Blocking the U.A.E. port deal will do nothing to increase our security. In fact, it is likely to decrease it. Senators Clinton and Frist are showboating for the press and an ignorant public by playing tough and picking on an Arab company to score points for our upcoming elections.
The number one threat to our ports is a nuclear weapon hidden aboard a cargo ship. Even if we were to nationalize our ports and put D.O.D. in charge, there is absolutely no way to stop a nuke in a cargo ship. By simply placing the warhead inside a refrigerator, it cannot be detected even by our most advanced monitoring systems. The only defense is reliable human or signal intelligence to tip us off.
If anything, allowing the U.A.E. company to run the ports will INCREASE our security. Sound crazy? Let me explain. First, and most importantly, Dubai will have a massive economic stake in ensuring the safety of our ports as they realize any terrorist incident could lead to our nationalizing the ports, resulting in a massive financial loss on their behalf. Second, they have much better intelligence on who is and isn't a potential terrorist than we do (my guess is that the U.A.E. doesn't have a shortage of Arab linguists). Third, by allowing U.A.E. to make the purchase we don't expose ourselves to the most compelling charge islamist propagandists throw at us - that we are hypocrites.
What we are witnessing is cynical political posturing which will not make us any safer, it will merely drive one more wedge between us and the Arab world. This is about the 2006 and 2008 elections and not about actual port security (which our Congress has utterly failed to improve upon since 9/11).
Don't fall for it.