Canadian Prime Minister Harper meets with U.S. President Bush

Thursday, July 6, 2006 

Canadian PM Harper with U.S. President Bush.

Canadian PM Harper with U.S. President Bush walking into the East Room of the White House.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with President George W. Bush at the White House today. The meeting was a short one and focused primarily on global security, particularly bilateral security issues addressing the two countries.

One of the larger issues was the pending U.S. law that would require everyone crossing the Canada-U.S. border to have a passport or a special identification card. Prime Minister Harper said; "if the fight for security ends up meaning that the United States becomes more closed to its friends, then the terrorists have won," as part of his appeal that Congress delay or reject the proposed border law. [1].

Prime Minister Harper brought birthday greetings and a surprise gift. But Bush found out about it during the press conference in the East Room. A Canadian reporter had allegedly blew the secret. [2].

Related

• "North American citizens dealt passport requirement" — Wikinews, April 6, 2005

Sources

• David Ljunggren. "Harper presses Bush on border clampdown" — Washington Post, July 6, 2006

• CNN. "President Bush Meets With Canadian Prime Minister Harper; North Korea Nuclear Threat" — CNN Transcripts, July 6, 2006

• From the White House. "President Bush Participates in Press Availability with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper" — whitehouse.gov, July 6, 2006