Posted on 02/21/2006 11:10:13 PM PST by antaresequity
I agree with what you said about UAE wanting to expand into other areas besides oil. And maybe their leaders are only interested in the money aspect of this deal.
The problem would lie with the potential for even just a few minor players to infiltrate the port system and cause major problems.
I think the threat is not worth the risk.
Ammo for Rush BUMP
here's a quote from Kathleen Parker's most recent column, I'll exerpt the part from MM's as soon as I (re) find it:
"The final throes of Bush's journey toward self-destruction may have found expression with the apparent sale of operational rights to six of our nation's largest ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Approved by the Bush administration against all reason, the $6.8 billion sale includes the ports of New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.
Despite bipartisan condemnation, the Bush administration has defended the sale to Dubai Ports World as not only safe, but prudent. The UAE, which incidentally served as a financial and operational base for the Sept. 11 hijackers, is an important ally in the fight against terror, we're told.
Of course they are. And Colombia is an important ally in the war against drugs. And Mexico is an important ally in the fight against illegal immigration. Perhaps, given that much of our illegal drug supply and immigrant population come from Colombia and Mexico, respectively, we should reconsider our strategy."
Shall we prohibit the Arab world from buying off all our debt. Thats something to be concerned about by the way. I hate to have them cash that check in but there is no uproar about that. The American people with all due repect take a while to be educated on a issue. So right now what the opinion polls are showing matters nothing except to show that more enlightment needs to occur.
Sorry, I'm use to the British looking like Brits (and acting like one).
Here it is, I don't have anything to say about her personal behaviour, she does do her homework though!
"Make no mistake. I stand with critics on both sides of the aisle who want to stop the secretive deal transferring operations of our ports to the UAE — a Middle Eastern government with a spotty record of fighting terrorist plots and terrorist financing. The issue is not whether day-to-day, on-the-ground conditions at the ports would change. The issues are whether we should grant the demonstrably unreliable UAE access to sensitive information and management plans about our key U.S ports, which are plenty insecure enough without adding new risks, and whether the decision process was thorough and free from conflicts of interest.
From every angle — political, safety, and sovereignty-wise--Dubai Ports World's business transaction (made possible by an unprecedented $3.5 billion Islamic financing instrument called a "sukuk" that upholds sharia law) looks bad and smells worse."
Fine I will trust the President who has killed more islamofascists than all other Presidents combined than keyboard commandos who bang out meme's by the dozen.
And Ms. all knowing on homeland security knows this how? Sorry but I will trust a President who has killed more islamofascists than all presidents combined, than some keyboard commando who thinks she kills them by banging out keystrokes.
I don't think the point is to "kill islamofascists" but to keep them from killing us (and making it easy).
What's to keep a ship from an arab country from turning itself into a huge damned bomb and destroying one of our ports? Shall we prevent all ships coming from UAE run ports from entering American ports?
Good digging !
From a UAE blog I frequent go interact with him anti arab people he has laid down the challenge
http://aethoughts.blogspot.com/
Dem Tayrorests Awre Tayken ova our Damn pawts !
Whatever uneducated Barbarians seem to be existent in some small measure in the US Government, their insecurity is worrying.
It seems that everyones been talking about this DP World Thing. Lets make sure to make more people aware of what the UAE is. This is again due to an international ignorance of the UAE. When you travel or when you go abroad, try to inform a few people about the UAE, that it is not a barbarian desert dwelling, that it does not support terrorists, that it is a peaceful country which has stood by everyone that needed them.
The world community, spearheaded by the media and this Incredibly Stupid Cartoon situation which has just spiralled out of control, begun to try and dig up whatever dirt it could on the UAE Government. We should therefore be sorry that:
We have banks. Big no no, what are you doing with all that financial infrastructure ? Bring it here and sit down and be a good little building burning Arab.
Two of the people who were involved in the September 11th attacks held UAE Citizenship. So then we should ban McDonalds and other things because of the actions of a few disgruntled college students who beat up Emaratis in the US ? The Governors calling for the DP world ports deal to not go through are just as stupid as those illiterate bastards whose attention has been diverted away from internal problems and more towards building embassies. They are just as threatened by others, and are willing to break agreements and conventions in order to prove their point.
We are Arab. Bad Mr. Arab, go and blow up buses full of school children instead of meddling in this complicated financial thing which you dont understand.
We gave donations to Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan. I doubt that Kofi or Bill would really stake their careers on the 500,000 Dollar awards. But then again were arab, Hillary Clinton must have seen us on that Arnie movie, going around smacking women and bribing officials.
But then again, there is this...
Sen. Barbara Boxer, on CBS' "Face the Nation," said, "It is ridiculous to say you're taking secret steps to make sure that it's OK for a nation that had ties to 9/11, [to] take over part of our port operations in many of our largest ports. This has to stop."
Senators, and correct me if im wrong, should be chosen on the basis of education and capability. However this has not been the case judging by Sen. Boxers (pun intended) argument. What exact ties does the UAE have to the 9/11 hijackers ? We in the UAE also fear a terrorist attack. We in the UAE, have also been threatened with terrorist actions. We in the UAE, have assisted the US far before the war on terror. Why does this has to stop ? First of all, what has to stop ? Free trade ? The capability to buy a company in a foreign country ? What is 'this' that you are so afraid of ? You know what you are like ? Youre like a girl who screams "Rape" when a guy jsut shakes her hand. Paranoid and Insecure. Point me out one occasion where the UAE Government took any other step but to combat terrorists. Give me one example of where the UAE government has been warmongering, or has attacked other people. Our army has done more peacekeeping than war for gods sakes. We are the Liberal Hippy Scandanavians of the Middle East. Do you have anything to argue against this ? Only because they use our banks, or stayed in our country, we have ties to them ? Why not end Daimler-Chrysler or Ford ? You are playing around with Words Sen. Boxer, and are either very stupid and uninformed, or you are very crafty and want to exploit this situation to get yourself re-elected.
But most seriously I to be honest am most honored and privelliged, to see expatriate bloggers rise up in defence of the UAE. I will certainly be telling my Emarati friends about this stand.
posted by Emirati at 9:49 AM 22 comments
Same here in the lower peninsula of Michigan.
The UAE University and HCTs are producing women graduates in disciplines such as the arts, engineering, sciences, including environmental sciences, media and communications, as well as computer technology. Women are now found in the fields of business, technology, aviation, armed forces, literature etc"
Reality check time:
The UAE is a DICTATORSHIP state and ARAB LEAGUE MEMBER
Imprisonment and Flogging is your punishment for Marriage Across Faiths
There are No Democratically Elected Institutions or Political Parties
Judiciary's Decisions Subject to Review by Political Leadership
Law Specifically Prohibits Criticism of Government, Ruling Families and Friendly Governments Under Penalty of Imprisonment
People with Israeli passports will not be allowed to enter.
the UAE refuses to have political ties with Israel.
UAE refuses to consider Israel a legitimate state in the region, and hence refers to them as the "zionest entity" in the press. In other words, they don't exist.
The UAE censures the Internet for its people, just like the communist Chinese do.
The UAE once backed the Taliban as the legitimate rulers in Afghanistan.
The UAE are mostly the radical Sunni sect, who support the Sunni insurgency in Iraq.
The UAE provided the base of operations for the 9/11 terrorists, giving them laundered money and fake passports, and two of their own countrymen to aid in the 9-11 attack.
Such nice people, maybe the President will invite them over to his Maine ranch for a three day party of fun and games.
BUMP!
what a good point! I see your logic! Let's give them the keys to the White House too since they theoreticaly could bomb it anyway!
Enough sarcasm, see the recent post by Leilik, with his quote:
(approx): "most Americans think, uh, and why exactly can't we do this ourselves?", "why exactly should we trust them?"
(must read, I've mangled it)
here's the quote:
"Do I expect the managers of the ports to start installing Al Qaeda operatives in key positions, so they can wave through all the containers with small nukes for national distribution? No. But such a scenario does not exact tax the imagination, which is why it’s such a stupendously bad idea.
It’s remarkably tone deaf. It’s possible that the Administration did some quiet polling, and asked the question “How much Arab control over American ports are you comfortable with,” and misinterpreted stunned silence as assent. It’s possible the Administration believed that this would be seen as outreach, an act of faith to solidify a Key Ally, and didn’t think there’d be much hubbub – but if that’s the case, it’s the best example of the Bubble Theory I’ve heard, and I’ve not heard much convincing evidence. Until now. The average American’s reaction to handing port control over to the UAE is instinctively negative, and for good reason. There are two basic reactions: We can’t do this ourselves? and We should trust them, why?"
read the whole thing.
"Shall we prevent all ships coming from UAE run ports from entering American ports?"
I guess that's similar to letting foreign airlines fly into the U.S. -- but I sure don't want the UAE in charge of handling U.S. airline operations, even if it was just loading the baggage.
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