THIS is what passes for journalists at Gannetts Florida Today newspaper. Reporter Matt Reed -- reports whatever hes fed, and then opines on the security concerns many have about an Arab/Muslim company coming into Port Canaveral to handle container cargo. I give you Matt Reed, arrogant leftist no-nothing who condescendingly proffers the final word on Flatulence Todays opinion page. Think Matt doesnt have a bias??? ----- Matt Reed: Port deal meets dumb U.S. politics Does Port Canaverals contract with an Emirati company to run its new cargo terminal pose a security risk to America? Probably not, but a California congressman has demanded a federal investigation, and the story echoing through conservative newspapers and websites goes like this: A Middle Eastern company based in a nation linked to terrorists has signed a 35-year, $100 million deal to take over a strategic American port. The company will operate next to cruise ships and a U.S. submarine installation, raising security concerns. Selling off control of America, one piece at a time, said the Tea Party Tribune blog. Hunter calls for probe, the Newsmax website reported. The Gulftainer deal: Ports of peril, read a headline in the conservative Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Suddenly, the ports breakthrough into logistics and trade with Gulftainer Co., headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, is sounding like one of those national political things where questions give rise to congressional investigations, which stoke the political media, which make everything fall apart before anyone has answered the questions. Poof go 2,000 potential jobs in Brevard and the $100 million capital investment by the company if this thing unfolded the way the Dubai Ports World controversy did in 2006. Fortunately, Americans are predictably xenophobic (if not moronic) on issues like this, especially when it comes to geography. Thats why Port CEO John Walsh and Gulftainer executives negotiated into the contract a full-blown security review of the companys finances and leadership by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Gulftainer execs voluntarily submitted the paperwork May 14, two and a half months before Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, demanded the exact same probe. If approved in September, Gulftainer next will submit security plans to its new next-door neighbor at the port, the U.S. Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security. What link? Until then, the scariest thing anyone can insinuate about Gulftainer is that the private company is based in the United Arab Emirates, just like former Vice President Dick Cheneys old company, Halliburton. The UAE is an ally and friendly trade partner of the United States. Its Persian Gulf city of Dubai — known for skyscrapers, world-class shopping and pro tennis tournaments — serves as the finance and banking hub of the Middle East. But the country also is run by Arab Muslims. Thats reason enough for suspicion for many Americans who dont know Syria from Shinola. Matt Reed: How Canada plays us in politics You do NOT deal with the enemy in a time of war or when our allies are fighting for their very existence against the brethren of those trying to set up shop at our ports, the Tea Party Tribune says. The report by the 9/11 Commission said the wide open, Western-style banking system in the UAE allowed private sympathizers to launder money for al-Qaida and the Taliban, the same way South American drug lords have laundered money through U.S. banks. But the commission did not accuse the UAE government or banks of sponsoring terror. Since then, the U.S. State Department has praised it for adopting anti-money-laundering laws and dealing expeditiously with terrorist activity. Ratings by the World Bank and Transparency.org show the Emirates are still slightly behind the United States in controlling corruption, but better than the U.S. on banking secrecy that poses risks of abuse. The country recently joined Saudi Arabia in labeling the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Secure in the world But Ill leave it to the Committee on Foreign Investment to figure out whether any of that is relevant to Gulftainer and its deal to unload boxes from ships on the north side of Port Canaveral. Ditto for Congressman Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, his office told me Friday. For now, I see no reason to fear a company planning to invest and grow in Brevard. For one thing, Gulftainer is a terminal manager only. The cargo it loads onto trucks or train cars will come from manufacturers all over the world, on ships from China or Denmark. The UAE makes no product that is exported, port CEO John Walsh said. U.S. Customs will pull aside and unpack any container that looks iffy. All containers will pass through a radiation detector and X-ray machine before leaving the port, Walsh said. The conservative blogosphere looks with scorn on the fact that 36-year-old Gulftainer has managed ports in Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Brazil — all threatening places, were told. To me, that success in risky places suggests Gulftainer is far better at port security and business success than its political critics realize. Contact Reed at mreed@floridatoday. Follow him at floridatoday/story/opinion/columnists/matt-reed/2014/08/17/matt-reed-port-deal-meets-dumb-us-politics/14134523/ att: Jerome Corsi Jason Ivey Alan Jones Dave Perkins
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 17:51:04 +0000
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