Posted on 02/21/2006 4:27:59 PM PST by SJackson
Arab-Americans have contended that bias and bigotry, not security concerns, lie behind the uproar over a deal that would place commercial operations at six US ports in the hands of an Arab company.
The furore centres around the $6.8 billion acquisition by UAE state-owned Dubai Ports World of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. P&O which had been running operations at shipping terminals in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami, and Philadelphia.
James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, said on Tuesday that politicians were exploiting fears left over from the September 11 attacks to gain advantage in a congressional election year.
"I find some of the rhetoric being used against this deal shameful and irresponsible. There is bigotry coming out here," he said
"Bush is vulnerable so the Democrats jump on it. The Republicans feel vulnerable so they jump on it. The slogan is, if it's Arab, it's bad. Hammer away," Zogby said.
Anti-Arab bigotry
According to some industry analysts, the change in management would have no real effect on security, which would still be carried out by American workers to international standards.
The UAE, whose government owns Dubai Ports World, is an international financial hub and close US ally.
"The Emirates have been very pro-active partners in helping our security. They have a solid track record of cooperation," said Peter Tirschwell, publisher of the Journal of Commerce.
Rabiah Ahmed of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said members of her organisation also believed anti-Arab bigotry was driving the debate.
"The perception in the Arab-American community is that this is related to anti-Arab sentiment," she said.
Arab-US business
Arab investment in the United States is hardly new.
Ever since the spike in energy prices in the early 1970s, dollars from oil-producing Arab nations have poured into the United States, at times prompting xenophobic reaction in some quarters as concern grew that vital interests were being auctioned off to foreigners.
Some recent deals in the United States include:
February 2006: Shareholders of UK-based P&O, which operates six key ports in the United States, approve the sale of their company to state-owned Dubai Ports World for $6.8 billion. The Bush administration approves the sale after a classified review.
January 2006: Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Colony Capital agree to pay $3.9 billion for Canada's Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc., trumping an offer by billionaire investor Carl Icahn.
January 2006: United Arab Emirates-based media investment company Istithmar acquires 109 million shares, or 2.39% of Time Warner Inc. for $2 billion.
November 2005: Istithmar says it has bought New York property 230 Park Avenue for $705 million.
August 2005: Dubai's Dubal, owner and operator of the largest aluminum smelter in the Western world, says it will take a 25% stake in Canada's Global Alumina Corp.
January 2005: The government of Dubai buys a $1 billion stake in DaimlerChrysler AG, becoming the auto maker's third-largest shareholder. The purchase was made through the government's Dubai Holding company.
December 2004: State-owned Dubai Ports pays $1.15 billion for the global port assets of US-based CSX Corp., outbidding the world's two biggest container port operators.
*Yawn*
Errr...while I am not particularly worried about this deal, I think Americans have some reason for being less than confident in Arabs and Muslims in general. Maybe Muslims should ask themselves exactly WHY Americans are opposed to this.
....clown should have been with me the morning of 9/11 in Paterson,NJ when I witness dancing in the streets....I saw bias
Arabs discussing bigotry is like Hitler discussing humanism or Teddy Kennedy discussing the virtues of temperence.
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If the burka fits...
Middle East governments can manage ports in the United States ONLY when the U.S. is allowed to manage their oil field production.
Pot, kettle, black...
Don't forget John Kerry declaring that steadiness is next to Godliness.
I don't hear them complaining about bigotry when people are beheaded, Christians are being slain in the name of moham-mad and bibles are not allowed in mid-east countries.
All I ever wanted to know about Muslims and Arabs I learned on 911.
All Arabs and Muslims want is the Economic opportunity that they can't develop in their own countries because of the Muslim religion. They will never assimilate into our culture and their culture is not acceptable.
The more important issue to me is....Dubai sure has a lot of money to throw around buying up US and Canadian concerns. It would be interesting to see the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How....Dubai ended up with insane amounts of cash....
Muslims have been instructed by the Quran to kill all Jews and Christians.
What do you think the reaction would have been among us bigots in 1965? 1995?
Watching you Islamic Swine successfuly attack us as we have never been attacked before has a way of unclouding our vision.
Some dummies here will forget, but not all of us are dummies.
ML/NJ
C'mon guys! Aside from suicide bombings, beheadings, car bombs, kidnappings, assassinations, rape, mass graves, Sharia Law, back stabbing political duplicity and worldwide Jihad towards a global caliphate, Muslims are perfectly trustworthy.
Hey Zogby...the Arabs earned our suspicion on 911 and have underscored their insanity with their violent reaction to cartoons. Muslims are killing all around the world as instructed by the pedophile prophet.
From oil and the investments that huge excess oil money allows. The Saudis, Kuwaitis, Venezuelans and Mexicans all do the same. Arab oil money has also purchased much of Great Britain's assets and real estate and Arab banks are everywhere.
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