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 The officials cautioned on Thursday that the discussions are in
preliminary stages and that no immediate action appeared likely by
either U.S. President Barack Obama's administration or Congress.
While there was no specific evidence of a new threat in the United
States, federal and state authorities were on a heightened state of
alert following a gunman's attack in Ottawa on Wednesday and another
by an assailant in Quebec on Monday.
One official familiar with the matter said a main topic of
discussion has been whether some northern border posts which are
unmanned - but guarded by electronic sensors and alarms - should now
be staffed with live personnel.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that
proposals circulating within government agencies could make it
easier for the government to revoke U.S. passports.
 Authorities in the United States, Canada, Australia and western
Europe say they are alarmed by thousands of citizens who have
traveled to Syria to fight in the conflict there. They fear that
some battle-hardened fighters could return to their home countries
and attempt terror attacks.
Secretary of State John Kerry, whose department issues passports,
has authority to revoke them. The government regards passports as a
privilege, not a right. But one official said there are provisions
for challenging such decisions.
The United States has used existing powers to cancel passports for
counter-terrorism purposes, revoking that of Anwar al Awlaki, an
American-born Islamic preacher who was a leading figure in
Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Awlaki, who U.S. officials said was in correspondence with Major
Nidal Hassan, a U.S. Army psychiatrist, before Hassan embarked on a
deadly shooting spree at a Texas military base, was killed in a CIA
drone strike.
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U.S. officials said they had no evidence of threats to the United
States following the attacks in Canada. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa,
on lockdown Wednesday, reopened on Thursday.
"At this time, there is no specific reporting to indicate that
ongoing events in Canada pose a threat to the United States," said
Aaron Bowker, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection's
Buffalo field office.
Law enforcement officials said Wednesday's shooting of a soldier in
the Canadian capital appeared to be the act of a single individual,
the type of "lone wolf" attack U.S. authorities say it is difficult
to defend against.
"It's so simple and unpredictable, it’s hard to know exactly what to
do," said Captain Rick Hopkins of the state police in Vermont, which
shares a border with Canada.
"You want to do all you can to keep people safe, but it’s very
frustrating (that) you can’t point to one thing” that would stymie
such an attack, Hopkins said.
(Editing by Howard Goller)
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