Well... sure... jettisoning external tanks is one thing.
But the charge was that the A320 was somehow unique in that it was not set up to dump fuel from its main tanks. While I love Boeing over Airbus as much as the next guy... I'm not sure it is a fair rap. I'm not sure that it is true that other smaller jets like the 737 are set up to dump fuel either.
Somebody explained it as being more a matter of weight than about fire in a crash. There are maximum safe takeoff weights, and maximum safe landing weights. The heavy jets like the 747 can take off with weights that are far in excess of what they are rated to land with. The difference being fuel. They can carry enormous amounts of fuel that they have to dump if they need to turn around and land right after takeoff.
The smaller jets, like the 737 or the A320, have safe landing weights that can still include a full load of fuel, and therefore they don't need to dump it in order to be within weight limits for landing.
Then the question is why last month in LA with the Airbus with the nosegear problem did they feel the needed to burn off fuel before landing... either you need to get rid of fuel weight for safety reason or you don't and if you have to get down fast you don't have time to burn it off (say if you lose an engine)...yes I know that it been stated that there is no need to be able to dump fuel weight for safety reason before landing but that does no seem to be consistent with what happen, they burn the fuel off before landing... so what gives?