By now I’m rather sure that you’ve heard that Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates, has bought a British company that controls six major US ports. I hope you’ve been made aware of the following facts.

1. The United Arab Emirates has ties to Al Qaeda. Their banking system was one of the one used to by the terrorist organization to fund the attacks on the United States. When the US wanted to trace the money trail of Al Qaeda the United Arab Emirates blocked those efforts. Also, two of the nineteen hijackers on those four hijacked plans were from the United Arab Emirates.
2. The United Arab Emirates is one of only three governments on the planet who still recognize the Taliban as the rightful government of Afghanistan.
3. The United Arab Emirates sold equipment necessary to have a nuclear program to Iran, Libya and North Korea.
4. The United Arab Emirates is also a prime mover in the international drug trade.

Allowing the United Arab Emirates control of our ports would be the equivalent of allowing Fascist Italy control of our ports during World War II. The fact that we have so much foreign control of our ports is troubling enough. But, to allow a country with such strong terrorist ties to have control is downright scary.

George Bush has threatened to veto any attempts by Congress to block this sale. Hopefully Congress will have the resolve to override the veto. Congress can do these things you know.

Why is Bush so adamant about this sale? I’ll admit I’m only speculating here but my guess is he’s just following form. His usual MO is to put corporate interests ahead of those of the people. He’s doing that here like a champ. Two of Bush’s aides have ties to Dubai Ports World, Treasury Secretary Jack Snow and the nominee to head the US Maritime Administration David Sanborn. You can read more about them here.

I must admit I find something almost poetically ironic here. National security is the issue that has carried George Bush to two terms in the White House and has given the Republican Party firm control over Congress. Now with this firestorm of controversy it could be the issue that hobbles both the President and the GOP. The notion of selling our ports to a country with ties to the most brutal terrorist attack ever on American soil will not sit well with Middle America.

I hope ultimately Congress blocks this sale and we can put this issue to rest. But if by some chance it goes through I fear for the safety of the cities where those ports are.