The U.S. Pentagon has held conversations with the Canadian and Mexican armies to discuss a terrestrial, aerial and maritime continental defense dubbed American commando.

The project, which would be an essential part of the security perimeter or the safe zone and pushed the U.S. military towards its Canadian and Mexican counterparts, was discussed in a meeting that took place last week in Washington with high ranking military chiefs. According to the Canadian The Globe and Mail, high ranking Mexican officials were consulted. Sources from the Canadian military stated that the Canadian Minister of National Defense Art Eggleton met with President Vicente Fox and his Mexican counterpart Ricardo Vega Garcia last January 21st.

According to the Toronto Star, the conversations between Eggleton and his Mexican hosts revolved around the Pentagon proposal of forming an American commando with the military forces of the three countries. Star indicates that the U.S. proposed that Mexico and Canada unite into an integrated structural defense that would include the air force, the army, and the navy. Monday's meeting went unnoticed in Mexico, but in Canada, it was discussed in the Parliament, where the opposition argued that their country would loose its sovereignty if it were to join the Pentagon project. That same day, Canadian Undersecretary of State George MacDonald, confirmed in front of a congressional committee that the conversations had taken place between Canada and the U.S. over the acknowledgement of "mutual concerns about the continental security."

In turn, the Canadian Minister of Exterior Relations, Bill Graham, said that the proposal to create the "commando is still under discussion within the Bush Administration, and the Canadian militaries were invited to see what it was about."

The American commando would be lead by a four star general, like the other Pentagon commandos (Europe, Pacific, Latin America, Middle East-Southeast Asia, and Norad, the North American Arial Defense Accord, signed by the U.S. and Canada in the 50's.)

Eggleton, who advocates for a more profound integration with the U.S., says that the Bush Administration is determined to push this transnational commando structure, and that Canadian sovereignty would be in more jeopardy if the government refuses to participate in the Pentagon's project. Canadian officials cited by the National Post considered that Minister Eggleton believes that Canada "has no alternative but to join the U.S. in an integrated defense commando in order to protect the continent from eventual/possible terrorist attacks."

"We're talking about cooperation, and, in essence it's about the following: there is the option of working with the U.S. to do things together in order to guard North America. Otherwise, we will have the U.S. watching over us, because they will go through with it one way or another," a high functioning official in Ottawa stated to the National Post.

Eggleton, whose been asked to resign by the opposition, is partial to the idea of a new transnational commando structure managed by Norad, the U.S.-Canadian aerial defense system formed during the cold war to protect the hemisphere from possible nuclear and conventional Soviet strikes. Under Norad, based in Colorado, Canada would maintain its high ranking role because the adjunct commander has always been a Canadian General. "We'd like the Pentagon to use the Norad model and base the construction from it instead of starting from scratch. But we have to recognize that they want to include Mexico too," said the official.

The Globe signaled to published references in the U.S. that give accounts of the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld asking for approval from the White House to create the interior defense commando, which would be the American commando.

Canadian officials cited by the state-run Canadian Broadcasting Corp.(CBC) admitted that a major military integration with the U.S. could signify a loss of sovereignty. But added that the situation could be worse if Canada doesn't concede and instead allows the U.S. to act on it's own accord. Notwithstanding, critics of the transnational defense plan state that the commando is an important aspect of the renewed "unilateralism" that motivates the George W Bush Administration.

The federal delegate Svend Robinson, of the New Democratic Party, declared to the correspondent Alberto Rabilotta, that the formulation of a commando makes the U.S. intentions to dominate the continent evident. "It would be a disaster for Canada's sovereignty if Ottawa were to concede to these pressures. We are already too tied to the U.S., economically, politically and militarily. If Washington manages to seal this proposal, then Canada could possibly become the 51st. state in the American Republic.

A legislator from the Liberal Party who asked to remain anonymous stated to Notimex that according to the official explanation given by the Canadian government, there would be no "subordination" if Canada were to incorporate with the military commando structure. But, added with irony, "What can a Canadian military officer say at a table in front of 10 high-ranking commanders from the U.S. Forces."

Translated from Spanish by Gene Ventura