Category: Americas, World Affairs Topics: Government And Politics Views: 5397
5397
Racial Commercial Profiling of Dubai Ports
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Some members of Congress, exhibiting post-9/11 jingoism and paranoia, are pressuring the Bush administration to reconsider its decision to allow Dubai Ports World, an Arab company, to take over operations at six U.S. ports. The approval should stand.
Congressman Peter T. King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and, more importantly, a Congressman from an area near two of the ports that will be operated by Dubai Ports World, expressed this xenophobic view about Dubai's acquisition of the British company that is currently operating the ports: "In the post-9/11 world, there should have been a presumption against this company."
Why? Because two of the 9/11 hijackers happened to be from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the country in which the company is based. Yet the British company, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, was allowed to operate the ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, and New Orleans despite Richard Reid's (the infamous "shoe bomber") British citizenship. And American companies are permitted to operate some U.S. ports despite the fact that Timothy McVeigh, Jose Padilla, and other U.S. citizens are convicted or accused terrorists. For that matter, how do we know that even an American company running the ports would be immune from terrorist infiltration?
In fact, since two of the 9/11 hijackers were from the UAE, Dubai Ports World might even have a stronger interest in operating safe and secure ports than companies from other nations. Dubai has a worldwide presence, an extensive history of operating ports, and a reputation to uphold. If a terrorist incident occurred in one of its ports, the company would probably lose more business worldwide than a non-Arabic company would under the same circumstances.
The company should be evaluated on its qualifications to operate the ports, not on McCarthy-like litmus tests for Arabs or the UAE. Besides, although Dubai Ports World will operate the ports, U.S. federal and local authorities will remain in charge of security.
Members of Congress such as Congressman King and New York Senator Charles E. Schumer certainly get points with their New York constituents for defending the nation against the onslaught by "Arab terrorists," and perhaps trying to protect U.S. companies from foreign competition as well.
But if Arab companies truly cannot be trusted to operate U.S. ports, then shouldn't they be banned from all involvement with U.S. airports, farming, electrical generation, water works, nuclear power plants, chemical, biomedical, and pharmaceutical production, and tunnel, bridge, stadium, and skyscraper construction? Extending this flawed logic further, perhaps even airlines from Arab countries should be banned from landing at U.S. airports because they might be used in terrorism or bring terrorists into the United States-in spite of the fact that the planes used on 9/11 were U.S. airliners.
After 9/11, U.S. authorities incarcerated and questioned people based on their Arabic nationalities and Islamic religion. The vast majority of them had no connection to terrorism or the 9/11 attacks. This was widely perceived to have been an overreaction. Yet more than four years after 9/11, this racial and ethnic profiling has now moved from individuals to businesses. The Bush administration was right to insist that no security threat emanated from a routine business purchase of a British firm by an Arab company. The politicians should quit posturing and move on to more important issues.
Ivan Eland is the Director of the Center on Peace and Liberty at the Independent Institute in Oakland, California and author of the book, Putting "Defense" Back into U.S. Defense Policy: Rethinking U.S. Security in the Post-Cold War World.
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Older Comments:
YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
In retrospect it seems as if the movers and shakers considered Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting mishap to be worthier of attention than a mere threat to America's solidarity with vital Arab allies. At least Dubai has a pro-American curriculum for its state-funded schools (unlike Colorado for example).
2006-03-29
BOBBE FROM USA said:
I do not understand what all the media hype is about. Dubai will be operating a ''terminal'' under an American owned/operated ''Port Authority''. When one boards a cruise they go to that terminal or that dock. Goods are shipped and received at various docks/terminals that are leased/operated by various companies or countries.
Airports also have terminals.
What event was missed by all the attention given to this possible event.
Airports also have terminals.
What event was missed by all the attention given to this possible event.
2006-03-28
YMMIR FROM USA said:
gulf arabs /rulers are considered immoral from all accounts yussouf ibrahim world reporter according to news channels said dubai is the prostitution CAPITAL of the world.why should we bother.we feel arabs are going to era of jehalit
2006-03-08
HINA FROM USA said:
In response to Jims comments -
this article is not written by a Muslim. Scroll to the bottom of the column to see who wrote it.
Muslims arent killing Muslims - thats what your media shows you here. Are you really that naive? What about the millions of innocent lives that are lost in the Iraq war and COMPLETELY untallied in the media here.
Open your eyes Jim - Peace be upon you!
this article is not written by a Muslim. Scroll to the bottom of the column to see who wrote it.
Muslims arent killing Muslims - thats what your media shows you here. Are you really that naive? What about the millions of innocent lives that are lost in the Iraq war and COMPLETELY untallied in the media here.
Open your eyes Jim - Peace be upon you!
2006-02-26
DAWOOD HAQ FROM USA said:
As a Muslim and an American I don't see the need for a foreign company to run such an important area like our ports.The fear some people express about this is well grounded because I, as an American muslim, is not considered Muslim by the Arab community because they have established themselves as Arabs first and Muslims secondly.I see this practiced daily.If their culture is foreign to me, you can only imagine how it is to my fellow Americans.
2006-02-26
JIM FROM USA said:
I can't understand the negativity in this article uless it was to instill more hatred. You have no idea how thw AMerican public feel. GBecasue the articel is negative and you are Muslim, you automatically take it's opinion.
I can tell you this. I am as equally upset as when I found out Great Britan was running our ports. As far I and many Americans are concerned, this should be American run operation, and not any any foriegn country, whether it be England or UAE. We are agaist that. Our ports should not be run by another country. Period. So get off you high horse quit feeling left out. This isn't an Arab thing. It's a Muslim thing. All that we see on the left wing major networks, is Mulsim violence day in and day out. It's not just that many Muslims hate America, it's that now we see you hating each other. Frankly it's very hard to put your trust and faith into such a thing. If you could see it from our view, you would feel the same way. As a matter of fact, I get a lot of hatred to America from some of these comments about this article.
Enough said.
I can tell you this. I am as equally upset as when I found out Great Britan was running our ports. As far I and many Americans are concerned, this should be American run operation, and not any any foriegn country, whether it be England or UAE. We are agaist that. Our ports should not be run by another country. Period. So get off you high horse quit feeling left out. This isn't an Arab thing. It's a Muslim thing. All that we see on the left wing major networks, is Mulsim violence day in and day out. It's not just that many Muslims hate America, it's that now we see you hating each other. Frankly it's very hard to put your trust and faith into such a thing. If you could see it from our view, you would feel the same way. As a matter of fact, I get a lot of hatred to America from some of these comments about this article.
Enough said.
2006-02-24
YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
I agree with the author. But secretive business dealings haven't helped Americans understand Arabia. Or at least so it would seem.
2006-02-23
KHAN FROM USA said:
USA and other westerners use United Arab Emirates(UAE), Saudi Arabia (SA), and other muslim countries as their puppets, bases, military headquarters to attack or invade other uprising muslim countries(in technology, education, infrastucture development etc.).
Now, why so much contoroversy. Are those (UAE, SA) countries not US partners/allies?.Is this not a double or ...standard?. There must be mutual trust and understanding and work for each other.
There are many ports (West and East Coasts) that are controlled by foreign countries. As long as they maintain the security standards of this country , they should be OK.
Now, why so much contoroversy. Are those (UAE, SA) countries not US partners/allies?.Is this not a double or ...standard?. There must be mutual trust and understanding and work for each other.
There are many ports (West and East Coasts) that are controlled by foreign countries. As long as they maintain the security standards of this country , they should be OK.
2006-02-23
AHMED FROM UK said:
This is a sick joke. I forgot, mid-term elections are coming up. How many Israeli "art students" have these hypocrites gone after. Why not boycott Walmart, where the 911 hijackers bought their box cutters. Let this be a lesson to those deluded Arabs who think the US is their ally.
Disgusting.
Disgusting.
2006-02-22
