Saturday, Feb. 25, 2006 | 8:40 a.m.
The Sun's editorial on seaport security ("Outsourcing threatens security," Feb. 19), which I read while visiting Las Vegas, was right on target.
The United Arab Emirates' record on terrorism is very mixed, to say the least.
The U.A.E. was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The U.A.E. has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.
According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the U.A.E. banking system. After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the U.A.E. was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama bin Laden's bank accounts.
U.A.E. is a kingdom. The royal family that rules it owns Dubai Ports World. The U.A.E. has a questionable history of cooperation and mixed loyalties when it comes to al-Qaida vs. America. Is that good enough for an A-plus rating, which this deal should demand?
The claim that President Bush knew nothing about it, and - worse - that neither he nor Congress were informed because the "highly qualified" folks who brokered the deal saw nothing of national security-related importance, really screams "inept," "incompetent" and "dangerous."
Time and again this president has said his highest goal is to protect the American people. In a post-9/11 world, we can't be too careful. Why take any chances at all on this?
Alan L. Light, Iowa City, Iowa
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