Marthatex
New Member
Hmm, I started trying to thinking of something I support the administration on, and I have been drawing a blank.
Uh, maybe I'll think of something at a later date.
Uh, maybe I'll think of something at a later date.
Arab-run Firm Buys Company With Major Commercial Operations From 6 Large US Ports
- Thread starter PrayersForMaura
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Ok, so now we're hearing "Well China runs the West coast ports, why can't The United Arab Emerates run the East Coast".
Why not let the whole world run our country?
China, Arabs ... may as well throw Korea, Mexico, Canada, France and anyone else in the mix. Sheesh.
Ya know another thing that made me scratch my head. This guy was talking about President's day. He said many people say "Oh yeah, Washington and Lincoln were great!". But Washington and Lincoln were pretty conservative and stood for many things that this country would not stand for today. It's interesting that we still have a day honoring them. and that people take the day off!
Why not let the whole world run our country?
China, Arabs ... may as well throw Korea, Mexico, Canada, France and anyone else in the mix. Sheesh.
Ya know another thing that made me scratch my head. This guy was talking about President's day. He said many people say "Oh yeah, Washington and Lincoln were great!". But Washington and Lincoln were pretty conservative and stood for many things that this country would not stand for today. It's interesting that we still have a day honoring them. and that people take the day off!
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PrayersForMaura said:
I mentioned the exact same thing to someone yesterday. It is a bogus holiday. We have to evolve and we do, just the politicians don't recoginize us. They actually believe it is about them.
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Bush Says Ports Deal Not a Security Threat
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Thursday sought to calm an uproar over an Arab company taking over operations at six major American ports, saying "people don't need to worry about security." Under a secretive agreement with the administration, a company in the United Arab Emirates promised to cooperate with U.S. investigations as a condition of its takeover of operations at six major American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The U.S. government chose not to impose other, routine restrictions. "The more people learn about the transaction," Bush said, "the more they'll be comforted that the ports will be secure." He spoke to reporters at the end of a Cabinet meeting.
In approving the $6.8 billion purchase, the administration chose not to require state-owned Dubai Ports World to keep copies of its business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to orders by American courts. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate requests by the government. Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of foreign sales in other industries.
http://tinyurl.com/jnf8v
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Thursday sought to calm an uproar over an Arab company taking over operations at six major American ports, saying "people don't need to worry about security." Under a secretive agreement with the administration, a company in the United Arab Emirates promised to cooperate with U.S. investigations as a condition of its takeover of operations at six major American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The U.S. government chose not to impose other, routine restrictions. "The more people learn about the transaction," Bush said, "the more they'll be comforted that the ports will be secure." He spoke to reporters at the end of a Cabinet meeting.
In approving the $6.8 billion purchase, the administration chose not to require state-owned Dubai Ports World to keep copies of its business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to orders by American courts. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate requests by the government. Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of foreign sales in other industries.
http://tinyurl.com/jnf8v
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Port deal demagoguery
Nothing gets adrenaline coursing quite as quickly as a good scare story. All the more so if terrorism is part of the plot. That's the genre du jour in Hollywood, and now apparently in Washington, too. How else to explain the frenzy over the Bush administration's decision to let a company controlled by the United Arab Emirates operate shipping terminals at six major U.S. ports? Politicians from New York to Miami are stampeding to the cameras to denounce the deal and to the courts to undo it.
The hysteria is bipartisan. Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., warned that the deal would outsource port control to a "country with long involvement in terrorism." Rep. Peter King (news, bio, voting record), R-N.Y., wondered how the company would guard against "infiltration by al-Qaeda." Congressional leaders and several governors piled on, seeking to block the deal, which President Bush vehemently defended.
Never mind that the deal was announced 13 days ago and had been rumored for months. Never mind that Congress could have reviewed it at any time. Never mind that revoking it could have significant ramifications in the Arab world. And never mind that a little patience might have allowed time to get the facts straight.
http://tinyurl.com/pxach
Nothing gets adrenaline coursing quite as quickly as a good scare story. All the more so if terrorism is part of the plot. That's the genre du jour in Hollywood, and now apparently in Washington, too. How else to explain the frenzy over the Bush administration's decision to let a company controlled by the United Arab Emirates operate shipping terminals at six major U.S. ports? Politicians from New York to Miami are stampeding to the cameras to denounce the deal and to the courts to undo it.
The hysteria is bipartisan. Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., warned that the deal would outsource port control to a "country with long involvement in terrorism." Rep. Peter King (news, bio, voting record), R-N.Y., wondered how the company would guard against "infiltration by al-Qaeda." Congressional leaders and several governors piled on, seeking to block the deal, which President Bush vehemently defended.
Never mind that the deal was announced 13 days ago and had been rumored for months. Never mind that Congress could have reviewed it at any time. Never mind that revoking it could have significant ramifications in the Arab world. And never mind that a little patience might have allowed time to get the facts straight.
http://tinyurl.com/pxach
The UAE has been a staunch ally of the United States for many many years. They are one of the Middle East's most progressive governments. Allowing them to oversee port operations may indeed create a huge hole in our county's defense.
The Coast Guard will continue to patrol our ports, unions will continue to load and offload containers, but the containers will be suspicious now....because they are controlled by the UAE? Containers already come from ports around the world, and are suspect. Why will they be more suspect after this sale goes through?
The Coast Guard will continue to patrol our ports, unions will continue to load and offload containers, but the containers will be suspicious now....because they are controlled by the UAE? Containers already come from ports around the world, and are suspect. Why will they be more suspect after this sale goes through?
I can see where this might cause bad feelings between them and us, but I would also think they could see the fear we have and how real our fear is of having them running those ports. I just think it's not a good idea. I think it would cause more fear, more patrolling of the ports, more manpower (on our part, of course) to let them go ahead with this deal. This is IMO only. I'm not a real political person though I do vote and I stand up for what I believe in...still yet I know enough to know that I am terrified of this! Didn't some of the terrorists come from UAE and their money from their banks? How secure can THEY be?
Jeana (DP)
Former Member
Buzzm1 said:
This reminds me of the Wizard of Oz. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."
Jeana (DP)
Former Member
j2mirish said:
No doubt! I can't believe he said "why differentiate between British and Arab companies"!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF??? I don't recall the British trying to blow us up on 9/11 for Pete's sake!
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http://snipurl.com/mvm9
This article from Seattle Times spells out the terrorist ties of Dubai:
The United Arab Emirates has not had a major terrorist attack. But its largest city, Dubai, is a banking center that is believed to attract funds from groups such as al-Qaida. Some of Dubai's brushes with terror groups:
In 2004, Qari Saifullah Akhtar, a Pakistani suspected of training thousands of al-Qaida fighters, was arrested in the UAE and turned over to officials in his homeland.
In 2002, Emirati authorities arrested and turned over to the United States Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 U.S. sailors. Al-Nashiri was also suspected of helping direct the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The father of Pakistan's nuclear program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has acknowledged heading a clandestine group that, with the help of a Dubai company, supplied Pakistani nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea.
A 2004 report from the U.S. commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks found 11 Saudi hijackers had traveled to the United States via the airport in Dubai.
Osama bin Laden's alleged financial manager, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hisawi, received a Dubai bank transfer of $15,000 two days before the Sept. 11 attacks and then left the UAE for Pakistan, where he was arrested in 2003.
Marwan Al-Shehhi, a UAE citizen and one of the Sept. 11 hijackers, received
$100,000 via the UAE. Another Sept. 11 hijacker, Fayez Banihammad, also was from the Emirates.
About half the $250,000 spent on the Sept. 11 attacks was wired to al-Qaida terrorists in the United States from Dubai banks, authorities said. Al-Qaida money in Dubai banks also has been linked to the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
--------------------------------
Some of the reasons given for close ties to the UAE:
The United Arab Emirates is a U.S. military partner in the global war on terrorism, but the relationship is so politically sensitive in the UAE that the Pentagon does not openly discuss details.
The strategic importance of the UAE derives in large part from its location along the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint for shipping in the Persian Gulf, a short distance from Iran's southern shores.
----------------------------------
Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Tuesday that U.S. forces use UAE seaports and air fields for logistics support and for training of Air Force pilots. "In everything that we have asked and worked with them on, they have proven to be very, very solid partners," Pace said.
What bothers me most about this deal is that it is not with an individual company, but with a state-owned company, and it appears very little oversight will be given in America, according to some of the other articles.
If they can't keep terrorists from working in their own country, how are we to trust them on our shipping security?
This article from Seattle Times spells out the terrorist ties of Dubai:
The United Arab Emirates has not had a major terrorist attack. But its largest city, Dubai, is a banking center that is believed to attract funds from groups such as al-Qaida. Some of Dubai's brushes with terror groups:
In 2004, Qari Saifullah Akhtar, a Pakistani suspected of training thousands of al-Qaida fighters, was arrested in the UAE and turned over to officials in his homeland.
In 2002, Emirati authorities arrested and turned over to the United States Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 U.S. sailors. Al-Nashiri was also suspected of helping direct the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The father of Pakistan's nuclear program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has acknowledged heading a clandestine group that, with the help of a Dubai company, supplied Pakistani nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea.
A 2004 report from the U.S. commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks found 11 Saudi hijackers had traveled to the United States via the airport in Dubai.
Osama bin Laden's alleged financial manager, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hisawi, received a Dubai bank transfer of $15,000 two days before the Sept. 11 attacks and then left the UAE for Pakistan, where he was arrested in 2003.
Marwan Al-Shehhi, a UAE citizen and one of the Sept. 11 hijackers, received
$100,000 via the UAE. Another Sept. 11 hijacker, Fayez Banihammad, also was from the Emirates.
About half the $250,000 spent on the Sept. 11 attacks was wired to al-Qaida terrorists in the United States from Dubai banks, authorities said. Al-Qaida money in Dubai banks also has been linked to the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
--------------------------------
Some of the reasons given for close ties to the UAE:
The United Arab Emirates is a U.S. military partner in the global war on terrorism, but the relationship is so politically sensitive in the UAE that the Pentagon does not openly discuss details.
The strategic importance of the UAE derives in large part from its location along the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint for shipping in the Persian Gulf, a short distance from Iran's southern shores.
----------------------------------
Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Tuesday that U.S. forces use UAE seaports and air fields for logistics support and for training of Air Force pilots. "In everything that we have asked and worked with them on, they have proven to be very, very solid partners," Pace said.
What bothers me most about this deal is that it is not with an individual company, but with a state-owned company, and it appears very little oversight will be given in America, according to some of the other articles.
If they can't keep terrorists from working in their own country, how are we to trust them on our shipping security?
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Another good article that shows how adamant the opponents of the deal are:
http://snipurl.com/mvnd
WASHINGTON - President Bush's marquee issue, the war on terror, is being turned against him by Democrats and rebelling members of his own party in an election-year dustup over a deal that allows an Arab company to manage major U.S. ports.
People in both parties are suggesting it's another case of Bush seeming to be tone deaf to controversy on top of government eavesdropping, Katrina recovery and Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident.
The storm is forcing the president to choose between losing face with the Arab world and embarking on what would be his first veto battle with the GOP-led Congress. And it has enabled Democrats to seemingly outflank him on a key GOP issue: national security.
------------------------------------
"In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab Emirates, not just NO but HELL NO," conservative Rep. Sue Myrick (news, bio, voting record), R-N.C., wrote Bush in a terse letter on Wednesday that she also posted on her Web site.
No matter that no American port is actually being sold, Bush faces a spreading rebellion among Republicans, Democrats and port-state governors.
-------------------------------------
"It's a strange thing for Bush to have slipped into, given the savvy you expected from this administration, with a vice president who spent over a decade on Capitol Hill," said Princeton University political scientist Fred Greenstein. "It seems as if his people would have seen that there was potential for trouble, and at least done their homework on the Hill."
Although a veto showdown could still be avoided, port-deal opponents were optimistic they could muster the two-thirds majorities needed to override one. "This deal doesn't pass the national security test. I think it is a mistake," said Rep. Jim Saxton (news, bio, voting record), R-N.J., chairman of a House subcommittee on terrorism threats.
-------------------------------------
The phrase "tone deaf" to describe Bush's interaction with Congress was uttered by lawmakers as politically different as Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joseph Biden, D-Del.
The Dubai Ports deal "is not a national security issue," suggested GOP consultant Rich Galen. "It is an issue of this administration having a continuing problem with understanding how these things will play in the public's mind and not taking steps to set the stage so these things don't come as a shock and are presented in their worst possible light."
http://snipurl.com/mvnd
WASHINGTON - President Bush's marquee issue, the war on terror, is being turned against him by Democrats and rebelling members of his own party in an election-year dustup over a deal that allows an Arab company to manage major U.S. ports.
People in both parties are suggesting it's another case of Bush seeming to be tone deaf to controversy on top of government eavesdropping, Katrina recovery and Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident.
The storm is forcing the president to choose between losing face with the Arab world and embarking on what would be his first veto battle with the GOP-led Congress. And it has enabled Democrats to seemingly outflank him on a key GOP issue: national security.
------------------------------------
"In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab Emirates, not just NO but HELL NO," conservative Rep. Sue Myrick (news, bio, voting record), R-N.C., wrote Bush in a terse letter on Wednesday that she also posted on her Web site.
No matter that no American port is actually being sold, Bush faces a spreading rebellion among Republicans, Democrats and port-state governors.
-------------------------------------
"It's a strange thing for Bush to have slipped into, given the savvy you expected from this administration, with a vice president who spent over a decade on Capitol Hill," said Princeton University political scientist Fred Greenstein. "It seems as if his people would have seen that there was potential for trouble, and at least done their homework on the Hill."
Although a veto showdown could still be avoided, port-deal opponents were optimistic they could muster the two-thirds majorities needed to override one. "This deal doesn't pass the national security test. I think it is a mistake," said Rep. Jim Saxton (news, bio, voting record), R-N.J., chairman of a House subcommittee on terrorism threats.
-------------------------------------
The phrase "tone deaf" to describe Bush's interaction with Congress was uttered by lawmakers as politically different as Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joseph Biden, D-Del.
The Dubai Ports deal "is not a national security issue," suggested GOP consultant Rich Galen. "It is an issue of this administration having a continuing problem with understanding how these things will play in the public's mind and not taking steps to set the stage so these things don't come as a shock and are presented in their worst possible light."
I figure it is a done deal---although these had a whole different bearing- my point being- bush always does what he wants regardless of the American opinion, then always threatens veto-- remember Bolton-- ( this one still shocks me)-- Roberts, and Alito---I could go on & on, but these 3 were huge news items, with all the hoopla--- well--- they are all where he wanted them...arent they?Jeana (DP) said:
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http://snipurl.com/mw1n
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A United Arab Emirates company offered Thursday to delay its takeover of most operations at six U.S. ports to give the Bush administration more time to convince skeptical lawmakers the deal poses no security risks.
The surprise announcement relieves some pressure from a standoff between President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress, where some lawmakers have threatened to block the deal because of concerns over the UAE's purported ties to terrorism. Immediate reaction on Capitol Hill was mixed.
--------------------------------
"The reaction in the United States has occurred in no other country in the world," the company's chief operating officer, Ted Bilkey, said in a statement. "We need to understand the concerns of the people in the U.S. who are worried about this transaction and make sure that they are addressed to the benefit of all parties. Security is everybody's business."
-------------------------------
The company's announcement did not appease some of the deal's harshest Democratic critics.
"If the president were to voluntarily institute the review and delay the contract that would obviate the need for our legislation, but a simple cooling-off period will not allay our concerns," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
------------------------------
The company said U.S. operations affected by the deal account for roughly 10 percent of its overall value, noting that its purchase of London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. covers 30 terminals in 18 countries, ferries and properties. It stressed that the sale overall would not be delayed, and British shareholders will be paid as previously planned.
--------------------------------
Democratic committee members accused officials of failing to take into account issues raised about the Arab country in the final report of the special commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the committee, derided the administration's "casual approach" in approving a deal involving a country "with an uneven record of battling terrorism."
Levin at one point noted that the Sept. 11 commission found "a persistent counterterrorism problem represented by the United Arab Emirates."
"Just raise your hand if anybody (at the witness table) talked to the 9-11 commission," commanded Levin. There was no response from the administration's representatives.
----------------------------------
Elsewhere, New Jersey sued in federal court to block the UAE company from taking over operations at the Port Newark container terminal until the federal government investigates possible security risks. The owner of the busy shipping center, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said it also has security concerns about the takeover and plans to file a lawsuit Friday to terminate the firm's lease at the port.
Also Thursday, administration officials said that weeks before Dubai Ports World sought U.S. approval for the deal, the UAE contributed $100 million to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The administration said there was no connection between the request for U.S. approval of the ports deal and the UAE's contribution.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A United Arab Emirates company offered Thursday to delay its takeover of most operations at six U.S. ports to give the Bush administration more time to convince skeptical lawmakers the deal poses no security risks.
The surprise announcement relieves some pressure from a standoff between President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress, where some lawmakers have threatened to block the deal because of concerns over the UAE's purported ties to terrorism. Immediate reaction on Capitol Hill was mixed.
--------------------------------
"The reaction in the United States has occurred in no other country in the world," the company's chief operating officer, Ted Bilkey, said in a statement. "We need to understand the concerns of the people in the U.S. who are worried about this transaction and make sure that they are addressed to the benefit of all parties. Security is everybody's business."
-------------------------------
The company's announcement did not appease some of the deal's harshest Democratic critics.
"If the president were to voluntarily institute the review and delay the contract that would obviate the need for our legislation, but a simple cooling-off period will not allay our concerns," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
------------------------------
The company said U.S. operations affected by the deal account for roughly 10 percent of its overall value, noting that its purchase of London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. covers 30 terminals in 18 countries, ferries and properties. It stressed that the sale overall would not be delayed, and British shareholders will be paid as previously planned.
--------------------------------
Democratic committee members accused officials of failing to take into account issues raised about the Arab country in the final report of the special commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the committee, derided the administration's "casual approach" in approving a deal involving a country "with an uneven record of battling terrorism."
Levin at one point noted that the Sept. 11 commission found "a persistent counterterrorism problem represented by the United Arab Emirates."
"Just raise your hand if anybody (at the witness table) talked to the 9-11 commission," commanded Levin. There was no response from the administration's representatives.
----------------------------------
Elsewhere, New Jersey sued in federal court to block the UAE company from taking over operations at the Port Newark container terminal until the federal government investigates possible security risks. The owner of the busy shipping center, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said it also has security concerns about the takeover and plans to file a lawsuit Friday to terminate the firm's lease at the port.
Also Thursday, administration officials said that weeks before Dubai Ports World sought U.S. approval for the deal, the UAE contributed $100 million to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The administration said there was no connection between the request for U.S. approval of the ports deal and the UAE's contribution.
If this is allowed to happen Bush might just as well bring all troops home ASAP. Open the doors of the prisons / call Osama & invite him over for dinner.
Let all Americans leave the damn country! Why should we pay taxes to support an administration that refuses to take care of us????
Let all Americans leave the damn country! Why should we pay taxes to support an administration that refuses to take care of us????
Jeana (DP)
Former Member
cheko1 said:
Americans can leave the country anytime they want.
Marthatex
New Member
I don't think it's quite as bad as inviting Osama over. Many experts are saying that the security is threat is not as great as it might seem.
I don't know, but at least now our illustrious leaders will have some time to study the whole thing. And make an informed decision. Maybe?
I don't know, but at least now our illustrious leaders will have some time to study the whole thing. And make an informed decision. Maybe?
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