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ImPORTant Voices: Americans Speak Up on Security

Which political party do you trust with our security? Do you trust foreign governments and multinational corporations to own our ports? What is the priority when security, the economy, and globalism are at odds?

These are some of the questions that have emerged since the Bush administration negotiated with a United Arab Emirates-owned company, Dubai Ports World, to take over ports in six large American cities, including New Orleans and New York. The issue brings with it economic threats, fears about foreigners, and cogent security concerns.

But just as Congress was really heating up over the issue, Dubai Ports World pulled out of the deal, quelling an imminent political standoff. What kind of corporation will be the successor is a critical question.

Washington tussle - and how your voice matters

The multi-layered debate unsettled Washington D.C. and the rest of the country. Most polled Americans didn’t want Dubai Ports World to obtain U.S. ports and many said so to their representatives.

At their constituents’ demand, House Republican leaders broke with the Bush administration to oppose the ports takeover through legislation. With broad bipartisan support, House leaders planned to attach the bill to a spending supplemental for the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina relief.

President Bush threatened to veto the measure, but he would have been hard pressed to kill such a vital spending bill.

By putting President Bush in this difficult position, House Republican leaders really showed their teeth. For the first time, they fully separated themselves from the Bush administration on a policy issue. And while voters’ opinions were an important motivation, breaking away from Bush was a key political move.

Because of Bush’s low approval ratings, Republicans up for reelection are trying to distinguish themselves before November 2nd. It’s common for the party in power to lose seats at the midpoint of a president’s second term, so Republicans are strategizing to stay in the game.

That’s not to say that House Republicans didn’t have ethical and theoretical objections to the ports deal. The issue is a particularly fertile one, forcing hard decisions that affect the public interest.

Fear itself

Had the Dubai deal gone through, the United Arab Emirates would not be the first foreign country with hands on our ports. Companies based in Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan already manage work crews that load and unload vessels in American harbors.

So what’s different about Dubai? Why the Far East and not the Middle East? Is it fair to blame and punish an entire region? Do we fear Dubai Ports World because it’s run by an Arab state? That sort of anti-Arab sentiment is certainly un-American. Ok, some say, so it’s not that they’re Arab, it’s that the UAE once supported the Taliban.

Well, that does seem like a red flag until one considers that the U.S. supported the Taliban at one time (when they were fighting against the Soviets for control of Afghanistan). The Emirates supported the Taliban during the civil war that followed because they wanted a Sunni Muslim government in Afghanistan to balance the mainly Shiite Iran, an adversary of Arab Gulf nations.

There is no viable evidence that the UAE continues to support the Taliban or otherwise help terrorists. It simply wouldn’t be good for business. And business, many argue, is what this whole thing is about.

Globalism and security

Peering through the lens of the global economy, it makes sense for national and transnational corporations to trade ports. Through the lens of security, it could be dangerous.

As the ports problem emerged, Congress’ first move was to propose a 45-day security investigation that would better determine the true risk of turning over U.S. ports to the UAE.

One reason for careful consideration is the billions of dollars in trade at stake. In 2005, U.S.- UAE trade came to $8.6 billion. Dubai Ports World warned that they may rethink their investments in the U.S. if the ports deal fell through.

Clearly, economic security is also a major concern here, but when must it be sacrificed for a more basic security?

Americans spoke up

Americans said no to the ports deal, and our representatives listened.

Our leaders have told us again and again about the importance of security, about vigilance and caution, and so we’re sensitive to possible breaches. Now, many Americans are reflecting these security messages back to our leaders and demanding that they remain consistent.

Even though the Dubai Ports World deal fell through, it is still a good time to contact your representatives and tell them how YOU see security. Much more needs to be done to secure our ports and maritime trade. What do you need to feel secure? How you think the nation can maintain our safety? Should any foreign nation or company have control of U.S. ports? What else do foreign companies own? Talk to your reps. They really do listen.

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Update Posted on: 3/9/2006