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Obama administration urged to pay more attention to terrorist threats from Canada

In the midst of perimeter security talks between Canada and the United States, two prominent American policy analysts are urging the Obama administration to beef-up security at the Canadian border.

In an editorial on the popular conservative website GOPUSA, Susan Brown says Obama's "perimeter approach", meant to accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our two countries, will make America more vulnerable to terrorist threats from Canada.

"Canada is well-known for its lenient immigration policies, and, according to Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Canada ranks second highest in the world for active terrorist groups," she wrote in a column published on Thursday.

"Many believe Canada has a dysfunctional refugee system that all but invites terrorists into its fold because it is known as the easiest developed world country for applicants to obtain refugee status, and allows them four years to roam to and fro while awaiting the legal process."

While Brown acknowledges the 9-11 attackers didn't come from Canada, she says several suspected terrorists have attempted to enter the US from from their northern border.

"Rather than strengthening our security, it appears the administration is doing the opposite," she writes.

Meanwhile, STRATFOR, a global intelligence think-tank based in Texas, says when it comes to the threat of terrorism, the Canadian border is a bigger problem than the Mexican one.

"As STRATFOR has noted before, many terrorist plots have originated in Canada — far more than have had any sort of nexus to Mexico," a recent article on their website notes.

"These include plots involving Ghazi Ibrahim Abu Mezer, a Palestinian who was convicted of planning a suicide bombing of the New York subway system in 1997; Ahmed Ressam, who was arrested when he tried to enter the United States with explosives in 1999; and the so-called Toronto 18 cell, which was arrested in 2006 and later convicted of planning a string of attacks in Canada and the United States."

Despite the concerns of the American "punditry," an announcement of the "action plan" for the Canada-U.S. perimeter deal to ease trade and travel restrictions between the two countries is expected before the end of the year.