Bush Stands up against the racists.
Bush faces split with key allies over UAE port deal - Yahoo! News
The government should not be able to squash transactions in the capital markets on a whim. Dubai Ports World is a reputable company that operates ports successfully throughout the world. They have agreed to conform with US laws. Their personnel will have to go through the same immigration and security screenings that the current British ownership does. I doubt there will actually be much change at all as this is a merger.
The main reason for this firestorm of opposition is racism. We don't like the color of the skin and the country of origin of the applicant. It is egregious in my opinion. We allow European and Asian, and Chinese interests to buy all kinds of commercial ventures in this country. China is our biggest military rival on the planet. UAE is a longtime ally.
From the State Department website:
U.S.-U.A.E. RELATIONS
The United States has enjoyed friendly relations with the U.A.E. since 1971. Private commercial ties, especially in petroleum, have developed into friendly government-to-government ties which include security assistance. The breadth, depth, and quality of U.S.-U.A.E. relations increased dramatically as a result of the U.S.-led coalition's campaign to end the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. In 2002, the U.S. and the U.A.E. launched a strategic partnership dialogue covering virtually every aspect of the relationship. The U.A.E. has been a key partner in the war on terror after September 11, 2001. The United States was the third country to establish formal diplomatic relations with the U.A.E. and has had an ambassador resident in the U.A.E. since 1974.
That is the way I see it.
I'm with you on this one, Josh. However, I CAN see it from the other side's perspective. In this case, it's not like we'd be putting an Arab company in charge of operations for a pencil manufacturer. No, this is putting them in charge of six major seaports.
I agree that this is (as far as I can tell, but what do I know) a reputable company, but there is also the possibility, I suppose, that once the deal is done, Muslim terrorists will begin a plan (maybe even a long-range plan) to infiltrate this company for a future attack.
I support W on this one.