Posted on 02/22/2006 1:18:57 AM PST by bd476
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2006
A nefarious multinational corporation secretly controlled by a hostile Arab government has engineered a covert takeover of six major U.S. ports. America is at risk of losing control of its borders and compromising national security in an entirely preventable way.
Horselips.
Never have I seen a bogus story explode so fast and so far. I thought I was a connoisseur of demagoguery and cheap shots, but the Dubai Ports World saga proves me a piker. With a stunning kinship of cravenness, politicians of all flavors risk trampling each other as they rush to the cameras and microphones to condemn the handover of massive U.S. strategic assets to an Islamic, Arab terrorist-loving enemy.
The only problem -- and I admit it's only a teeny-weeny problem -- is that 90 percent of that story is false.
The United Arab Emirates is not an Axis of Evil kind of place, it will not own U.S. ports, it will not control security at U.S. ports and there is nothing new about foreigners owning U.S. ports. Odds are higher that you'll be wounded interfering with a congressman providing soundbites than by something smuggled into a port terminal leased by Dubai Ports World.
But please: let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story. And what's wrong with a little Arab-bashing anyway?
I am no expert on ports, transportation or shipping. But it takes very little reading and research to cut through the gas on this one.
Myth #1: That an Arab company is trying to buy six American ports.
No, the company is buying up a British company that leases terminals in American ports; the ports are U.S.-owned. To lease a terminal at a U.S. port means running some business operations there -- contracting with shipping lines, loading and unloading cargo and hiring local labor. Dubai Ports World is not buying the ports.
Several companies will lease terminals at a single port. In New Orleans, for example, the company Dubai Ports World is trying to buy (P&O Ports) is just one of eight companies that lease and operate terminals.
P&O Ports does business in 18 other countries. None of them are in righteous lathers about the sale of the business to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Ports World already operates port facilities all over the world, including such security-slacker states as China, Australia, Korea and Germany.
Myth #2: The U.S. is turning over security at crucial ports to an Arab company.
No, security at U.S. ports is controlled by U.S. federal agencies led by the Coast Guard and the U.S. Customs and Border Control Agency, which are part of the Homeland Security department. Local jurisdictions also provide police and security personnel.
Complaints about security at ports should be directed to the federal government.
Myth #3: American ports should be American.
Well, it's too late, baby. According to James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation (a place really known for its Arab-loving, soft-on-terror approach), "Foreign companies already own most of the maritime infrastructure that sustains American trade…"
At the port of Los Angeles, 80 per cent of the terminals are operated by foreign companies. Chinese companies operate more than half the terminals. So why is this suddenly a threat? After all, political outcry managed to scupper the deal a few months ago in which a Chinese company was going to take over the Unocal oil company.
Go to any port in the country and you'll be lucky to see a single giant vessel with U.S.A. on its stern. Foreign-owned airplanes fly into American airports every hour. Many U.S. companies have foreign entities among their largest shareholders.
My colleague Charlie Wolfson reports that State Department sources say Dubai Ports World already handles port calls for U.S. Navy ships from the 5th fleet for their regular port calls in the United Arab Emirates -- a pretty high measure of trustworthiness.
Myth #4: the United Arab Emirates has "very serious" al Qaeda connections.
That's what Republican Rep. Peter King says. It's also what the administration said of pre-war Iraq, but that doesn't mean it's true. I suppose you could say each and every Arab and Islamic country has al Qaeda issues, but even on that yardstick the UAE is a pretty good player and by most accounts, getting better.
Politicians have been quick to point out that two of the 9/11 hijackers were from UAE. And we're turning over our ports to them? Well, by that logic, we shouldn't let Lufthansa land in our airports or have military bases in Germany, because that country housed a bunch of the 9/11 hijackers as they were plotting.
Yes, Dubai has plenty of blood in its hands, especially as a source or courier for terror funds. But it is not a rogue state. It has been among the closer and more cooperative Arab allies for the past two years (another conspiracy theory: the U.S. is paying them off).
Some combination of these facts led the Dubai Ports deal to be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Certainly the security of American ports is an important issue. Certainly who controls the finances of companies that lease terminals at ports is far down the to-do list of how to improve security at ports.
That has everything to do with adequate funding and proper management at the relevant agencies. Management is the responsibility of the executive branch, while funding and oversight is the job of Congress. There is scant evidence that Congress or the administration have excelled in their duties.
That's why it's so tempting for politicians of both parties to indulge in xenophobic Arab-bashing on this matter of minimal national security importance. One Republican said that regardless of the facts, the administration was politically "tone deaf" on this one. Appearance is more important than reality.
Often bipartisanship is a sign of pragmatic consensus or noble common cause. In this case it is merely a scene of a politician occupational hazard: cover-your-arse-itis.
Dick Meyer, a veteran political and investigative producer for CBS News, is the Editorial Director of CBSNews.com, based in Washington.
Truthsearcher wrote: "...You're presuming that once a person reaches a certain level of intelligence he becomes incapable of making mistakes unless his intelligence regresses. He is simply making a mistake, as we are all capable of no matter how smart we are."
Truthsearcher, it seems that now you have also come to the wrong conclusions about me, yet I'm not a public figure. I asked you a few sincere questions in my previous post to you which answers only required a few minutes of thoughtful consideration.
Unless you are privy to any detailed information or intel received by the President, you are being swept up in a fast-moving tide of gullibility.
Those who happened to broadcast this current political disinformation campaign are pleased.
Finally what I've been saying all along made out plain and simple.
But hey.. people are well people.. and people just like jumping to conclusions.
Just ask the guy in office space, he knew it so well he wanted to invent a game out of it.
Almondjoy wrote: "Finally what I've been saying all along made out plain and simple.
But hey.. people are well people.. and people just like jumping to conclusions..."
Thanks, Almondjoy. What you have said is true. It is also a more encouraging view on human nature.
Almondjoy wrote: "Just ask the guy in office space, he knew it so well he wanted to invent a game out of it."
ROFL!
So you are saying that no Muslims were at any docks in this country now?
Do you really think that someone that wanted to learn port security or get the right people in place at a port to get a bomb through couldn't do it at a British, American, or Chinese run port?
People seem to be under the impression that Muslims can't go to work at ports right now.
I don't think like the MSM does... I don't think that everyone in the mid-east is an islamofascists, nor do I think that the mid-east DOESN'T wish to gradually become more economically free. I don't think all US colleges are evil and just because some snot-nosed liberal is spouting bs and this is being massively run through every news cycle.
Try looking at this another way...
You recall the OIL FOR FOOD scam? Top takers of Saddam's oil? Russian, France. Do we still do business with Russia and France? YES.
Do I think like a Russian or a Frenchie? Maybe/maybe not. There are some rotten apples in every country of the world. And there are some good.
Frankly, I'm relieved to hear such "outrage" on the subject; businesswise and economically, however, it is pure reactive emotionalism.
I'd like to see pub ed privatized. We could try touching that nerve.. and see the hysterics.. It'd be worse than is currently going on with this UAE matter..
I appreciate your comment about "helping me"; but I don't see where your offer fits in with our having a difference in perspective.
On the interesting side, perhaps the Democrats will try to mandate that the "port" jobs go to some 3rd world country.. a national "affirmative action program", or perhaps they'll demand the work be nationalized -- UNIONS (like that wouldn't be succumbing to some bad apples...). The UAE has the experience, the funds.
Merit? Frank Gaffney has raised some fascinating points, nonetheless.. :)
Tulsa Ramjet wrote: "...Well now...that's his first problem. Was he a contributor on GuardGate?"
I don't know. If the writer was, and if you chose to discredit the article based upon his alleged involvement in that particular disinformation campaign, then are you further going to conclude that our President must also have been involved simply because you don't care for our President's current position?
Please do further reading and research before jumping to conclusions. The Dems need your vote and it will be a sad day when they get it.
Great post, Alia! Thanks for the ping.
You just proved yet again that fear wins over facts.
Unless you have some actual facts to back up your claim.
Hypotheticals don't count.
This is a fine article with the exception of "Myth #3: American ports should be American."
"Well, it's too late, baby. According to James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation (a place really known for its Arab-loving, soft-on-terror approach), "Foreign companies already own most of the maritime infrastructure that sustains American trade…"
That it has happened does not mean in any way that it is how America should be defending itself--that the American government spends billions on unConstitutional programs does not mean that it should or somehow make them Constitutional.
I noticed that you and siena have been posting this stupid babble. Was Timothy McVeigh a hero to the people of New York ? I'll bet Mohammed Atta is a hero to most people in Dubai. I'll bet most people in Dubai if they might not agree with al-Qaeda, certainly understand and respect it.
You will lose your money.
Suicide bombers are heroes to Arabs everywhere. That's the entire point of being a suicide bomber. Being a hero. Knowing that your culture and society will admire you. Knowing how proud momma will be.
Not to every Arab. And Atta was certainly not a hero to "most" in Dubai.
Bookmarked. Thanks for posting this.
http://www.portoflosangeles.org/facilities_Container.htm
The Port of Los Angeles has eight major container terminals and four dockside intermodal rail yards with direct access to the Alameda Corridor, a 20-mile express railway connecting the Port to the rail hubs in downtown Los Angeles.
Here are three of the 8 terminals---
Berths 121-131 http://www.yml.com.tw/index.asp YANG MING TERMINAL 186 acres; Use: Containerized cargo; wheeled and grounded operation
Handling facilities: Eight post-Panamax cranes with 50’-gauge and 40-long-ton main hoist capacity; tophandlers; sidehandlers; forklifts; UTRs; bombcarts; on-dock rail facility
Berth 100 http://www.chinashippingna.com/ CHINA SHIPPING TERMINAL
75 acres; Use: Containerized cargo; wheeled and grounded operation Handling facilities: Four post-Panamax cranes with 100’ gauge; rail and gate shared with Yang Ming Terminal
Berths 212-225 http://www.yti.com YUSEN Container Terminal
185 acres; Use: Containerized cargo; wheeled import containers and grounded export and empty
Storage: 21,937-sq. ft. administration/in-gate building; 23,386-sq. ft. maintenance and repair building with 10 bays; 4798-sq. ft. marine building; 201,600-sq. ft. warehouse; 3300 wheeled slots (including 500 reefer plugs)
Handling facilities: Four super-post-Panamax with 100’-gauge and 60-long-ton main hoist capacity; four post-Panamax with 100’-gauge and 40-long-ton capacity; two Panamax with 50’-gauge and 40-long-ton capacity; 20-container-capacity wash rack system; 10 entry lanes with six scales; four exit lanes; vertical chassis stacking: 42 bays, 756 units; 132 hustlers; 14 toplifts; 10 sidelifts; 20 transtainers; near-dock rail facility
Except that you can't prove that them leasing part of each of these ports will increase the risk of a terrorist going to work there.
No more of a risk than there is one now.
Thank you, Syriacus for posting current port information.
There it is in black and white, with facts, photos, and you have even posted links to their websites.
Shocking. /sarcasm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1583408/posts?page=28#28
The above post I found fascinating. Thanks for the ping BTW.
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