Can the U.S. trust an Arab company to operate some of this country’s most vulnerable seaports? That’s the question many people are asking after the Bush administration signed a contract with a port management company run out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and which has led to a storm of controversy with Republicans and Democrats blasting the deal as a threat to national security.

The transaction will allow Dubai Ports World to run major commercial port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. “If there was any chance that this transaction would jeopardize the security of the United States, it would not go forward,” Mr. Bush said.

“I want those who are questioning it to step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British company,” Mr. Bush said. “I am trying to conduct foreign policy now by saying to the people of the world, `We’ll treat you fairly."‘

This is one of those rare moments that I happen to agree with Bush. I think it is rather prejudicial to automatically assume that an Arab-owned company constitutes a threat to American security. If the U.S. is ever going to make inroads and improve its image with the Arab and Muslim population around the world, implicitly and explicitly accusing Arab companies of supporting terrorism is not the way to do it.

Just because two of the 9/11 hijackers came from the UAE doesn’t mean that everything associated with the UAE is inherently evil or terroristic. It would be the same as saying just because a few Blacks, or Asians, or gays, etc. are guilty of committing a crime that all Blacks, Asians, or gays are inherently criminal.

If anything, we should give the administration credit for not automatically giving the contract to Haliburton, or some other wealthy U.S. company that has close political ties to the administration. In addition, the UAE company has gone on record saying that it will implement any security measure necessary to put Americans at ease with their operations.

In other words, this kneejerk opposition to an Arab company managing U.S. seaports is nothing more than another example of racial profiling against Arabs and in this case, I find it absolutely shameful that Democrats are leading the charge.