2.23.2006

Cutting Through the Crap: The UAE Ports Deal >>> The more I learn about this deal, the more I'm comfortable with it. A couple days ago I made it clear that I don't care who runs the day-to-day operations of these eight--not six--ports as long as the US government is responsible for its security and has complete freedom of movement to do so. The CT Blog points out that the much of the present-day port security takes place overseas, and that security for American ports is managed by the Coast Guard (the ports themselves) and Customs and Border Protection (the cargo). This entire issue has been spun to make it seem like Dubai Ports World would be directly in charge of security, which is untrue. Were it to be the case, I would be staunchly against this proposal. I wouldn't even want a British company in charge of port security, much less the UAE. Any aspect of security in this country--whether it be international airports or border crossings--needs to be nationalized (read: run by the government). Also, Bush's insistence to make this deal happen--A veto threat? This guy hasn't vetoed anything!--is a little unnerving, and I assume it has to do with his connections to the Dubai firm in question. But such is the dirty business of politics, and to base one's decision about this deal on those issues--questionable though they are--would be incredibly narrow-minded. This is simply the way deals are made in Washington. Welcome to the suck.

Iraqi Civil War? >>> Bill Roggio digs deeper than the MSM and lays out the indicators of civil war in Iraq, and whether or not things have reached that point.

The Next Attacks On America >>> I don't often get a chance to adequately read through one of John Robb's posts at Global Guerrillas. His work is deeply abstract and very theoretical, and I often don't possess the time or patience to sit down and truly appreciate it. However, I managed to dive into one of this recent posts, and I wanted to pass it along. Settle down, maybe grab something to drink, and then read his post. You can't just skim this stuff; you'd be a moron for trying.

Rantings of a Sandmonkey >>> I've added Sandmonkey's blog to the Blogroll on the right. His posts always provide a particularly enlightening view of the Middle East--specifically the Islamic culture in his native Egypt. I've linked to some of his stuff recently, and I decided that a more formal introduction was due. I would like to direct your attention to his two most recent posts, here and here.