The Tragic Treatment of the UAE Ports Deal

StrategyPage ^ | February 24, 2006 | Harold C. Hutchison

[Cannoneer No. 4]

February 24, 2006: The recent controversy over the acquisition of the British firm Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, by Dubai Ports World, a state-run company in the United Arab Emirates, has been largely a matter of heat opposed to light. This is largely because of a number of myths that have quickly circulated throughout the blogosphere. These myths have led to a lot of controversy that has cast one of the strongest American allies in the Persian Gulf in a poor light that is undeserved.

First, a look at the United Arab Emirates is in order. This is a country that has been a long-standing ally of the United States since 1971. The UAE was part of the coalition to liberate Kuwait in 1991, and also has supported the United States in the war on terror (including, among other things, providing access to a deep-water berth that can accommodate aircraft carriers, use of a training facility for air-to-air training facility, airfields, and logistics support). It is a country that has proven largely inhospitable to al-Qaeda (instead, the focus is on business), sent forces to Afghanistan to protect the construction of a hospital that they donated and built, and also has sent humanitarian assistance to Iraq while also providing a location for training Iraqi police. In 2002, the UAE also captured a major al-Qaeda figure, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who was involved in the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, and handed him over to the United States despite threats from the terrorist organization. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the UAE donated $100 million for the relief efforts. Both Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and General Peter Pace have described the relationship the United States has with United Arab Emirates as "very close" and "superb". It would be interesting to know what sort of information Michelle Malkin has that would override the judgment of Rumsfeld and Pace. Her characterization of the United Arab Emirates as "demonstrably unreliable" is not just factually challenged, it is slap in the face to the strongest ally the United States has in the Persian Gulf.

One of the other things that has been ignored in the anti-UAE diatribes from Malkin is the fact that the United Arab Emirates is a Middle Eastern country where religious tolerance is the rule. The UAE's constitution guarantees freedom of religion (albeit it declares Islam as the official religion), and largely permits religious freedom. In 2003, the UAE shut down the Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow-up, which was publishing material that promoted anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

Second, nothing will really change at the ports, particularly with regards to security. Security will remain the province of the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. In another fact ignored by the scare campaign, the UAE has the only port in the Middle East that is part of the Container Security Initiative. Dubai Ports World has also agreed to mandatory participation in other programs to improve security and to prevent the illegal shipment of nuclear materials, and will also provide documents on internal operations on demand and has agreed to cooperate in future investigations. The deal was also scrutinized by the intelligence community, which found no problems. The only thing that changes hands is who owns the company that will handle the day-to-day operations (often performed by American longshoremen – usually unionized). Dubai Ports World also bought out the port operations of CSX in 2004 – with no real issues.

Third, several claims have been made regarding connections to 9/11, specifically the fact that two of the hijackers were from the UAE. First, none of the critics have any proof that either the government of the UAE or Dubai Ports World was involved in the attack. By the standard of these critics, the United Kingdom would be held responsible for Richard Reid, or Germany would be responsible for the Hamburg cell that planned the attack. Second, the United Arab Emirates have stepped up efforts to make money laundering less easy after Dubai was used as a financial conduit for the attacks (again, there is no proof that the UAE or DPW were active participants in the laundering). It should also be noted that at least two Americans have worked with al-Qaeda (Johnny Walker Lindh and Jose Padilla) as well.

The last thing to consider is that in the day and age of the Internet, this debate is not staying inside the United States. Past irresponsible comments (like those by Senator Richard Durbin concerning Guantanamo Bay) have spread across the world very quickly. The scurrilous comments directed at the United Arab Emirates by Michelle Malkin have the potential to assist al-Qaeda recruiting in that country, and thus do more damage than the port deal would have done.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

I agree completely. I thought I was the only one but didn't dare write a word about it for fear of all the hysterical on-line lynching. There has been so little fact and so much emotion in this case it is frightening. Talk about a virtual riot, both on-line and on the talk-show airwaves, nearly as vitriolic as those recently in the aftermath of 'offensive' cartoons.

[LibLieSlayer]

Wrong on both parts. Your ignorance of facts concerns me! I only fear GOD!

LLS

[Canedawg]

" I think labelling people who have concerns about this deal as "frightened" diminishes them and belittes their argument. Many people who don't applaud this deal are rational people who care about their country."

There seems to be a lot of that belittling going on here lately concerning this port deal. As I mentioned yesterday, some of the condescenders sound like the pseudo-intellectual libs we abhor. But, I let the "frightened" comment slide until you mentioned it again.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

It's all about fear, hysteria, and panic as manufactured by the Left for several political reasons. None of us knew about this port deal until they made it an issue.

[drhogan]

it doesn't sound like there will be a revolution anytime soon in dubai. however, britain in its heyday had communist traitors, as has the US government. dubai no doubt has a handful of muslim fanatics. if they become embedded in this port company, and they are likely to already be there, they will have the potential to create a lot of damage.

[tertiary01]

I'll be for this deal when the UAE sign a public statement acknowledging Isreal's right to exist.

[tertiary01]

It's all about fear, hysteria, and panic as manufactured by the Left for several political reasons. None of us knew about this port deal until they made it an issue.

You have to be kidding. I have been hearing this on many local right wing talk shows for WEEKS, while the MSM was occupied trying to crucify Cheney.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Savage. And I'll tell you what, I had just started listening to Levin in the afternoon a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't believe after only a couple of days of this issue, when we'd just begun to scratch the surface of the information concerning this issue, he had the one he calls Schmuckie Schumer on his show, arms around each others shoulders.

Schmuckie must have peed himself laughing when he got off the phone, having so perfectly cajoled Levin.

Some of these talk-show hosts are part of the problem, all trying to carve out the next "Rush" niche for themselves, kicking each other and everyone else in the teeth to be "THE most independent thinker on the air." It's like they were looking for the opportunity to bash Bush.

[Cornpone]

Thanks for the links. I read the article. I hope you did. Its not exactly a ringing endorsement of religous freedom in the U.A.E. In any case, I was in Dubai. The list you provided had one church there. Someone else said there are four. I never saw one. But I imagine I just didn't look hard enough. If I remember correctly from when I was there the total population of Dubai was about 800,000 people. Of that number about 640,000 were expats. According to CIA estimates about 8 percent or 50,000 were westerners. If 20 percent of that number are practicing Christians you basically have four churches to service the spiritual needs of 10,000 people. I expect that estimate is rather conservative. In any case Dubai doesn't have the mega-churches you'll find in Texas so four small churches to service 10,000 to 20,000 people isn't a lot. Why so few? Because you can't build a church within site of a mosque. At least that's the general rule but I don't know if that is the case in Dubai since I never saw a church. Read the article closely. Each church the author visited served as many as 48 different congregations. As she acknowledged, there isn't exactly freedom of religion in Dubai or the U.A.E...at least not any freedom we would recognize. What freedom there is wouldn't even match U.N. standards of human rights...and we all now how low that standard is.

I'm told things have changed since I was there and I must acknowledge that; but, based on the date of your article I would say they haven't changed that much.

[drhogan]

you can keep telling me that, but i haven't seen specifics yet. stop telling me, and give me the specifics.
i have read that the records will be kept in dubai, and it will be more difficult for our security people to examine them, than if it was a US company.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

How did it become a national issue, from talk radio? Hardly. It became an issue when Clinton and Schumer seized the opportunity for political reasons.

[evad]

In a recent conversation with a friend, he was quite livid over the fact that W "did not know" about the port deal until late in the game. His belief is that it was a fault of his administration not being on the "up and up" with him and specifically he targeted Cheney as a culprit.

I voiced my disagreement with his assessment and offered to him the proposition that all deals don't originate in the mind of George Bush and that when he learns of things will depend on specific circumstances.

Incidentally, he was not opposed to the port deal per se but the fact that president seemed uninformed of something so vitally important.

What's your take??

[syriacus]

I am frankly surprised when Hillary stands up and speaks out against this deal. Talk about balls.

I wonder if she is desperate or merely her usual duplicitous self.

[syriacus]

Is the Cosco related to the membership store Costco?

I'm not aware of any relationship. Though I have to add a "-Costco" to any web searches I do, in order to eliminate Costco from the hits.

[dynoman]

Source for the following list.

1. 1991 Gulf War he branded the United States “our number two enemy” after Israel. Welcoming Terror to U.S. Ports (column) Source

2.United Arab Emirates recognized the Taliban regime in 1997 Source

3. UAE Govt and Bin Laden Report: Considered an ally now, UAE backed bin Laden Source

4. Bin Laden 1996 & 1998 Declarations of War Source Source Source

5. HAMAS and Zayad data: Welcoming Terror to U.S. Ports (column) Source

6. January 2004 - UAE Banks Investigations and Roles in 9/11 Associated Press: U.S. Eyes UAE Banks in Terror Money Probe Source

9/11 -- UAE Funds Transfer -- Money is Moved to the Hijackers Source

7. Al-Qaida money in Dubai banks also has been linked to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania blamed on Osama bin Laden. U.S. Eyes UAE Banks in Terror Money Probe Source

8. Before Saddam Hussein's ouster, this Persian Gulf emirate was a favorite transit point for smugglers sneaking past U.S.-led naval patrols enforcing United Nations trade sanctions U.S. Eyes UAE Banks in Terror Money Probe Source

9. 2002 to 2005 (?) - UAE - Dubai-based companies in the United Arab Emirates have been cited linchpins in the lucrative nuclear weapons black market that has supplied Iran, Libya and North Korea. Computer Firm in Dubai was Hub for Black Market Nuke Network Source

10. May 10, 2005 Saudi/UAE Al-Majd TV: “the fact that [the U.S.] entered [Iraq] … makes it every Muslim's duty to go out against them, not only the Iraqis… Jihad today has become an individual duty that applies to each and every Muslim…

11. July 27, 2005, the Palestinian Information Center carried a public HAMAS statement thanking the UAE for it’s “unstinting support.” The statement said: “We highly appreciate his highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan (UAE president) in particular and the UAE people and government in general for their limitless support Welcoming Terror to U.S. Ports (column) Source

12. UAE Company Hosts Hamas Web Site Source

13. Misuse of passports on the rise in UAE. "Cases of fraud involving misuse of passports are on the rise in the UAE, Khaleej Times, has learnt." Misuse of passports on the rise in UAE Source

[JayAr36]

Aah the ever so "Political Correct," if we just treat them as friends they will become our friends. This is undoubtedly form someone who has not read the Muslim history or has spent any time reading their guidelines in the Koran. From,"Islam History, theology and Impact Upon the World."

"The progression was from Dar al Sulh - when the Muslims are minority community, and they need to adopt temporily a peaceful attitude in order to deceive their neighbors - to Dar al Harb, when the territory of the infidel becomes a war zone by definition."

Trust a Muslim! You willing to bet your life on it?

[kabar]

Thanks for the links. I read the article. I hope you did. Its not exactly a ringing endorsement of religous freedom in the U.A.E. In any case, I was in Dubai.

There are other Christian churches in Dubai. I have visited there about a dozen times. We used to go to the expat Middle Eastern softball tournment twice a year hosted by the Hotel Chicago. It was a good break from Saudi, especially since you could drink alcohol in public. Dubai is a great place.

Someone else said there are four. I never saw one. But I imagine I just didn't look hard enough.

That sounds a little different from your initial statement, "The whole time I was there I never saw a church nor could I find a Bible in their book stores." There are churches in the UAE whether you personally saw them or not. How long were you there?

As she acknowledged, there isn't exactly freedom of religion in Dubai or the U.A.E...at least not any freedom we would recognize. What freedom there is wouldn't even match U.N. standards of human rights...and we all now how low that standard is.

You can practice your religion, but you can't proselytize. It may not be up to Texas standards, but it is infinitely better than Saudi Arabia. I wouldn't minimize what is going on in UAE re religious freedom. The author comes to a similar conclusion.

"So ultimately, after giving this some thought, my conclusion is as follows. The UAE's limited freedom is not ideal, but it is far more than other countries offer. And it is the responsibility of the UAE's guests (which we are) to act within their laws, and to respect the freedom that they have given us."

"There are other ways of convincing people to change their belief systems. But disobeying the law is certainly not going to impress many people."

[mtnwmn]

And most of them are in Alabama!

[tertiary01]

There were lots of others out there beating the drum waaaayyy before Schumer and Clinton. Savage, Levin, Katz, Steve Roberts, Laura Ingraham among others. The reason it took hold because it resonates with those of both parties. You will notice that the Cheney thing never took hold in spite of millions of dollars of push by the MSM because it did not resonate.

Another thing, if the UAE is so fickle that we continually have to worry about hurting their feelings inorder to have their support on the WOT as some on here would have us believe, I can't see that they would make good managers or whatever it is that they are going to do with our ports. Sound like they would be poor business partners.

[BillyBoy]

>> And Libya has given up it's WMD program. Countries can change. <<

Yeah, Moammar Ghadafi must be our "best friend" and "staunch ally" now, going by Bushbot logic (nevermind that he and the UAE were basically forced, post 9/11, to comply in the WOT or face "regime change")

Yassir Arafat condemned 9/11 too, and even became a blood donor to help our the 9/11 victims. Whatta guy!!!

Islamofacists are our true friends!