director Major General Mark Volcheff

in a meeting of the "North American Forum" at the Banff Springs Hotel in

Banff, Canada on September 12- 14, 2006. A similar request for records

concerning forum participation by then-Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and his

entourage is still pending with the Pentagon.

The records include: 1) Proposed comments for Admiral Keating's speech

to the North American Forum; 2) Presentation outlines with handwritten

marginal notes and comments from Ms. Bolton; 3) Policy papers; 4)

Biographic sketches of participants; and, 5) Notes from Major General

Volcheff.

The North American Forum presentations discussed immigration and border

enforcement; full economic and energy integration including infrastructure

and transportation; a North American investment fund; and common customs

and duties. The idea of a carbon tax was raised as a means to combat

so-called global warming. References to the Security and Prosperity

Partnership (SPP) occur throughout the documents.

The notes for the presentations document the need to overcome popular

opposition to North American integration: "To what degree does a concept of

North America help/hinder solving problems between the three countries? ...

While a vision is appealing working on the infrastructure might yield more

benefit and bring more people on board ('evolution by stealth')."

"It is not encouraging to see the phrase 'evolution by stealth' in

reference to important policy debates such as North American integration

and cooperation," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "These

documents provide more information to Americans concerned about the

Security and Prosperity Partnership. The more transparency, the better."

Copies of NORTHCOM's North American Forum records are available on the

Internet at: (http://www.JudicialWatch.org.)

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