(PRWEB) - (PRWEB) June 20, 2005 -- In today"s announcement, ACSA indicated that the Interstate Traveler System, a proposed MAGLEV system some 50-250,000 miles long, could also assume a vital border-securing role in America"s Homeland Security Future.

"We can easily optimize costs and reduce manpower, while creating a perfect deterrent against terrorism," say scientists working in the ACSA VISTA Incubator, a project to mentor extremely advanced science and technology which is working with the project.

The Interstate Traveler is a 250 mile per hour, 250,000 mile long MAGLEV system powered by Solar/Hydrogen technology. Described as both a nationwide, fuel efficient, non-polluting transportation system, it has also been described as a way to generate up to 100 Quadrillion BTU/hours (the United State"s entire annual demand for energy) of electricity and low cost, clean burning hydrogen for US consumption, the Interstate Traveler might free America of its fossil fuel dependency.

The system would be self maintaining, autonomously controlled and would provide low cost transportation of people, freight and autos. The Intestate Traveler Company is collaborating with the American Computer Science Association to get it built.

"The biggest technical problem American Homeland Security faces when protecting the borders is to avoid having to position manpower with weaponry every 100 feet along thousands of miles of our borders with Canada and Mexico," said ITC President Justin Sutton.

"The "living line," demonstrated by the tremendous effort of "the Minute Men" recently publicized in the news, is something that the Traveler can make much more feasible by extending the range border observers cover the entire border with. That would make it inexpensive and easy to manage. The Interstate Traveler can be equipped with extensive surveillance equipment and vibration/motion sensors, external to the system or mounted right on the MAGLEV Rails themselves. We can send Robotic MAGLEV vehicles to extend the monitoring from central locations. Our standard Rail Cars, provide a way to get the Homeland Security border personnel from a nearby Border Observation Center to any critical point along the border, traveling at 250 MPH. With the advanced surveillance net, we'd be able to easily differentiate between the average Canadian or Mexican civilian going cross border and not confuse them with a dangerous group of terrorists," he added.

"The speed of the system would allow us to place border observation stations every 75 to 150 miles, to watch everything on both borders with only 30 stations and 2 central offices. That would be more efficient, eliminating the need to place squads of personnel every 100 yards, avoiding expenses beyond which Congress would ever approve. The Traveler houses a huge network of fiber optic internet and internet telephone/video-channel acceleration cables. This was included as part of our plan to also offer enormous bandwidth to the United States" Very High Speed Internet Backbone. Using only a tiny percentage of that speed, we can easily monitor sensor networks covering up to 60 miles surrounding the border tracks. We"d be able to constantly share our observations with the Mexican and Canadian authorities," remarked Dr. Timm Finfrock, lead science advisor at ITC.

ACSA"s chairperson, Dr. Jack A. Shulman, whose Vista Incubator is mentoring ITC, stated: "In this special application, the Traveler would be equipped to create as wide as a 60 mile buffer zone the entire length of the United States" borders with Canada and Mexico. Using about 30 modest sized defensive patrol centers and a pair of central observation posts, special patrol vehicles could use the rail system and go 'off road' where they were needed. The combination of surveillance and 250 MPH Maglev speed, would greatly reduce the cost of monitoring. The ITC always pays for itself anyway: in energy produced and its primary function: low cost transport of people, autos and freight. We can reduce the effort of monitoring the borders to just a handful of special stations and an equally small number of well trained defensive personnel. In larger emergencies, they'd be backed by our National Guard anyway. The speed at which points of incursion could be reached by them and the robust sensor and surveillance camera technology we can equip the Traveler and its MAGLEV Tracks with, makes the difference."

Dr. Shulman continued: "The Interstate Traveler uses only the Sun as its primary energy source. We can tie in other energy grids for even greater hydrogen production and electricity cast-offs. For Homeland Security functions, if approved, ITC has designed specially conceived MAGLEV cars with Homeland Security features. Clearly, the average cross-border immigrant is not a combatant. He or she come to America either to make some money for their family badly needed back home, or wishes to stay here and bring their family here for a better life. Those are not the people we fear and are not the people who need the aggressive apprehending. Read the inscription on the Statue of Liberty if you have any question about that. But there are other problems."

ACSA's public policy on the border security problem is "centrist", stated policy spokesperson for the research foundation Andrew Vanoceur. "We want migrating peoples to come here legally and stay legally. We don"t want migrant workers and families in dire straights to become the targets of any anti-Terrorism security system. The methods of surveillance the Traveler would provide are very carefully controllable, providing a clear indication of what's going on, night and day, far from anywhere people reside. The object: to stop terrorists, not to cause any harm to migrant workers trying to gain entry illegally. The decision regarding treatment of migrant workers is both a Federal decision and a local decision in each state. Nonetheless, the US must enhance border security: what is the point of screening our airports as carefully as we do today, if another Mohammed Atta (9/11 attack leader who flew one of the jets into the World Trade Center) can simply walk across the Rio Grande, hail a Cab, hire a limo and blow up a vital business or facility?"

Dr. Timm Finfrock added: "We need to be sensitive to those who need to be treated sensitively. Neighboring citizens seeking a way out of poverty are not necessarily a threat. Protecting against Terrorism and seeing to it that the law is enforced respectfully of it and of human rights and dignity is crucial. Think about that group of Al Qaeda related Anthrax Terrorists in that camp in Mexico stopped by the authorities in July 2003. It would have been all too easy for them to attacked the Rose Parade or the Super Bowl. Without proper border protection we simply can not defend ourselves from very dangerous infiltrators. "The Borderline Flyer" would allow us to inexpensively monitor, identify and then stop terrorism before it strikes. It doubles as a multilane Hydrogen Super Highway between Miami and San Diego in the south, and between Maine and Washington in the north, boosting the economy of every state it passes through. Homeland Security can move manpower and equipment rapidly to points of any potential problem."

Dr. Shulman indicated: "Teams of specially trained non-lethal responders would be able to protect émigrés who tried to enter illegally, while stopping Terror Cells from entering altogether."

He went on to say: "Doubtlessly our border security is a very difficult subject, because it covers every kind of non-lawful form of entry. Yet, this country was founded on the notion of "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." Any solution implemented needs to reflect America"s greatness. This is a country and a continent which was founded by immigrants. We never refuse a job to any people on the basis of race, creed or color, or national origin. We need to be more understanding about the effects of poverty on those who try to cross our borders. Many of them are quite desperate to find work. It is not the American way to turn them away, even if we must turn them back for coming here illegally. There has to be a compromise that reflects both abiding the law and facilitating the spirit of Lady Liberty. We should respect the right of every American to find work."

"The Association feels that by using autonomous sensors, robotics and surveillance systems to get a clear view of exactly who is crossing the borders, by providing ITC's high speed solution to get the manpower where it is really needed, we can do the job right and not cause any harm to come to those who seek employment here to help their family survive. It's a tough call. Many border state employers want inexpensive labor. Every American wants to have and protect their job. I think everyone wants secure borders. Those in dire straights in other countries would like to come here to save their families. The spirit of America resides in the inscriptions found on the Statue of Liberty. Call 'the Borderline Flyer' a working compromise that should help us catch terrorist infiltrators. If we do it right, we won"t be trampling anyone"s human rights in doing so."

ACSA representatives indicated that response to the proposed Interstate Traveler Company projects to date had been "overwhelming, extraordinary interest from every direction: every state, the press, the public, and every Federal Agency communicated with. It's a win-win solution for clean energy, low cost, high speed transportation and a safe, secure America."

To read more: visit ACSA on the web at http://www.acsa.net and read more press releases at http://www.acsa.net/hshrt . To visit The Interstate Traveler Company on the web go to: http://interstatetraveler.us

Contact:
John Buchman
908-272-0016
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BELL NORTH AMERICA CORP, PUBLIC RELATIONS
John Buchman
908-272-0016
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