Islam is PeaceTM
Embrace Diversity!
Posted on 02/26/2006 6:50:55 AM PST by Dark Skies
As I inadvertently failed to mention in an earlier column on the subject, the ports in question already were managed by a British company, which is selling the operational rights to Dubai Ports World with American approval. As I've now written in countless e-mails, "Some foreign companies are more foreign than others."
Great Britain, though home to the infamous shoe bomber, is nonetheless a blood brother in the war against terror. The UAE is now being lauded as helpful in that global fight, but its history relative to terrorism is problematic. The emirates joined Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in recognizing the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan. The UAE also was a transfer point for shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Libya.
Given that history, it's hard to pretend that there's no reason whatsoever for concerns about Dubai Ports, a government-owned company, managing U.S. ports.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
Islam is PeaceTM
Embrace Diversity!
Evidently it's not that hard, as we see people here pretending exactly this, day after day after day. People seem to forget that the Saudis were allegedly a solid ally, but the government-to-government relationship was a key element in opening the doors to the 9/11 hijackers.
BTTT...
I'll take Gen. Frank's opinion.
I suggest the point is not that the deal is good, bad or indifferent, but that the Adminstration doesn't understand the way the people of this country feel about the islamic world.
Tommy Franks is a terrific guy, but he isn't a politician.
As a retired investment banker, I am shocked that the bankers on this deal didn't realize that it was politically flammable and would require a strong PR campaign to calm concerns.
Then whose opinion should I take, a military professional whose has much experience with the UAE(Tommy Franks) or a politicians(chuckie schumer).
I'll take Gen. Tommy Franks's opinion.
Excellent points.
The way I see it, if there were 5 brothers and 4 were convicted pedophiles, would you hire the fifth one to babysit your kids? No way that I would. I don't care how nice the fifth one is. I figure he ought to find some other job and I ought to find some other person to babysit. Sure it's unfair to him since he's done nothing wrong (as far as anyone knows), but it would be absolutely irresponsible to take the chance.
Why is this so hard for the pro-UAR-port deal people to understand?
Does Dubai Ports World have a track record?
Why, yes they do.
They even manage a port in the home of our ally in the WOT, Australia. Heard any complaints from them?
They're hardly an unknown.
> Why is this so hard for the pro-UAE-port deal people to understand?
I'd be happy if they just stopped insulting us, calling us stupid, liars, and Democrats.
I'm disappointed that they don't understand that it could become literally flammable as well.
Paris inferno is ominous
Paris/France burns, Live thread (night #10)
How can I put this delicately...
Hmm...
Perhaps broccoli is a good example.
I dislike broccoli.
I don't fear broccoli.
I feel the same way about many things without having a phobia.
Agreeded If the US Navy doesnt have problems with this thats something that should be looked at. McCain has gone up a alot in my book by the way. He is one of the few Leaders and in fact the only one that is holding a pro-port position on this that is prob going to run for Prez.
Indeed. They are, after all, siding with some rather dubious liberal characters themselves. In today's New York Times, Nicholas Kristof (that well known conservative columnist) wrote about how the port deal presents no threat because the UAE is such a swell and upstanding country -- actually stating that the UAE "is the Disneyland of the Arab world."
I think its become a kind of collective hallucination. Yeah sure, Dubai was once chock full of money-laundering, terrorist facilitating scoundrels, but that was a couple of months ago, and everything has changed since then!
"You're a racist," and "You don't know enough to even have an opinion," are not arguments. They're anti-arguments, designed to end discussion.
I think it's a matter of high profile public figures wanting to prove how open minded and "un-Islamophobic" they are. It's a substitute for judgment, and a poor one at that.
The security of our nation should not rest upon a series of business deals with foreign countrys.
Security is not a commodity ment to be traded for.
I will take the public's opinion over that of any political puppet. The public has access to all sides of an issue, not just the political pundits justifications.
Our government is of the people, by the people, for the people, not by the government, for the government.
Franks is a PAID representitive of the lobby that supports the deal. Paid experts have to be especially questioned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.