Yesterday's vote in a US House of Representatives committee blocking a Dubai company from running six major US ports was not about stopping foreign companies from running US ports. It was a specifically anti-Arab move. US politicians did not have a problem when British-owned P&O operated the ports. But now that an Arab company, Dubai Ports World, is buying out P&O, it is a different matter. It is glaringly, provocatively anti-Arab.
What is illogical about Congress’ attitude is that Dubai is one of America’s closest friends in the Middle East. Indeed, it is arguably the most pro-Western, pro-American of anywhere in the entire Arab world. American lawmakers even spurned the Dubai company’s promises that a separate all-American subsidiary would run the US operation. Clearly they do not trust any Arab, no matter who they are and where they are from, even if they are the most faithful of allies. The US clearly has different classes of friends. First-class, second-class or maybe even third, fourth and fifth class, who cannot be fully trusted.
Which one Arabs fit we do not quite know, but we know we are in the untrusted section. Congress clearly regards Arabs as untrustworthy — there to fight terrorism, keep the oil flowing, buy American goods and services and generally jump to Washington’s beck and call. Congress in no way regards Arabs as partners and equals. It is neocolonialism and there has to be an Arab response.
The implications of the move are extensive. The fact that the Bush administration is opposed to Congress’ craven pandering to anti-Arab public prejudice is no comfort. It is evident from the scale of Wednesday’s vote that this blatantly racist bill will be endorsed by the whole House of Representatives and sail through the Senate. It would be very surprising if President Bush can veto it. The most obvious response has to be in kind. If the US does not trust an Arab company to run something like a port, should we trust American companies to do similar things here? Can we? If the Americans mistrust us as they do, in whose interests will their companies be operating?
That is no hypothetical question. Events in Greece where the CIA used Vodaphone to bug Greek politicians and others who they did not trust are a warning. (Vodaphone, of course, is British, but that is the special relationship at play again.) Might not the same happen here if an American (or British) mobile phone company were given a license to operate?
A couple of weeks ago, US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez was in Saudi Arabia talking about Saudi-US commercial partnerships and how they are a economic priority for the Bush administration. The treatment of Dubai Ports World undermines everything he said. It is tragic. There are good American companies, good American people working here in Saudi Arabia and in the region.
American politicians have stabbed them in the back.
