It would be easy to believe that everyone from the Middle East is the enemy. The 9/11 terrorists were all Middle Eastern Muslims; therefore, all Middle Eastern Muslims are likely to be terrorists, or so the theory goes. Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated and a lot more difficult than that. Suggesting that all Muslims are terrorists is akin to suggesting that all Southerners are in the KKK, all Italians are mobsters, or that all Christians follow Fred Phelps. (Phelps is the "reverend" whose followers noisily proclaim their hatred of gays, even protesting at military funerals.) It makes for a funny caricature on Saturday Night Live, but that's about it.

Not all terrorists are from the Middle East. We have friends in the Middle East and enemies both at home and throughout the world. We've had Eric Rudolph (the Atlanta Olympics bomber), Terry Nichols, Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bombers) and homegrown terror groups like the Earth Liberation Front. There are Irish, Colombian, Spanish, Japanese and even Filipino terror groups. Sorting friend from foe is rarely easy to do with just a visual check. It's especially hard when you're fighting an enemy that doesn't wear a uniform, and makes an effort to hide among non-combatants. Sometimes those who look like the enemy turn out to be allies, and those who appear to be allies turn out to be in bed with the enemy.

Democrats, the media and Republicans worried about the 2006 election are ramping up paranoia over a port management deal with Dubai Ports World, based in one of the United Arab Emirates. It's alright for European companies to do the administrative work for US ports, but no Arabs need apply. After all, the argument goes, Dubai may have funded terrorism before becoming our ally in the War on Terror. The fact that a state-owned Saudi Arabian company already manages American ports seems to slip right past those expressing horror at the Dubai deal. 

Meanwhile, Europeans -- some of whom are funding terrorism and "insurgency" in Iraq right now -- are apparently given the green light. According to USA Today, "far-left groups in western Europe are carrying on a campaign dubbed Ten Euros for the Resistance, offering aid and comfort to the car bombers, kidnappers, and snipers trying to destabilize the fledgling Iraq government. In the words of one Italian website, Iraq Libero (Free Iraq), the funds are meant for those fighting the occupanti imperialisti." That's us, in case you don't speak fluent Italian Socialist.

No one seems to mention the elephant standing in the middle of the room: China, whose state-owned companies already manage eleven US ports. Chinese companies manage terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, for instance. In 1998, Congress passed legislation to prevent China from acquiring a Naval base in Long Beach, but the city pulled a switch, moving existing port tenants into the base and leasing the newly-vacant property to the Chinese. PSA (Port of Singapore Authority) may buy out Stevedoring Services of America, which manages ports all along the West Coast, as well as Houston and New Orleans. Meanwhile, the Chinese have nuclear missiles pointed at our country. At least two high-ranking generals have publicly threatened to use them if we interfere with their annexation of Taiwan, which we will almost certainly do. 

What's to prevent terror-supporting Europeans or Asians from taking management jobs at critical points of US infrastructure? Perhaps it's a good thing for us that DPW bought P&O, the British company that holds the contract to manage the ports -- security procedures and background checks may actually be tightened as a result. Some suggest that no foreign companies should be allowed to manage American ports. That's a fine idea... except that no American companies are able to do the job. Not one American company bid on P&O. Do those who want to kill the DPW deal suggest nationalising our ports just to keep Arabs from setting unloading schedules?

The War on Terror has many facets, beyond the actual "war" part. Some of our efforts have to be aimed at changing the Islamofascist governments whose oppressed populations become easy prey for radical preachers, having no hope for their own future. Winning "hearts and minds" in the Middle East means finding and cooperating with moderate Muslims. Moreover, we desperately need to rid ourselves of the "Great Satan" image with which we've been painted by decades of radical Islamic hate. I may be going out on a limb here, but I don't think the way to do that is insulting countries that have assisted and are trying to build an economic relationship with us. If we treat our friends as enemies, that's exactly what we will make of them.

Dubai is among the most moderate of Middle-Eastern countries, and has been a great help to us in the War on Terror by all accounts. If al-Qaeda was taking over the place, they'd be more likely to kill its leaders for cooperating with us than hatch an elaborate plan to buy British companies and use them to sneak into America... especially since all they need to do is walk across the borders from Canada or Mexico. And there isn't much to the argument that they'd have an easier time shipping WMDs into America than they do now, no matter what company is in charge of scheduling. The US Coast Guard, Homeland Security and Customs will still be in charge of security. Besides, they'd have an easier time attacking us with planes belonging to state-owned Emirates USA Airlines, which runs daily flights to Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and more. Unlike shipe, planes aren't inspected before entering US territory. Yet no one seems very worried about that, do they?

In the end, attempts to divine ally and enemy based on ethnicity alone are bound to fail. Our enemies are terrorists and the governments that support them, not businessmen embracing capitalism and free trade.

Hat tip to Sweetness and Light for the info on the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia.
Hat tip to Skye for info on Ten Euros for the Resistance.