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In a routine U.S. State Department press briefing this week, a journalist asked if a recent meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Mexican foreign minister had concerned secret plans “to invade Canada.”

It was a joke, of course, and spokeswoman Victoria Nuland quickly laughed it off.

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“No, no, no. It’s not anything classified,” she said.

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But while the U.S. military may no longer harbour such plans, it most certainly has marching orders in case its northern neighbour becomes a liability.

“I doubt there’s a plan to invade Canada, but there may be plans to take action in the event of certain circumstances,” said Canadian military historian Jack Granatstein.

There may be plans to take action in the event of certain circumstances

In April, for instance, a bomb threat was called in on a Korean Air Boeing 777 that had lifted off from Vancouver International Airport.

Within minutes, NORAD set two U.S. fighter jets to intercept the plane over Haida Gwaii and escort it to an air base on Vancouver Island.