The press (as usual) is also making more this than there is: the ports were already managed by a foreign company. That British company and their employees are not going away o be replaced by Arabs, the main company is simply being acquired by the emirates.
Since Britain is also infested with Islamonazis (who can more easily hide and travel under British passports than UAE citizens), it's not clear to me that the situation is actually getting any worse.
The real issue is how we could allow any foreign company to control our ports after 9/11?
EXACTLY! I agree completely with what you write. I haven't yet used the "smell test" expression but I do recognize why others do, and I understand that response.
I also agree completely that a terrorist tactic is to "hide in plain site" -- in reference to your U.K. "Islamonazis" reference (I'd also include others) -- but the issue of most cocern to ME is that point you made in conclusion... and that is that this "company" (not a company, but a government, O.K. on that correction from someone earlier) is a state owned organization and, in effect, this will place that state (UAE) in access to classified, natioanl security concerns, issues, and provide them with opportunities.
I ALSO agree with the general point that this is a huge political blunder for Bush. AND his Cabinet. It diminishes the credibility of the whole of them in the eyes of many and is just a huge political blunder. Bush could have, at least, eased the issue forward to some degree through certain opportunities, made some attempt to include Congress (I'm trusting that he did not but I do recognize the opportunity to exploit this for political gain by some, especially Hillary and perhaps Shumar)...
The political damage from this Port Deal as it is today is huge.