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WASHINGTON, DC - As the US strengthens border-security measures for greater protection against terrorist attacks, "we must do it through technology and an appreciation of our trade-dependent communities along the border," said Asa Hutchinson, under secretary of homeland security.

Speaking before a recent meeting of the the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America, Hutchinson outlined elements of the Bush Administration's strategy to screen out terrorists and contraband material while facilitating the flow of legitimate travelers and commerce across the US border.

He cited the US-Mexico Border Partnership as one example of that strategy. The partnership has helped the US and its southern neighbor to devise their joint "Smart Border" initiative, which "utilizes progressive technology to ensure the safe travel of people and goods across our shared border," he said.

The United States and Mexico "envision a border that is open for business, secure for the flow of people, and closed to organized crime and terrorism," he added. "As part of the 'Smart Border' accord, the SENTRI program allows low-risk travelers to enter through a dedicated lane at our border with minimal or no delay."

This coming September, the US "will establish a new lane dedicated to pedestrians at the San Ysidro port of entry," Hutchinson noted. Moreover, he said, "we will expand the Border Safety program" to help save the lives of endangered migrants "in the current 'hot spot,' the border south of Tucson, Arizona."

Hutchinson indicated that the US will also create a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lane in El Paso, Texas, to expedite "cross-border movements of commercial carriers, importers, and truck drivers who enroll in the program." The FAST program was designed to enhance lawful business activity in the US-Mexico border region.

Because cross-border commerce is vital to the economies of the US and its neighbors, government officials and business executives in the region have found innovative ways to coordinate an agenda for economic growth with 21st-century security requirements. Hutchinson pointed to the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program as "a joint government/business initiative to build cooperative relationships that strengthen overall supply-chain and border security."

US authorities have taken steps to tighten borders, seaports and airports, "and there are indications that our increased security has made a difference," the under secretary said. But despite many laudable successes against would-be terrorists, "we cannot afford to relax into a false sense of security," he warned.

The ability to adapt is essential to winning the war against terrorism, Hutchinson said. "When you fail to adjust to new intelligence and the changing methods of the enemy, you lose the war. In our quest to protect the homeland, we must have the agility to adjust our strategy."

Strategic adjustments are increasingly necessary because "terrorists look at our vulnerabilities," Hutchinson said, adding that "the six million sea containers that arrive at US shores every year are particularly vulnerable."

The Bush Administration decided to address this challenge by launching the Container Security Initiative (CSI) in January, 2002.

"Under CSI, we're identifying high-risk cargo containers, partnering with other governments to pre-screen those containers at foreign ports before they are shipped [to US] ports, and using smarter, 'tamper-evident' containers," he said.

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