A Line In The Saudi Sand

ARRAR, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 18, 2006 (CBS) Two American civilians were killed today in Iraq by a roadside bomb like those often used against American soldiers.

U.S. intelligence believes many bomb builders are foreigners who enter Iraq from neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia. The Saudis insist they are making the border more secure.

CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar went to see for herself.

Rolling toward the Saudi border with Iraq, the desert looks wide open. Up close, it’s a different story.

Many Americans have doubts about what’s going on at the Saudi-Iraqi border. News reports talk about numerous Saudis involved in terrorist acts in Iraq and, obviously, they’re getting into the country somehow. The border between Saudi Arabia and Iraq–about 800 miles or so–seems an obvious place for infiltration. After all, it’s a vast expanse of wastelands.

This CBS News report suggests otherwise. Sheila MacVicar finds that the Saudis are doing a creditable job in closing the border. It seems that the Saudis have better control there than they have on the Yemeni border.

Saudi reports indicate that Yemen is the preferred route into Iraq. Saudis don’t need visas to enter Yemen, but the border is so porous that its easy to get past even the minimal border checkpoints. And once in Yemen, it’s only a matter of money (little money) to get a flight to Syria, where again no visa is required.

In any event, this story is encouraging and worth a glance.