Dubai ports deal

If you didn't already think opposition to the Dubai ports deal was ridiculous, consider this:

The Jebel Ali port, from which DP World originated, is itself at the heart of the greatest irony in Americans' concern about a state-owned Dubai company running their container terminals. Security at Jebel Ali is state of the art - as you would expect for the port outside the US that is most often visited by the US Navy.

In evidence to the Senate Armed Services Committee last month, Gordon England, deputy secretary of defence, noted that "the port at Jebel Ali is managed by Dubai Ports, so we rely on them, frankly, for the security of our forces there. There were 75 coalition partner ships there [last year]."

This whole outcry is nothing more than thinly-veiled protectionism. BTW, the entire article is worth a read, which focuses on Dubai rather than just the ports controversy. Also, FT.com is free to everyone all this week.