Ex-Iraq War vet: The truth about what border walls can and cannot accomplish
By Raphael Cohen
Published January 07, 2019
Fox News
Washington is literally at a standstill over the funding for a wall on the United States southern border. Putting aside the politics behind the gridlock for the moment, the substance of the debate hinges less on the need for border security and more on differing claims about the effectiveness of such a wall. President Trump has claimed a wall would be “99.9 percent†effective at stopping illegal immigration while leading Democrats argue a border wall is unnecessary and would be “ineffective.†And so it may be worth stepping back from the politics of the day to view walls in their historical context. After all, states have been building walls since ancient times. Some were arguably quite successful, others less so. At the core of prudent policy lies a basic question: What can walls realistically accomplish?
Historically, walls were used to keep invaders out. The early Chinese states built what has become known as the Great Wall to protect themselves against the nomadic groups of the Steppes. Roman Emperor Hadrian constructed a wall across the British isle separating the Roman domain from troublesome northern tribes. More recently, Israel has employed several walls—along the West Bank and Gaza, as well as along its northern and southern borders, to protect itself from terrorism, smuggling, illegal immigration and other threats.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/ex-iraq-war-vet-the-truth-about-what-border-walls-can-and-cannot-accomplish
