[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

There will be a backlash against Schumer, Clintoon and certain knee-jerk light-weight Republicans.

[OpusatFR]

Nope. I really hate the racist argument pulled out of the hat to deflect what are legitimate concerns.

Deceitful, untrue, and used by the right it is just as digusting as when it is used by the left.

[Pukin Dog]

Oh, would you look at that? More facts. The more xenophobic among us better hide their eyes, lest they go blind.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Mansoor is seldom wrong about such matters.

[Peach]

This is my biggest fear about this entire deal -- that the administration didn't understand how upsetting this would be to people and assign a point person to explain all the details regarding the ports and now our one reasonably dependable ally in the region, the UAE, will be so upset with the reaction of Americans that it will turn them firmly against us.

[hershey]

He's wrong. There's nothing racist or phobic about the reaction to the port buyout. When the average American discovers that two of the 9/11 hijackers were from the Emirates, his antennae go way, way up...as they should. It's the administration's fault for not explaining the deal to America, also explaining how important our relationship with the Emirates is, how they've helped us in the fight against terrorism...at considerable danger to themselves. Really stupid of the Bush administration.

[hershey]

The deal will go through, but safeguards and fed oversight must be explained to the public.

[blaquebyrd]

"Simply put, the reaction to the Dubai deal is un-American."

No flying planes into buildings and killing 3,000 innocent citizens is un-American. Suicide bombers and kidnappers who saw off the heads of innocent hostages in the name of Allah is un-American. Americans have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to this issue. We were attacked, we are at war and a country at war must make make un PC decisions when it comes to national security. Maybe one day there will be a time when this deal will make sense but now is not that time. Personally I hope Americans stand up and use this issue as a spark to go even further in the defense of America. Next let's go after those who want to maintain our weak border security policies!

[oceanview]

I would ask him one simple question.

the UAE owns some manhattan real estate - no problem. however, suppose tommorrow the UAE tried to buy the WTC site from Silverstien? would our "tolerance" for middle easterners be such that we had to approve that deal to sell the WTC site to the UAE, would we be racists for not allowing that too?

the racism argument shows you that the proponents of this port deal have nothing left to fall back on, so they just call everybody a racist and hope to scare them off with that.

[Kimberly GG]

thank you for posting this.

I have the utmost respect for the author.

I hope that many of the freepers will come around on this. As I said earlier, based on yesterday's posts, I thought I entered the DU.

[smith288]

Is this where I show my indignancy on the matter or is there a better thread?

[Junior_G]

Islamic terrorists must be taking some joy in the fact that even after 9/11 the race card can still be deployed so effectively against political-correctness-soaked America.

[edcoil]

So "Islamophobia" is a bad thin but anti-americanism causing you to attack and kill americans seems reasonable to this guy.


They are lucky it seems Americans are only being islamophobia and not doing business with muslims. My sense is that Americans are tired of the ME battle and wnat to go roman on the middle-east and they should consider themselves lucky.

[steve86]

The racist and xenophobe arguments are particularly ironic when some of us have Muslim friends and business acquaintances and still the see UEA thing for what it is -- an unacceptable security risk.

[MadeInAmerica]

Which country in the middle east holds free elections? Until that happens...no soup for them

[Bean Counter]

This entire issue is one of the biggest Red Herrings to come down the pike in quite a while. Both sides are doing themselves no credit with the extreme views that are being bandied about all over the place.

At the same time, I swear I can detect the aroma of a possible fart blossom in there someplace...

[Petronski]

It's not islamophobia, for that would be an "irrational fear."

What is the catchy Greek word for "rational distrust?"

[drypowder]

The immigrants foist their culture on us to the extent that the American culture is quickly becoming a thing of the past and they use the word racists when a good American attempts to challenge the cultural metamorphosis resulting from their invasion. The tragedy is the fact that the racist card works. Warranted or not, once tagged as a racist death of ones credibility soon follows.

[Oliver Optic]

The reaction to this has been overblown, no doubt ... but rabid Freepers are not the only ones expressing concern:

Security Fears About Infiltration By Terrorists

[ApplegateRanch]

Whatever the UAE's policies in the pre-9/11 world (whether as home to A. Q. Khan's illicit nuclear network, one of three Taliban embassies, questionable banking practices, or as an alleged repository for Iranian-terror funds), Dubai's record under these young leaders in the post 9/11 world reflects serious and structural change in national strategy.

Well, that certainly allays my misgivings.

Why, in just 5 years, they have done a 180 on centuries of tradition, and that will absolutely, positively remain the new course forever more.

Phew, for awhile, I was worried.