But UAE ties to terrorism have received media scrutiny long before the ports contract uproar.
A September 14, 2001 report in The Guardian claimed that investigators had already linked some of the September 11 terrorists to the UAE. The only other country singled out in the Guardian report was Saudi Arabia.
State controlled television in the UAE confirmed that two 9/11 suspects had licenses issued by the UAE, noting that the nation was one of just three that recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
The Guardian also noted that one of the suspects in the bombing of the USS Cole claimed to have received telephone instructions for the bombing from a co-conspirator inside the UAE.
The United States continues to maintain a good relationship with the UAE, considered to be a partner in the war on terror.
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Reports_tied_UAE_to_bin_Laden_0223.html