Dubai Port Deal by Angelo P

Dubai Ports World
President Bush recently decided to test of his popularity by announcing a proposed deal with a foreign corporation that would divest it's leases to terminals at 6 US ports basically handing over control over 6 major U.S. ports across the country. The company in question is Dubai Ports World, which hails from the United Arab Emirates. The roots of the controversy, surrounding this proposed move is of course terrorism and the ethical inconsistency that has thus far marred the Bush Administration.
The agenda of the 2nd term Bush Administration post 9/11 has been Homeland security and the war on terrorism. Some of the terrorists responsible for the 9/11 hijackings were said to have come from or have had dealings with the UAE, making this deal perplexing and unsettling. According to inside sources familiar with the specifics of the deal, security would still be in the hands of the Coast Guard, Customs and the Dept of Homeland Security. However in a country like the United States where the borders are extremely porous and security is lax due to budget cuts it is no wonder that this move has been very unpopular for President Bush.
Democrats such as Sen's Charles Schumer (NY) and Hillary Clinton (NY) have long tried to put forth legislation to bolster port security. Republicans meanwhile have continually blocked this legislation. Estimates from the Dept of Homeland Security state that one out of three shipping container's that enter the United States is inspected by customs. This alarming and glaring fact could prove hazardous and potentially fatal if left literally unchecked. When the Dubai deal was announced the outcry was loud and BI-partisan. Both Republicans and Democrats were vocal in their disapproval. The Bush Administration quickly went on the defensive and President Bush himself publicly stated that: "This deal is important for this country and our allies". The Dubai port deal has given the Bush Administration yet another black eye. One of the many already sustained by this President and his Administration.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the Administration's inability to deal with a natural disaster that we saw coming. It is no wonder that so many have come out against this deal. While some supporters of the port deal have said that if this had been another country like Finland or France there would be no outcry. It is only because the UAE is a Muslim country that so many have disapproved. This argument has been brushed off to race card politics, however the facts of the matter remain. If the Bush Administration cannot gather the vast resources at their disposal to help with a natural disaster how can they possibly cope with a man made disaster where there is no warning. The Dubai port deal is bad politics with no semblance of common sense. This lack of sense was further demonstrated when more details of the port deal were released. When asked who initiated the deal President Bush said that even he wasn't aware of all the facts. Members of his staff had been responsible for the overall planning of this merger. Amid growing tensions over the war in Iraq and corruption in the White House it is no wonder that the President's approval ratings have plummeted to 37% according to MSNBC. This has Republicans jumping ship.
As of last week Dubai Ports World has retracted their bid for control over the ports. Much to the relief to anyone who is remotely interested in a basic common sense approach to security.