Judicial Watch Releases Classified Info on North American "Harmonization"

"Invasive alien species" and "evolution by stealth" are but some of the topics Pentagon, EPA, FDA, USDA and Commerce Department officials are discussing with their Mexican and Canadian counterparts.

Last summer Judicial Watch, Inc., a Washington-D.C-based "public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption," filed Freedom of Information Act requests for classified agendas of government and business leaders who have been meeting for two years to "harmonize" trade, health and environmental policies among the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Those meetings were stipulated in a Security and Prosperity Partnership (www.spp.gov) agreement unilaterally signed without legislative oversight by leaders of the three countries in March 2005 at George Bush's ranch outside Waco, Texas. JW began in September releasing records of these meetings and individuals who attend.

In January, JW released additional sets of records from the Pentagon (U.S. Northern Command: NORTHCOM) and two days later from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Pentagon records

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 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’)." Read more

A second batch of records from the U.S. Agriculture Department revealed a "sweeping" policy agenda currently being synchronized among officials of the three nations.

The issues and objectives of the SPP trilateral task force are sweeping. A sampling of the subjects include: food safety; nutrition; drugs; biologics; medical devices; compliance enforcement; combating health fraud; veterinary products; pesticide use; plant pest and disease issues; meat, poultry and processed egg products; food packaging and labeling standards; food additives and contaminants; fish and seafood products; as well as dairy, fruits, vegetables and processed foods – just to name a few.

The deliverables and timetables for the SPP trilateral task force include specific processes, reports and the establishment of laboratory working groups, dating from June 2005 through March 2007. Read more

Earlier this month, JW also obtained and publicly "released records from the U.S. Department of State detailing the membership, composition, agenda items, and completion dates for the 'Security and Prosperity Partnership Trinational Environmental Working Group'.” According to an 8 February 2007 Judicial Watch press release

Included among the documents are two sets of charts, dated July 28, 2005 and August 23, 2005, respectively. The charts detail information on the following environmental topics: sulfur in fuels; ship-source air pollution; air and water quality in North America; invasive alien species; monitoring and conservation of marine mammals; safe habitats and migration routes; sustainable forest management; management planning for shared marine resources; and a “transboundary” environmental impact assessment cooperation agreement for proposed projects. Read more

Related SPP Information from Judicial Watch:

1.New "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America" Documents Detail Unfluenza Pandemic and E-Commerce Working Groups (October 17, 2006)
2. Newly Uncovered Commerce Department Documents Detail “Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America” (September 26, 2006)
3. Aditional Pentagon info: Click here (PDF; for cover page), here (4 pages of opening remarks at Banff Forum meeting), here (34 detailed pages of Banff meetings/agenda from Bolton), here (for 33 more pages on Banff meeting by General Volcheff)
4. Additional USDA info: Click here for 17 pages of documents.
5. Additional EPA info: Click here for 18 pages (in PDF file format) of emails and contact info for officials in environmental group.