I'm assuming that it's man overboard for Dubai to take over ports in New York and other cities now that it has been revealed by the Jerusalem Post that the company supports an Arab boycott of Israel. The deal was already on the ropes, and this will push it into the deep blue.
But there could be one positive spillover from what otherwise looks like just another political foul-up for the Bush Administration. The Dubai deal has finally gotten politicians -- both nationally and in key coastal cities -- to start talking seriously about port security. Port security has been a watchword since right after 9/11, but while great plans have been laid on paper, and Bush has outlined a thorough maritime security agenda, virtually nothing has been implemented. Most Americans simply don't spend a lot of time thinking about boats, and its been tough to get political leaders to focus on unsexy imperatives like rigorous container inspection. My co-blogger Lorelei Kelly looks at some of the key steps that need to be taken here and why there's a standstill.
As the Dubai Ports deal sputters out, lets make sure our leaders don't let Dubai Ports float away without leaving a commitment to true progress on true port security in its wake.
Suzanne Nossel is a Senior Fellow at the Security and Peace Initiative, a project of the Center for American Progress and the Century Foundation. She blogs regularly at www.democracyarsenal.org
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