Did the U.S. (i.e. this Administration) just agree to let an Arab company manage security for major U.S. ports?
I tend toward internationalism myself... I don't ask what ground my oil was pumped from or where my clothes were made or where my winter fruit was grown... but I can understand those who feel that there are some things that are so vital to our national interest that we need to keep it within our borders.
I thought it was kind of funny when the U.S. Army went to the black berets made in China. (Berets made no sense to me, but buying them from the PRC was a nice touch.) Employing any offshore company to manage security in U.S. ports is not so funny... in fact it's stupid.
Michael Chertoff reassures us that this company, Dubai Ports World, has been vetted. If Michael Chertoff had any credibility left at all after the 2005 hurricane season, that might count for something. I am not comforted that the people who said that Michael Brown was doing a heck of a job after Katrina now say that Michael Chertoff is doing a great job. In any case, I think the nationality of any non-U.S. company overseeing U.S. port security is beside the point.
We need a rule that says that if it's really and truly important to our national defense... or homeland security or whatever we're calling it today... we don't outsource it.
9 comments:
Absolutely agree with you! From here, it is only a short putt to turn over the management of Homeland Security Dept to the very ones we're trying to protect against. Where is Congress on this? Have we completely lost all sanity?
This move is insanity. I try to imagine its genesis and discussion within the halls of Washington and I cannot get any further than the first person who suggested it being pummelled to the floor by everyone else in the room.
How can this be?
Have been following this story, and it is utter madness. This is a fine example of a recent post on Octogenarian's blog about "craziness."
As I commented there, I'm beginning to wonder what is sane anymore.
Excuse me? Aren't we in a war against ARABS? Wasn't it ARABS who bombed the USS Cole in the Persian Gulf a couple years ago? Putting ARABS in charge of our port security is like letting the inmates run the asylum! Then again, I'm beginning to think that's who's running this country -- madmen. The battle cry at Norfolk Naval base after 9/11 was "Remember the Cole!" I think we should remember it now. I'm going to email my congressman and senators on this.
keep the ragheads out of our ports
I still can't believe that they would turn over the customs service to the ragheads, this is just sick
I can't believe we haven't rounded them all up and sent them to internment camps in the Dakotas
This is why we need a Senator in Virginia who will work to refocus our military towards true national defense!
Check out Former Navy Secretary JIM WEBB'S live blog from tonight at DailyKos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/14/19014/5349
Jim Webb will bring government back to the people, but he needs your help!
Let's send Bush Clone George Allen to defeat in November!
Help raise $300,000 for Webb in 3 weeks!
http://www.webbforsenate.com/3weeks/index.php
Post a Comment