I don’t want you to miss this excellent post by AJStrata:
I knew it was coming. The anti-port forces have gone from veiled insults regarding a key ally in our efforts in the Middle East to open insults. Apparently still trying to convince Americans to toss out our besy qualities and ?fear the Aurabs? the anti-port voices are now endangering our foreign policy efforts.
The UAE is a critical ally watching our backs with regards to material being shipped here from ports they run overseas, to intelligence from the Middle East on possible AQ activities, to protecting our troops flowing in and out of the region.
The last one is the most important. If we stand by our troops, then our fears cannot become so obsessive we end up putting our troops at risk. We already ask them to risk everything to change the face of the Middle East. We cannot allow emotions to run rampant and sever our ties with an ally who is protecting our fighting men and women. The ally deserves better. The troops DEFINITELY deserve better.
We have been working quietly (the way it is done when doing something classified and clandestine) with The UAE ever since 9-11. That country immediately became our ally and stayed that way through our invasion of Iraq. Which is more than we can say for France, Belguim, Germany, NATO, Russia, Canada and Mexico.
Rick Moran, in some fit of irresponsible humor, has insulted The UAE by comparing them to murderous thugs who target children for suicide bombings:
In a continuing effort to prove that Americans are not anti-Arab Islamaphobes, the government has announced that day to day operations of the passenger rail carrier Amtrak will now be in the hands of a state owned company run by the Palestinian group Hamas.
The deal comes on the heels of an agreement to allow the state owned Dubai Ports World(DPW) to manage ports in the United States.
People in the Middle East are not thin skinned, but they do take honor seriously. Very seriously. And this kind of insult will not, and honestly should not, be dismissd by them or us. Rick seems upset people don?t want to share in his fear of all things Ayrab – so he presents us with a fantasy of where all this will lead. He does this deliberately and with the intention of associating a far better ally than those countries I mentioned above. And in doing so he insults our ally to the core of their being.
The UAE has done nothing to deserve this idiotic comparison. That is like comparing Americans who support the deal with Hamas supporters. Which Rick may also trying to be doing. I have been saddened by this fiasco because I could see so many people losing all self control. But this is not to be tolerated. Some people just are not cut out to deal with international issues and foreign policy.
People who cannot discern an ally after 5 years of impressive support on their part from our enemies because of some cultural connections just don?t have the vision and perception to deal with this subject. The blogosphere allows us all to show our strengths and weaknesses. Those insulting The UAE through insinuation, or in this case an outright slap at their humanity, are not helping our cause. But they sure are exposing their weaknesses. As I commented to Rick on his sight, he and the others should stop trying to screw up our foreign policy and national security anymore than they have done already.
National security is not a game. There are 150,000+ US troops in the region whose backs are being guarded by The UAE. While you have a right to speak, it is not always the case that you should speak. With our troops exposed and our reliance on The UAE to keep them safe, it is time the anti-port deal folks understand we heard you, we disagree with you, and you can stop trying to do all you can to destroy our relationship with our ally The UAE. An ally I am proud to have, as our many, many others.
Much more where that came from. As usual AJ is dead on with his analysis. This is just getting out of hand and is becoming a panic, a panic that is leading us down a dangerous road. This is all common sense people. The same people who work on those docks now will be working there after. The same Coast Guard and Border Control officials will be providing security. This is an investment deal on paper by a company that is running ports all over the world, don’t you think if they wanted to hit us they could have by now? I mean China, a Communist country, runs ports on the West Coast, where was the hysteria then?
The UAE is an important ally that should not be treated like this. We need all the allies we can find in that region and to throw it all out over some simple minded hysteria is just plain wrong!
Oldcrow made a great comment to the post:
A few points I would like to make. I have been in the Navy for 17 years and have been to the U.A.E. many many times. The Navy fully vetted DPW a long time ago because they run Jebel Ali the worlds largest manmade shipping port. All the supplies that go to U.S. Naval vessels and a large part of the supplies for the Army in Iraq come from either Jebel Ali or Fujiera U.A.E. also a huge amount of the cargo containers destined for the U.S. go thru Jebel Ali and we have Customs and HS inspectors there inspecting the containers that is why we did not have to investigate them as thurouly as others and may explain why it was considered no big deal by the CFIUS.
If a cargo container with a WMD makes it to say NY harbor it is already to late so the key to security is inspecting the containers before they get here. If we stop this deal does anyone honestly believe that the U.A.E. will continue to allow us to inspect cargo in their country? I know if I was the U.A.E. I would tell those U.S. inspectors to pack their bags and get out as well as the U.S. Navy. So all the hysteria and the threat from Congress to stop this deal will actually make us less secure.
Please people, get a grip!
The UAE is an important ally that should not be treated like this. We need all the allies we can find in that region and to throw it all out over some simple minded hysteria is just plain wrong!
See author page
So now two weeks where the President’s agenda has been buried by manufactured hysteria. And the polls show his approval rating tanking again and the GOP’s best issue (national security) going down the drain.
I’ve been taking a LOT of flack from our friends on this issue. It appears that some of our conservative friends are more concerned with 11 terminals at a handful of ports than they are about what Democrats would do if they regained control of either house of congress.
You just know the Dems, if given half a chance will surrender the war on terror faster than you can say “Patriot Act.”
I totally agree with AJ on this. The UAE is a strategic ally. Granted, there is no such thing as a perfect ally for all time. Just look at France. But you have to find your friends where and when you can.
I wonder if those Dems that are now screeching about these few terminals also expressed their concern about the Chinese buying our port terminals? Did they express concern over the sale of US missile technology to China that enabled their nuclear missiles to be more accurate?
Or were they too busy taking bags full of Chinese money? Let’s ask Hillary
Now I know your addicted when your checking the blogs from a hotel computer :laugh_tb:
Appreciate the kind words but I usually don’t have that much important stuff to say, just facilitate getting the information out I suppose.
Peter King is up for re-election this year, as are all Congressmen/women.
A quick check of his PAC funding really highlights were he stands on the Port Issue:
$ 1500 from the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department
$7000, the Laborers’ Political League-Laborers’ International Union Of NA
This whole contrived controversy over DPW is nothing more than campaign issue.Don’t get me started with Senator Clinton…
This controversy has NOTHING to do with port securtiy, and EVERYTHING to do with party politics.?? ..Perhaps but I and many others are not convinced..sometimes allegiances dont reveal themselves till times of crisis………
I recently had to take a class at the harbour inorder to get a MARSEC card for entry. During the class the instructor made a couple of comments I found interesting.
He said that in SE Asia ovet the past few years that ships have been seized the crews locked up for several days and the ships sailed around. Nothing taken and the ships abandon crews alive. Since you cant just jump on a ship and drive it you need to learn how, they figure thats what has been happening.
He also said the probable attack will come when a ship pulls along side a super tanker or natural gas carrier and detonates a couple thousand pounds of ok city type explosives. In a case like this it wouldnt matter if dubai, the british or who ever ran the port. A natural gas carrier detonated in SF bay would take out a fair part of San Francisco according to their studies.
Amy Proctor
Don’t Jump on the anti-Dubai Port Deal Bandwagon…
With these “don?t look before you leap” bandwagons overloaded with Conservatives, let?s do a review of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -owned company, Dubai Ports World, and the contract with the London company to manage U.S. ports….