Dubious about Dubai and Dubya? Check out what Israel is up to...! (Plus: Should you trust Zone Alarm?)

Cannon here: Not only is Dubai likely to control much of our port security -- the controversial Al Qaeda-linked Arab monarchy is also poised to take over American firms which make "make precision components used in engines for military aircraft and tanks." See the Washington Post story here and the Raw Story piece here.

The key paragraph:

The administration notified congressional committees this week that its secretive Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is investigating the security implications of Dubai International Capital's $1.2 billion acquisition of London-based Doncasters Group Ltd., which has subsidiaries in the United States. It is also investigating an Israeli company's plans to buy the Maryland software security firm Sourcefire, which does business with Defense Department agencies.

While anything UAE-connected can and will (and should) be used against the Bush administration, we must also pay close attention to the Israeli angle. Although I have not agreed with Xymphora's take on the port deal, one of his most recent observations hits the target:

Israeli companies run airport security in the United States, and run a large part of the American telephone system. We've not heard any theories about Israel's connections to the drug trade and to the arms trade. Israel is the world leader in the illegal ecstasy trade, and one of the world's biggest arms traders. In both cases, Israeli involvement in these matters dwarfs any possible Dubai involvement in similar operations, but we never hear anything about the security implications if Israel is involved.

You want to hear such a theory? I shall provide: Israel has somehow managed to stay afloat financially despite the fact that tourism has diminished and many people in many nations prefer not to buy Israeli products. Our taxpayer dollars do not pay all their bills. It is fair to presume that the ecstasy trade and other nefarious activities (such as those notorious "moving companies") have become reliable cash cows for the Israeli government. One does not need much imagination to understand why drug transporters would want to see "friendly" individuals holding key positions in both airport security and furniture moving companies.

For more on the Sourcefire deal, see here:

Most foreign U.S. deals are approved after CFIUS completes an informal 30-day probe, but this transaction has raised the eyebrows of some of the panel members, leading to the lengthier examination.

"The fact that they launched a 45-day review means that some serious concerns are being raised," said a national security consultant who formerly worked at the Department of Defense.

Sources said CFIUS representatives from the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security are worried that the deal gives critical computer network security technology to Israel.

Incidentally, the Israeli company which acquired Sourcefire is Check Point, which makes the popular internet firewall Zone Alarm. Everyone agrees that it is an excellent piece of software. Although various news stories claim that Check Point serves some 80,000 paying customers, the company distributes a free version of Zone Alarm, which millions of people have downloaded. Many believe that the no-pay version of ZA outshines for-pay versions of competing products.

Those of a paranoid turn of mind will thus want to ask a few questions:

1. Is there any way to tell whether someone engineered a back door into Zone Alarm?

2. Doesn't it strike you as odd that Israeli companies control both a large chunk of our telephone billing system and our internet security? Any Mossad agents (or "helpers") within those companies would be well-positioned to find out the names of the people you've called or emailed. They could find out whether you have ever had an extramarital fling or downloaded a song from Kazaa. If you're a politician or a candidate for office, they could uncover all sorts of blackmail-worthy material.

3. Most of us rely on freeware; my system has a ton of the stuff. I am particularly reliant on certain pieces of well-reviewed free security software, such as AVG, Ad-Aware, Ewido, and (ahem!) Zone Alarm. Although a poor man should never count the teeth of a gift horse, I'm starting to wonder: Do the companies which make such fully-functional systems available gratis have hidden agendas?

4. Check Point bought Sourcefire for $225 million. Where did they get that kind of money? The non-freeware version of Zone Alarm costs roughly fifty bucks, and I believe that this is the product for which an afore-cited news story claimed 80,000 customers. Math was never my strong suit, but by my calculations, 80,000 units at $50 per adds up to $4 million. Check Point does offer other products for the corporate market, of course. Look over their line, and come to your own conclusions as to whether this firm could fork over $225 million cash.

Many of you are probably chuckling at my paranoia -- perhaps for good reason. Still...there are other companies offering firewalls. That ZA icon in my system tray may not be there much longer.

And for the record: I believe that only citizens of the United States should run enterprises linked to our national security. Keep such matters well away from the forever-squabbling sons of Isaac and Ishmael (except if they are American citizens). Hell, keep the Brits out. Invite only Americans to the party.