Fred Harteis News Articles - Saudis plan fence to block Iraq's terrorists

Fred Harteis News Articles - In a sign of regional concern over terrorism, Saudi Arabia is pushing ahead with plans to build a fence along its entire 560-mile (900-kilometer) border with Iraq to prevent terrorists from entering the kingdom from the chaotic north.

The barrier, which likely will take five to six years to complete, is part of a $12 billion package of measures, including electronic sensors, bases and physical barriers, to protect the oil-rich kingdom from external threats, said Nawaf Obaid, head of the Saudi National Security Assessment Project, an independent research institute that provides security advice to the Saudi government.

The ambitious project reflects not only concern over terrorism but also growing alarm over the situation in Iraq, where U.S. forces are struggling to prevent Sunni-Shiite violence from escalating to full-scale civil war. (Watch as one analyst says U.S. strategy is flawed -- 1:45)

All of Iraq's neighbors, including the Saudis, fear that violence could spill over the borders and threaten their own security.

For the Saudis, those threats could come from Saudi militants returning home to continue the struggle against the pro-U.S. monarchy or from Shiite extremists seeking to stir up trouble among the country's Shiite minority.

Since 2004, Saudi Arabia has spent about $1.8 billion to shore up its defenses along the border with Iraq.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have long complained about Saudi extremists crossing into Iraq -- mostly through Syria -- to join the battle against American and coalition forces.

However, Obaid said improvements in border surveillance had sharply reduced the traffic heading north. He said the Saudi government is more concerned -- at this point -- with infiltration into its territory from Iraq.

To read this complete Fred Harteis News articles visit our news partner at:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/09/27/saudi.fence.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

Source; Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.