Saudi Arabia Unveils Wall To Keep Out ISIS, Makes U.S. Border Look Pathetic

One of the oldest methods of defending one’s property is to build a wall. There are many examples in history in which walls were used in an attempt to keep out invaders. In the Old Testament, the city of Jericho built a wall to protect themselves despite the fact their walls were destroyed by the shouts of the Israelites. China built a Great Wall to protect themselves from intrusions of various nomadic tribes. Presently, the United States has built a wall/fence to try to keep out illegal immigrants from Mexico, albeit failing most of the time.

Now, Saudi Arabia is taking a page from history in building a wall to protect its northern border from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Not just that, the design for their wall makes the wall on the U.S. southern border look pathetic.

The plan for the new wall was previously reported back in September of 2014 by IHS Jane’s 360. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia, initiated the first phase of its construction. The wall has multi-layered barriers running along 900 kilometers of Iraq’s northern border. It consists of 78 monitoring towers, eight command centers, 10 mobile surveillance vehicles, 32 rapid-response centers, and three rapid intervention squads. All are linked by a fiber-optic communications network. It is also believed 3,400 people are being trained to man the wall by 60 trainers.

IJReview also reported on Iraq’s wall recently as last week, a Saudi general was killed in a skirmish with ISIS at the border. The attack may be a sign that ISIS realizes this wall will surely be an issue in their plans. From what they’ve released via propaganda and video, ISIS has goals to capture Saudi Arabia, the country that is home to the Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina.

Taking on a different angle, IJReview also provided pros and cons if the U.S. were to implement the same aggressive measures Saudi Arabia has for ISIS, but for keeping out illegal immigrants. First and foremost, the intentions of ISIS are nowhere near the intentions of an illegal immigrant. ISIS has an objective to implement their Islamic law. Illegal immigrants want a chance at a better life. Another factor that needs to be taken into account is the U.S. border runs along a river. There are supposed wildlife concerns that make it difficult to place a fortified wall next to bodies of water.

Now that you’ve read the news of Saudi Arabia building a wall that makes the U.S. border wall look pathetic, what are your views? Do you think Saudi Arabia is justified in their border design? If the U.S. were to make a wall similar to the northern border of Saudi Arabia, would it be justified or overkill?

[Featured Image via Bing, Post Image via UPI]