US Sen McCain Calls Virtual Fence At Mexico Border "Disgrace"
Monday March 3rd, 2008 / 23h48
PHOENIX (AP)--Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Monday that a high-tech "virtual fence" meant to secure Arizona's porous border against illegal immigration is a "disgrace." "And all of us who know the need to secure the border are very disappointed," said McCain, describing Boeing Co.'s (BA) work on the project as "a failed effort." The virtual fence near Sasabe, Ariz., is part of a national plan to secure the U.S.-Mexico border with physical barriers and high-tech detection capabilities. McCain said Boeing, the fence contractor, didn't consult with states, the U.S. Border Patrol and other agencies as it spent money on the 28-mile array of radar and surveillance cameras. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced final approval of the fence last month. The government plans to extend the fence to other areas of the Arizona border, as well as to sections of Texas as early as this summer. Last year, the government withheld some of Boeing's payments for the system because technology the company used in the test project didn't work properly. Boeing also was late in delivering the final product. Because of this, the department received a $2 million credit from the company to go toward maintenance and logistical support of the system, according to Homeland Security officials. The government paid Boeing $15 million of its initial $20 million contract before determining that there were glitches in the test project. The department gave a conditional acceptance in December. Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said Monday that the virtual fence works and has helped capture 2,200 illegal immigrants since December. She said the agency has been forthcoming about the technological deficiencies identified last year, and that is why acceptance of the project was delayed until last month. McCain made his comments at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after spending the weekend at his cabin near Sedona, Ariz. He left Monday for Texas, which along with Ohio holds a pivotal primary Tuesday. McCain has a total of 1,014 of the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the nomination at the Republican convention in September.
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