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Anti-Arab rant
Thursday, March 2, 2006
THE RECORD'S EDITORIAL STAFF
SEN. Frank Lautenberg owes the Arab-American community an apology. At a time
when public officials should exercise restraint over an Arab-government-owned
company's plan to take over cargo operations in New York, New Jersey and four
other American seaports, the New Jersey Democrat is fanning the flames of ethnic
hatred.
"We wouldn't transfer the title to the devil, and we're not going to transfer it
to Dubai," he told longshoremen demonstrating against the plan Monday at Port
Newark.
The remarks were crowd-pleasers, to be sure. But by demonizing the United Arab
Emirate of Dubai, Mr. Lautenberg demagogued the situation and tacitly insulted
Arabs everywhere.
Mr. Lautenberg said yesterday that "if I over-dramatized the situation, so be
it," adding that to call his rhetoric anti-Arab is "a bum rap."
But such remarks appear to be becoming a pattern. Even though the Bush
administration has grown to consider the UAE a key partner in the war, Mr.
Lautenberg last week called the Arab country a "rogue nation" -- touching off a
legitimate complaint from the Arab-American Institute. "That is language that is
so irresponsible, so reprehensible, I think he should be ashamed," said the
group's president, James Zogby.
Make no mistake, the ports deal raises questions -- beginning with how much of
an ally the UAE is, and how much of a security risk any foreign-owned operation
of an American port poses. But Dubai Ports World has already asked the United
States for a more-exhaustive, 45-day review of the deal, and several government
agencies and legislators are scrutinizing every aspect.
At this point, Mr. Lautenberg's overheated language is just plain destructive.
Copyright © 2006 North Jersey Media Group Inc. |
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