Strangers in the Port

There is a lot of anxiety being expressed over plans by a Dubai-based company to acquire Britain's Peninsular and Orient company, which has been in charge of port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, and New Orleans. Remembering that two of the 9/11 terrorists were Dubai-born, and that funds for other terrorist activities have flowed through banks in that country, it's no wonder more than a little outrage is being expressed.

Yet, Washington says they've run all the traps on Dubai Ports World, and the transition poses no threats to national security. Somehow, I'm not convinced, and the melody of an old Frank Sinatra song has started to nag at me.

So with appropriate credit--and apologies--to the original creators of the Sinatra classic, we offer this updated version.
Bet you hum it the rest of the day.

Strangers in the port exchanging glances
Wond’ring in the port,
What were the chances
They’d be stealing stuff
Before the night was through.

Something in your cargo container was so inviting,
Something in your bill of lading was so exciting,
Something in my heart,
Told me they might take two…

Strangers in the port, these foreign people
They were dangers in the port
Up to the moment
When they stole their first cargo.
Little did we know
We were just a glance away,
A thermonuclear prance away and -

Ever in the ports, we’ve been in danger
Terrorists in sight, hate us forever.
It’d turn out so wrong,
With strangers in the port..

Dubai doo be doo…
Dubai be doo doo…
Dubai doo be doo…
Dubai be doo doo…

Writer(s): kaempfert/singleton/snyder/clanton