The Controversy Over the UAE and Ports

Just a couple of quick observations on this issue, because I really don't know how I come out on it.

1. The entire controversy is late. Our wonderful so-called "mainstream" media was hunting Dick Cheney when this issue first arose, and are paying attention to the issue late.

2. That Jimmy Carter and the Washington Post support the President's position on this issue gives me pause.

3. Not John Behan at Commonwealth Watch has a good post here.

4. There are pros and cons on both sides. On the one hand, Arab companies deserve more scrutiny. Not all Arabs are terrorists, but all of the 9/11 terrorists were Arabs. At the same time, most of the commentary that I've heard on the issue sounds a lot like reflexive --- dare I say it? --- racism. Many commentators are speaking to their "feeling" about the issue, without any specifics.

The bottom line, I suppose, is that the President can make a case on this, and should. While I respect his desire to entrust the decision to good people that he supports, this initial and well-intentioned reaction is untenable given the growing firestorm. The fact is, as Not John Behan notes, that Americans trust the President on security issues more than they trust virtually anyone that the Democrats can put forward. But that trust isn't reflexive in the face of legitimate security questions over what many recognize as our most vulnerable point of entry into the United States.