United Arab Emirates firm to operate six major U.S. ports

[goodnessgracie]

What Brice Said!!!

The disturbing thing that occurs to me is:

What are our so-called "leaders" REALLY up to, while the public is being distracted by this so-called scandal?

Red Herring... It's what's for dinner

[David]

Originally posted by SuperScout
In retrospect, the announcement about the proposed port sale should have been handled differently

Isn't this the same line given for everything from the lack of WMD's in Iraq to Cheney shooting someone in the face? The line is getting old.

I find it hard to believe Bush did not know of this sale (as he claimed) and if he did know of it he is a lier. If he did not know of it then he took just a couple days to decide its merits, a process which took at least 5 committees weeks if not months to debate. Unless Bush now has the brain of a Cray supercomputer (Deep Blue Bush?) or some similar device this computation would be impossible unless it was just glossed over. Again, either way you look at it the outcome is pure bs from this administration.

In case an attack on my character or political affiliations are immanent (the favored tactic used at all levels for dissuasion from fact checking the last few years in America) I can assure you I am born and bred Republican but I was not raised stupid.

It is time for a change in America and I for one will be glad to see it happen if it is even possible with the current levels of cronyism present in our government.



In relation to the NSA developments, it did not take the New York Times to leak what was going on with wiretapping, it has been spelled out for some time now in the Patriot Act.

Some highlights of the Patriot Act:

1. Wiretapping with no oversights.
2. Secret judge panels accountable to no one (star chamber court).
3. Detention of people with no actual charges having to be brought.
4. Loss of all personal property with no charges being brought.
5. Indefinite detentions with no charges being brought.
6. Home searches with no notification of the homeowners.

The list goes on and on. I can think of a few societies that have wielded these powers over their citizens and I can also recall the outcomes of such powers being used. Anyone who thinks abuse will not be the natural outcome of such powers needs only look to history to find the answers so desperately covered up by those in current power.

I am amazed at the lack of historical perspective displayed by some on this site. This is in light of the fact that most are veterans with an intimate knowledge of what it ultimately takes to enforce such control over a population. You know the rules, why would they not apply here as they have everywere else?

[Advisor]

Come on everybody. Dubya & Co. say, 'Trust us. We're from the guvment n' are here to help you.' Well, I've been hearing politicians say the same thing for as long as I can remember & 9 out of 10 times the only one's who got helped were themselves or their owners. Sorry, George. I voted for you but this is one toke over the line. You, as President, left the southern borders open & now it looks like you want to do the same thing to our ports. Used to be that 'trust me' would just get you screwed..now it can get us killed.

[SuperScout]

The info failure about WMD's is not that they weren't found where we thought they'd be, but that we failed to track their exit from Iraq to Syria. And this failure is attributed to a lack of HUMINT, caused, aided and abetted long ago by such intelligence geniues as Stansfield Turner. THAT was the failure of this administration, not that there wasn't any WMD. If there is an ongoing failure, it's the MSM not reporting what components of WMD have actually been found.

I fail to see the connection between the Patriot Act and the treasonous disclosures of the New York Times vis-a-vis the activities of the NSA. Are the provisions you cite applicable to all citizens, are are they only applicable to those suspected of participating in terrorist actions? Even if the very worst of what is cited were to ever occur, it doesn't impact my life one iota, as I have given the authorities no reason whatsoever to exercise choices 1 through 6. Now, if Achmed in Austin has been found to have discussed certain nefarious activities to occur in city X with Rasheem, currently living in Pakistan, for example, I'm totally in favor of Actions 1 through 6, plus any others we can add to apply to Achmed. In fact, a well-place 9mm to the back of the head would be my preference of activities, after we've rung out all the info we can from him.

The decision-making process involving the potential sale of the port operations was conducted at less than cabinet-grade. And by inference, the White House was not involved, unless at a very low level as well, if at all. To imply that the President was involved in this decision-making loop is fanciful thinking.

[MORTARDUDE]

David :

Excellent post.

Brice :

I truly believe you would continue to apologize for this administration no matter what they did.

Larry

[SuperScout]

It isn't a matter of apologizing for this or any other administration, it's a matter of not flying off into cyber-loony land before obtaining sufficient data upon which to make an intelligent decision.

The UAE Port Deal: What Are the Facts?

Earlier this evening, the administration took a step toward that kind of a PR campaign by sending out emails that relate some basic facts about the DP World contracts. Here are some excerpts:

Under the process conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), officials carefully reviewed the national security issues raised by the transaction and its effect on our national security. Twelve Federal agencies and the government?s counterterrorism experts closely and carefully reviewed the transaction to make certain it posed no threat to national security.

DP World, a UAE-based commercial entity, is purchasing the U.S. subsidiary of the London-based P&O Steam Navigation Company. The announcement of DP World?s bid for P&O was made in November 2005, and the news was widely reported in the press and international financial trade publications. The formal CFIUS process was set into motion in December, and the Federal government conducted a thorough review to ensure that port security would in no way be compromised by the deal.

The President has made clear that he stands firmly behind the decision to allow the DP World transaction to move forward. Preventing this transaction by a reputable company to go forward after careful review would send a terrible signal to friends and allies that investments in the United States from certain parts of the world are not welcome.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is always in charge of the nation?s Port Security, not the private company that Operates Facilities Within The Ports. Nothing will change with this transaction. DHS, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other Federal agencies, sets the standards for port security and ensures that all port facility owners and operators comply with these standards.

The Transaction Is Not About Port Security Or Even Port Ownership, But Only About Operations In Port. DP World will not manage port security, nor will it own any ports. DP World would take on the functions now performed by the British firm P&O ? basically the off- and on-loading of cargo. Employees will still have to be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. No private company currently manages any U.S. port. Rather, private companies such as P&O and DP World simply manage and operate individual terminals within ports.

DP World Has Played By The Rules, Has Cooperated With The United States, And Is From A Country That Is A Close Ally In the War on Terror. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been a solid partner in the War on Terror. The UAE has been extremely cooperative on counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation and has provided considerable support to U.S. forces in the Gulf and to the governments and people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The UAE Is An Established Partner In Protecting America's Ports. Dubai was the first Middle Eastern entity to join the Container Security Initiative (CSI) ? a multinational program to protect global trade from terrorism. Dubai was also the first Middle Eastern entity to join the Department of Energy's Megaports Initiative, a program aimed at stopping illicit shipments of nuclear and other radioactive material.

Port Security Begins Abroad. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) created the CSI to enable CBP to inspect 100% of high-risk containers at foreign seaports before they are loaded onboard vessels destined for the United States. Dubai was the first Middle Eastern entity to join CSI. Cooperation with Dubai has been outstanding and a model for other operations.

DP World currently manages 19 container terminals and has operations in 14 countries. The United States government has a strong working relationship with DP World.

There's lots more. I am not, to understate the case, an expert on port security. But these sound like cogent points, don't they? If there is an argument that permitting the DP World transaction to go through as planned will compromise our security, what, exactly, is it? Maybe the argument has been made, and I've missed it by virtue of being out of touch for a few days. But so far I, at least, haven't heard any facts that would negate the force of the administration's arguments.

[reconeil]

Can't help but notice from those whom would
blame Bush and Republicans for everything gone
wrong in America and The World, since the
beginning of time,...in that no names of replacements
or a replacement Party that can do better are mentioned.

The replacement People and Party I see on The Tube,
sure-as-hell scare-the-hell-out-of-me, on Life & Death matters.
Hope I'm wrong, and that all replacements you prefer
can be trusted to do better for ALL AMERICANS.

Neil

[SuperScout]

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace said Thursday that the U.S. has a "superb" military relationship with the United Arab Emirates, explaining that U.S. forces use U.A.E. 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," the top military man said, in quotes picked up by the Associated Press.

Gen. Pace's comments offered a glimpse into what could be the White House's motivation for going to the wall in the Dubai ports takeover controversy - the need to stick by a strategic ally who may be indispensable in any future conflict with Iran.

So why doesn't the Bush administration say so out loud?

Notes the AP: The U.S. relationship with the U.A.E. is so politically sensitive that the Pentagon does not openly discuss details.

Some of those details, however, are known to include the following:

Air Force U-2 spy planes and Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft have been based at the U.A.E.'s al-Dhafra air base, along with KC-10 aerial refueling planes. Al-Dhafra is said to have played a key role in both the Iraq and Afghanistan air wars.

U.S. sailors and Marines regularly make liberty calls at the port of Jebel Ali, near the U.A.E.'s largest city, Dubai. Former Iraq war commander Gen. Tommy Franks said Wednesday that Jebel Ali is "the best run port that I've ever seen."

With the U.A.E. located directly across the Straits of Hormuz from Iran, Jebel Ali and al Dhafra offer the U.S. forward bases of operations should Tehran attempt to shut down the key waterway, which it threatened to do last month if sanctioned by the U.N. Twenty-five percent of the world's oil supply passes through the Straits of Hormuz.

[Seems like a great place for us to have a physical presence, as well as a strong foothold in an area where we need to be recruiting more HUMINT.]

[Gimpy]

Larry said!......................

[SuperScout]

... what GEN (Ret) Tommy Franks said.....

... what GEN Peter Pace said.....