This guy has a point: (Via The Strata-Sphere)
Since I work in the cargo industry, I am not surpised in any way with the UAE port deal. This type of deal has been around the cargo business – air and sea – for years upon years. It?s a neccessary evil to get goods from point A to point B. Import or Export. It has an incestuous nature to it – always has.
Why are some vociferous conservatives not as concerned (visibly speaking) about cargo-only airlines that are owned by arabs? Their aircraft fly into the US on a regular basis. Arabs own or invest in many cargo-only airlines. They all fly in and out of the US. Why is there no concern that these same arabs might fill a single 747, or other wide-body cargo aircraft from ten different cargo airlines with 56 Tonnes each of explosives, or nuclear devices, or chemical devices or other instruments of mass destruction and fly legally into US airspace?? 10 bomb filled planes that need not veer off course (hence no red flags) – they need only fly to their destination and detonate.
Don?t even need security measures for that because they would not be violating our airspace, our ports or our airports. It will happen – there is no way of monitoring the overseas ports/airports/employees.
The US does not control the airport/port security overseas, they rely on our allies to do so. So who do we want and need as an ally? Who can we really rely on to protect US interests by not allowing terrorism to foment at their port/airport? Who is the most strategically placed ally? Which Middle Eastern country is more interested in promoting and protecting the human race than destroying it? Who has been investing in the US – and has a stake in it?s future? Those are the countries we need on our side.
I daresay we have come pathetically close to dismissing one of our biggests allies in the region. Ignorance is not always bliss.
The cargo is put onto the airplane in the country of origin and then lands here. Why is there no outcry that we are allowing the cargo airlines owned by Arabs to fly into our airspace? They could easily put a WMD into a 747 right?
This thing has really gone to far. I’m astounded by the short-sightedness of people regarding this thing. People are now trying to find every negative thing about the UAE it can to dismiss this deal, but they say nothing about China’s record on human rights, or many other countries that own and operate companies over here.
Get a grip people.
Oh, and check out AJ’s other excellent post today about this deal:
Conservatives who are against the UAE port are going to face a hard lesson in humility – deal with it or undermine Bush?s second term. The UAE Port deal is going through, there is nothing to stop a determined President from respecting a good ally (at least when compared to Russia, France and Germany):
[…]And he is not going to stop it. Bush is demonstrating leadership and principle over political opportunism and rank fear. So all those who opposed the deal are going to be facing a test of convictions. Do they abandon Bush and risk losing on issues like the NSA surveillance? Or do they suck it up, take the loss and get back into the game?
Being one of those who wanted to hear more about Harriet Miers before we ejected her from consideration I will be honest and say I relish seeing how well people deal with this political failure.[…]
I have heard enough to know opponents are fighting an uphill battle of speculative fantasy verses 5 years of demonstrative acts on the part of The UAE. By all objective, MEASURABLE factors, the DPW deal protects our military as they transit into and out of harms way, provides us an ally which will be checking cargo from all over the world before it ships here, and provides us an ally with intelligence potential in parts of the world we can only imagine.
Did you know that the people who manage the movement of shipping containers, the terminal operators in question, do not know what is in each container? I learned that tonight from real reporters at Fox News. So all these scenarios about infiltrating the terminals to smuggle things through is pure day dreaming. To smuggle you need to know contents in order to know what containers to slip by. Otherwise you have a needle in a haystack.
[…]I have been toying with the idea of calling for everyone to take a stand on The UAE Port deal. A gut check stand.
We have with The UAE the best possible ally we will ever see, for decades, in the Middle East. We have seen them step up where are NATO allies have wilted away. they fight by our side and protect our backs. If we decide the incredibly marginal risk of this Port Deal is of sufficient concern to scuttle it, after all The UAE has done, then the bar has been set very high indeed to trust Muslim Arabs in any aspect of our society.
Who will stand by their opposition to this Port Deal if the end result is this counry, America, decides to bar Muslim Arabs from all areas of potential risk in our society. Using the DPW Port deal as a benchmark, we can and should envision all sorts of protective measures.
[…]So I have been ready to put the test to the bloggers, talking heads and political leaders alike – would they continue to oppose the port deal if it lead to establishing a second class of people in this country? A class of people barred from positions where knowledge of security processes and protocols are known? Will the opponents to The UAE deal go on record to say they are willing to oppose the deal all the way to establishing barriers to employment and business opportunities in all areas of mass transportation (civil and commercial), all areas of police and security, all areas of the nation?s food and water supply chain?
I think it is fair to ask opponents how far they will go. Will they throw this President overboard if they do not get what they want?[…]
It is a simple stand. Yes, we oppose the deal even if it leads to barring Muslims and Arabs from certain parts of our society, or not. No middle ground in this poker game. Call or fold.
I’ll say it again, get a grip people. You do not throw away an ally in a region where we are at war. This deal does not make us any less safer then we were yesterday.
And AJ, you know where I stand on this one.
This thing has really gone to far. I’m astounded by the short-sightedness of people regarding this thing. People are now trying to find every negative thing about the UAE it can to dismiss this deal, but they say nothing about China’s record on human rights, or many other countries that own and operate companies over here.
See author page
Thanks Curt, I wish there were more of us!
AJStrata