McCain supports fence, says Israel responsible for own security

Jpost ^ | 8/17/03 | JANINE ZACHARIA

[veronica]

US Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz at a brief joint news conference at the King David Hotel, in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2003.

US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) on Sunday endorsed Israel's construction of a security fence as necessary to help prevent acts of terror and said the Bush administration should not reduce US loan guarantees because of the barrier.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the administration is examining whether to trim from $9 billion in loan guarantees part of the amount Israel spends on the fence, which the US believes could undermine chances of implementing the road map for a two-state solution.

McCain, taking issue with the administration's view, said during a visit to Israel that the fence could only enhance the peace plan's chances of success.

"There's many of us in the Congress who feel the fence is an important contributor to reduction in acts of terror. And it's pretty clear the Oslo Accords failed because they were based on the premise that Palestinians and Israelis could live peacefully together. The fence is an effort to see if Israelis and Palestinians can live peacefully apart, at least for a period of time," McCain, a former presidential candidate, said after meeting Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.

McCain said that the US and Israel could reach agreement on an acceptable route for the fence. But he said final decisions about security-related matters should be left to the Israeli government.

Asked whether loan guarantees should be linked to fence construction, McCain said: "I absolutely do not."

McCain was in Israel as head of a bipartisan delegation that included Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Sen. John Sununu (R-New Hampshire), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas) and Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tennessee). Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs -- which is influential in determining aid to Israel -- was scheduled to join the delegation on Monday.

Bailey Hutchinson called the fence "not a bad idea in itself" but said she believed the route should be negotiated.

In the meeting, Shalom said the Palestinian Authority was not dismantling terrorist organizations and described the threats posed by Hizbullah in south Lebanon. He also raised the plight of Israeli MIAs. McCain, a former Vietnam POW, pledged to "do his utmost" to help secure their release, according to one person present in the meeting. The delegation later met with families of MIAs.

In addition to meeting Shalom, the delegation met Prime Minister Sharon, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and were scheduled to have dinner with former Labor Party prime minister Ehud Barak.

On Monday, the legislators were due to take a helicopter tour of the fence and examine Hizbullah activities along the northern border. They were also scheduled to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and former Labor Party prime minister Shimon Peres.

McCain said he was unsure about the extent of Abbas's authority.

"I think the question that many of us wonder about is how much real authority does Mr. Abbas and his organization have and how much authority remains in the hands of Mr. Arafat and what is his involvement.

"Apparently there were reports that prior (to the terrorist attacks in Ariel and Rosh Ha'ayin last week), there was a meeting between Mr. Arafat and those who orchestrated those attacks," McCain told reporters.

McCain praised Israel for "going the extra mile" by not allowing last week's attacks to derail the process.

The delegation will travel to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan before returning to Washington.

[Militiaman7]

Hey! Senator McCain how about a fence around our border with Mexico?

Why can't you support that?

[VU4G10]

The so-called “temporary worker” scheme currently lurking in Congress could be a knockout punch for the American worker and one of the most prolific illegal alien amnesties of all time.

Under the ludicrously misnamed “Border Security and Immigration Improvement Act,” H.R. 2899 and S. 1461 conceal a deadly one-two punch against America:

a massive scheme to import new foreign workers into the United States, and
an amnesty plan giving for illegal aliens already in the United States.

This lunacy is the brainchild of three Arizona Republicans – House members Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, and Senator John McCain

[Paleo Conservative]

That's the first rational utterance I haver heard out of McCain in years.

[BenR2]

This lunacy is the brainchild of three Arizona Republicans – House members Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, and Senator John McCain


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Isn't Sen. Cornyn, of Texas, also pushing something similar?

[BenR2]

That's the first rational utterance I haver heard out of McCain in years.

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Actually, he has also been very supportive of Bush's military moves, as well.

[RightWhale]

the first rational utterance I haver heard out of McCain in years

He's rational most of the time, and sometimes he's right. He's right this time.

[SandRat]

US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) on Sunday endorsed Israel's construction of a security fence as necessary to help prevent acts of terror

So when are you going to support a fence on our borders?

Well I'm waiting!!!!! Tap!-Tap!-Tap!

WELL!!!!

[RightWhale]

when are you going to support a fence on our borders?

What's going on with the southern border is a total mystery to me. Seems like Mexico is already being treated like a de facto state of the Union in some ways.

[SJackson]

So when are you going to support a fence on our borders?

Got one already.

[SandRat]

Don't know if you live on the border or not but things are getting tense and at some point they will be forced to put federal troops on the border.

• break-ins are up
• car theft is up
• buglery is up
• Vandalism is up
• environment is getting trashed
• the post caught 63 UDOTMs (undocumented other than mexicans) last week
• the Reconquistas from Me.Ch.A are soming from CA to here to stir up trouble.

Want me to go on? Something has got to done to stop this before it's too late and the border explodes.

[Militiaman7]

I agree 100%.

[RightWhale]

stop this before it's too late and the border explodes

Another thing that is a mystery: why bother have immigration quotas for most countries, and effectively none for Mexico?

[Kay Soze]

As a jew I DON'T Need John ( I almost sank the USS Forrestal) McCain's permission to defend my self.

[RightWhale]

I DON'T Need John

He is merely making a moral argument. Trying to find good reasons for making the social judgements when the discussion has already drifted into the moral arena. Good reasons plus consideration of EVERYONE's interests is how to get it done.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

John isn't called "McPain" for nothing. It's wonderful he thinks other countries should protect and defend their borders, so why don't we?

Instead of amnesties and sham guestworker programs that sells out the American worker to the lowest bidder, maybe he might consider submitting in the Senate a bill similar to Norwood's CLEAR Act. But I won't hold my breath on it.

[Akira]

Isn't Sen. Cornyn, of Texas, also pushing something similar?

Yes, another "Republican" senator pushing something very similar. You can find out more about his absurd bill here. Has Mexico signed up to provide the health care for these "undocumented men and women"? And they'll politely take themselves and their new skills back to Mexico when their work period is up, huh? It also lays out (vague) penalties for employers of these illegals, but of course nothing pertaining to penalties for the illegals who would abuse this system.

[Tancredo Fan]

That's odd.... McLame doesn't support putting troops on our border. Neither does Governess Butch. That worthless gasbag was on CSPAN this morning and made that clear, while reminding viewers that "this is a nation of immigrants", among other blatant lies. The same thing should happen to that truck-driver as what's happening to Gray Davis.

[SandRat]

You left out don Raul Grijalva de Me.Ch.A. and the al calde don don Raul Castro along with Kolbe and Kyle.

BTW don Grijalva supports Dean for Pres. No surprise there!

[BenR2]

Yes, another "Republican" senator pushing something very similar. You can find out more about his absurd bill here. Has Mexico signed up to provide the health care for these "undocumented men and women"? And they'll politely take themselves and their new skills back to Mexico when their work period is up, huh? It also lays out (vague) penalties for employers of these illegals, but of course nothing pertaining to penalties for the illegals who would abuse this system.

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Yes. And I voted for him. Is he representing me?