(AP/USA Today) - Secretary of State Powell said in a broadcast to Arab countries, "A nation is within its rights to put up a fence if it sees the need for one." However, "In the case of the Israeli fence, we are concerned when the fence crosses over onto the land of others." In response, Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., said, "The administration's threat to cut aid to Israel unless it stops construction of a security fence is a heavy-handed tactic....It has no place in relations between allies....The Israeli people have the right to defend themselves from terrorism, and a security fence may be necessary to achieve this." Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called the security fence "a reasonable defensive policy that respects the terms of the cease-fire currently in force and does no violence to the Palestinian people."
2003-08-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive