Did you know that several times a year, staff receive a company memo informing them that, for that particular month, one day's salary will be deducted and given to a Palestine "charity"!!! Staff are allowed to refuse by informing Human Resources Department, but no one ever did - knowing that this would lead to being over-looked for promotions and/or not having your contract renewed. I recall one poor Indian dock-side labourer on [a] $500-a-month [salary] complaining that he couldn't afford to make the payment as he had his wife and three children back in India to feed. He promptly was fired!

...From a security standpoint, I am undecided. The problem here is that the vetting of the deal was done in secret, then sprung on us. Not a smart move by the administration. But I have a concern about the deal on a basis that I have not heard anyone mention; the Arab boycott of Israel.

I believe that Dubai Ports World is either wholly or partially owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates. If either DPW or the UAE participates in the Arab boycott of Israel, would that not put them in conflict with America's anti-boycott federal law? And if they are participants in the boycott, how can they be allowed to be the successor in interest to the existing port operation contracts awarded to a British company that does not participate in the boycott.

I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to have any extraordinary insight into this type of business relationship. All I know is that the anti boycott law is still on the books, although enforced sporadically. Perhaps you can use your information base and contacts to see if my point has any validity...