The backlash over the administration’s approval of a port deal with an Arab company continues, and rightly so. The president can offer no satisfactory justification for turning over port operations at several major east coast ports to a company based in the UAE, any more than FDR could have justified turning over operations in LA or San Francisco to a Japanese company in the midst of the Second World War, or Reagan turning over port facilities to a Soviet group. The UAE is known as a nation supportive to Al Qaeda, even serving as a banking center for radical Islam’s terror operations. This fact, in and of itself is reason enough to nix any such deal.

This decision was in error and clearly demonstrates the lack of any forward thinking in this administration, one might as well entrust the operation of this country to a team of 6 year olds. Democratic Senators in Congress, including Hilary Clinton, have proposed legislation barring foreign control of US port facilities. While their motives may be disingenuous, the president has again brought this situation upon himself. Why is it that we place ownership restriction on US media and not on crucial port facilities? Exactly which is the greater threat? We balk at the sale of key industries to Chinese companies but give carte blanche to Arab ones, exactly who is the greater threat?

To their credit, the GOP governors of Maryland and New York have announced that they will pursue alternative means to void the deal. It would be surprising if the president won the day on this issue. The president must accept the fact that this decision was a mistake and retreat from the abyss.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-19-port-steps_x.htm