<p>LA Times op ed today:</p>
<p>Some points to consider about Arab port deal </p>
<pre><code> February 24, 2006
Your editorial “Port hysteria” (Feb. 22) completely misses the mark. First, you say that foreign firms that run operations at U.S. ports are “not in charge of security.” But the reality is far more complex.
</code></pre>
<p>Many of these firms have received federal port security grants from the Department of Homeland Security. Giving a country such as the United Arab Emirates a role in running our ports could make the job of law enforcement harder. Two of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were United Arab Emirates nationals. Dubai was a key transfer point for shipments of nuclear components that were sold to Iran, Libya and North Korea by the Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. The United Arab Emirates remains a key financial center for terrorists.</p>
<p>Finally, your claim that lawmakers are ignoring port security is another fallacy. Since 9/11, Democrats in Congress have voted more than a dozen times to increase funding for port security.</p>
<p>SEN. BARBARA BOXER</p>