My Fellow Americans--
There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about the Dubai Ports World purchase of the Brittish company handing container operations at some American ports.
The rhetoric is spinning out of control. It's not going to go away and that's my fault. I should have said something earlier to Congress at the very least so they would have accurate information to modify and fabricate for their own political gain instead of just fabricating information outright.
Here's the deal.
We're not selling our ports. We're not hirings "nasty A-rabs" to protect our ports. We're not replacing longshoremen with Middle Easterners.
Dubai Ports World took over the British corporation that handled the job of essentially writing checks to longshoremen. As you know, the British aren't that great at holding on to things outside of Britain and DP won out.
Many of you have been given the false impression that the United Arab Emirates is a terrorist harboring state that cannot be trusted. Well, that's patently false and has no basis in fact.
The United States has Middle Eastern friends and Middle Eastern enemies. The UAE is a friend.
The United Arab Emirates has allowed the United States unlimited use of its Al Dahfra air base for spy plane and other military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The United Arab Emirates is currently helping train Iraqi security forces as we continue to try to relieve the burden on American troops.
The United Arab Emirates was the first country to sign on to the Container Security Initiative. Bottom line: the Dubai port is among the largest in the world. Boatloads of containers already come from the UAE to the United States. The United Arab Emirates were the first to agree to the tough program designed to screen containers coming to our country. Even as I speak UAE port workers are loading commercial ships bound for our country. They also help load and unload U.S. Navy ships.
The United Arab Emirates is also close to Iran. Iran hates the UAE and the UAE hates Iran. We like that. We're glad we are friends with the UAE. As long as we are, the Gulf will never be taken over by our middle eastern enemies. Never.
Based on all that the UAE has given us and has invested in the war on terror, there is no logical reason to deny a UAE company the opportunity to invest in the U.S. economy and benefit from our interests.
You all know about the need to battle Islamic Fascists. Why encourage friendly countries to retreat into evil based on unfounded fears?
Some have claimed UAE ties to the 9/11 attacks. Those are false. Two of the hijackers came from the UAE but even nine months before the attacks the UAE, in cooperation with the CIA, stopped one of them for questioning because his activities raised suspicion. It was the U.S. that let him go, not the UAE.
As for money ties to 9/11 , money did go through the UAE banking system, but not with the aid of the UAE government.
It should also be noted that the hijackers developed the most critical attack tool of all right here in the U.S. They learned the fly in the U.S., not in the UAE. They used visas granted by the U.S. Government, not the UAE.
Some have claimed that the other reason to oppose the UAE company is because the UAE supported the Taliban. I've got news for you. So did the United States. In 1996 we established diplomatic relations with the Taliban. In 1997 a Taliban delegation came to Houston and took in the zoo and the NASA Space Center. They were guests of a U.S. Oil Company.
In two years I'm headed back to Crawford. My legacy will be determined by you. I have nothing to gain by leaving you with a ticking time bomb. But I won't rest well in Crawford until you know that the UAE is not your enemy today. Your enemy is a multitude of individuals who stand to gain personally and politically by lying and fabricating details of what is really going on and the reasons why.
There are those in the media who are hoping for a short term burst of celebrity by exploiting foreign paranoia and hoping you don't read. And there are those pandering bi partisan politicians who have no interest in facts or, for that matter, anything that happens beyond election year 2006. Yes, I should have briefed them, but the truth was just a phone call away. Do not let them exploit your illogical fears for their own political gain.
Again, what do I have to gain by endangering your safety? What do THEY have to gain by making you think you are endangered?
Jamie Allman is a radio talkshow host in St Louis, MO and an occasional columnist. He had been a fixture in St Louis Television News as an investigative reporter before moving to talk radio. See his website at http://www.971talk.com/weekdays/allman_stove.aspx
