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

[Gimpy]

I'm really not trying to be confrontational...............But, this should come as abso-phreakin-lutely NO SURPRISE, considering the source.

Al QUida will now have ports of entry to the US available to them

[frisco-kid]

This isn't some made-up story to discredit the president. Tune into the 6:00 o'clock news everyday and catch up. It's a true story and coming under alot of fire from both sides of the aisle. But, the White House keeps trying to prop it up and justify it. Pretty stupid, given the situation in the world today. And, like someone pointed out, 2 of the 9-11 terrorists were from this country. Also, the money to bankroll 9-11 was banked in, and drawn from, banks in this country. Probably banks that helped bankroll the bid for this contract. Just seems like the ol' Trojan Horse trick to me. This administration has made next to no effort to secure our borders for fear of offending Mexican illegals, but is willing to open up our ports to a country with KNOWN links to terrorists that actually carried out deadly attacks against us. Am I REALLY stupid, or am I just missing the part that makes this a good deal for our country?

This is one of those deals that is too incredably STUPID to be true...but is anyway.

Wonder if Australia is taking in refugees?

[David]

Bush now says he will veto any effort to block the deal. Wouldn't he need to understand the deal before he veto's it? I find it interesting that he all of the sudden understands the deal after just yesterday saying he knew nothing of it until congress started to raise issues with it.

So we have one of two scenarios here.

1. Bush lied about knowledge of the deal and is pushing it for back room reasons.

2. Bush knew nothing of the deal and is now having a knee jerk reaction to the pressure put on him by both sides of the house.

Either way the American public loses for reasons far beyond the implications of the deal itself.

[Gimpy]

David said!...............................

[MORTARDUDE]

"This same theme has been picked up by Hardcore and echoed on another thread. I think that both Hardcore and Moratardude knew all along that the information was false but decided to post it anyway because it makes the current occupant of the White House look bad in their distorted reasoning." says Murph..

>>> Well, it is a tie for the Gold Medal for distorted reasoning to Bush for the most convoluted way of rewarding cronies anyone has ever seen...and to the in-your-face-coverup of a drunken hunting accident... ( which if you or I had committed, we would have been prosecuted... it is a felony ) by Cheney and the gang...


from :http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022206Z.shtml


"....Washington - The Dubai firm that won Bush administration backing to run six U.S. ports has at least two ties to the White House.

One is Treasury Secretary John Snow, whose agency heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of an English company to government-owned Dubai Ports World - giving it control of Manhattan's cruise ship terminal and Newark's container port.

Snow was chairman of the CSX rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004, the year after Snow left for President Bush's cabinet...."



from :
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/21/17336/2076

".....Dubai, 24 January 2006: - Global ports operator DP World today welcomed news that one of its senior executives, Dave Sanborn, has been nominated by US President George W. Bush to serve as Maritime Administrator a key transportation appointment reporting directly to Norman Mineta the Secretary of Transportation and Cabinet Member.

The White House has issued a statement from Washington DC announcing the nomination. The confirmation process will begin in February.

Mr Sanborn currently holds the position of Director of Operations for Europe and Latin America for the Dubai-based company

Mohammed Sharaf, CEO, DP World said:
"While we are sorry to lose such an experienced and capable executive, it is exactly those qualities that will make Dave an effective administrator for MarAd. We are proud of Dave's selection and pleased that the Bush Administration found such a capable executive. We wish him all the best in his new role."

Ted Bilkey, Chief Operating Officer, DP World said:
"Dave's decades of experience in markets around the world, together with his passion for the industry and commitment to its development, will allow him to make a positive contribution to the work of the Maritime Administration. We wish him well for the future."

Mr Sanborn, a graduate of The United States Merchant Maritime Academy, joined DP World in 2005. He previously held senior roles with shipping lines CMA-CGM (Americas), APL Ltd and Sea-Land and has been based, besides the US, in Brazil, Europe, Hong Kong and Dubai during his career. He has also served in the US Naval Reserve.

Mr Sanborn is due to take up his new role based in Washington DC later in 2006.".......





from : http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles...ortsellout.htm


......"In 1997 the Communist Chinese government took over the Long Beach Naval Air Base, the only major deep water port that can take large ships on the west coast. In 2000, the Communist Chinese, Hutchinson Whampoa which is run by the PLA, took over the Panama Canal and has stationed between 15,000 and 30,000 troops at the facility.

May we remind our readers that top Chinese generals continue to threaten nuclear attacks on America. There is absolutely no mention of the Chinese takeover of these facilities amidst the media merry-go-round of the UAE ports debate and the same people that now criticize the UAE deal, like Chuckie Schumer, supported the ports sell-out to the Communist Chinese under Bill Clinton."...................


..............."As a country we are not just being robbed of our ability to create wealth, we are being robbed of our infrastructure, our land and our capacity to work the land. Your currency, your future and your sovereignty is systematically being dismantled, looted and sold to the highest bidder. The taxpayer pays for and builds the infrastructure only for foreign lobbyists to pay off corrupt politicians who 'lease' the infrastructure or outright sell it to the foreign lobbyists for 50, 60, 70 years."...........

Larry

[revwardoc]

Do I hear the gears of the impeachment process turning? I sure hope so!

[blues clues]

there has been some talk about it but don't bet the farm on it.
razz

[SuperScout]

The current level of public hysteria about the proposed sale of port operations can only be matched by the same media-driven mouth-foaming about the NSA situation. In the NSA scenario, selected members of Congress' intelligence committees, both Democrats and Republicans, were briefed, and brief frequently about what was happening, and some of the positive results of the NSA's work. It was only after the New York Times broke the story, thereby violating federal law (and hopefully, creating an airtight case against the leakers), that other members of Congress started wringing their hands in collective angst. Could it be that their self-righteous "why wasn't I in the loop" is simply a demonstration of their jealousy for not being on the Select Committee for Intelligence Oversight, or maybe they were just wanting to make some political hay?

In retrospect, the announcement about the proposed port sale should have been handled differently, not "spun" differently. Part of the background briefing should have contained the fact that dozens of similar transactions have occurred in years past, without the hue and cry, without the accompanying hysteria about impeachment, and without the totally false impression that port security is being sold, compromised or traded for a hunting lease in South Texas.

It just seems a bit unsettling for so many people to be so ready to fondle and caress the panic button as if it were some sort of sexual toy.