Posted on 03/05/2006 9:09:20 PM PST by Isara
Port Deal: America's shabby treatment of imperfect allies has boomeranged in the past. Those who'd kick the UAE out of American ports should ponder what would happen if the U.S. Navy was kicked out of theirs.
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The UAE has put itself on the line in the war on terror, which is more than can be said of some of our European "friends" whom we liberated twice and protected for six decades. When Winston Churchill was asked abut his alliance with Stalin, he famously replied that he would ally himself with Satan, if the devil was fighting Hitler.
U.S. Navy warships dock at its ports, with the UAE being the No. 2 international port for the Navy. Dubai Ports World has provided services for 700 U.S. Navy ships a year at the UAE ports of Jebel Ali and Fujairah.
The U.S. Air Force uses its airbases at Al Dhafra and Abu Dhabi. U-2 spy planes and Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft have been based there along with KC-10 aerial refueling planes.
Dubai Ports World is also the primary support contractor for U.S. Air Force assets at Al Dhafra.
Look at the nearby map. The UAE is the virtual epicenter of a region from Lebanon to India that contains both our greatest hopes and our greatest threats.... no accident.. Secretary.. Rice recently visited Lebanon on her way to the UAE, or that President Bush visited the world's largest democracy, India, to ink a historic strategic partnership. ...
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We have expressed certain reservations about the port deal in the past. But in the war on terror we need all the friends we can get, particularly a nation strategically situated between a struggling Iraqi democracy and a mushrooming Iranian threat. President Bush once said either you are with us or against us. The UAE is with us.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
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Spot on!
My ship was in Jebel Ali 13 years ago, and the entire battlegroup used it for supplies, R&R, etc. It is vital that we maintain good relations with the UAE, especially w/ Iran looming. I want to know how many naysayers have been through the Straits of Hormuz, and seen the mountains of Iran on one side and UAE on the other? We need all the friends we can get right now.
yup
We have a base in Oman....Cant say what type of aircrat fly out of there but the relationship between us and them is very good. Of course, it can change in a second (or however long it takes to draw a cartoon). I've been there a few times and although the conditions sucked I was still very appreciative of the fact that the Omanis (sp) let us fly out of there.
Right after 9/11, weren't the Dems saying that it was more important to cooperate with moderate Arab states than go after Saddam?
Lets not forget who owns the port of Long Beach......There are quite a few ports owned by foreign countries and if I didnt have a few brews in me I'd look it up.
Ah, good, many thanks - always good to get info from someone Who Has Been There, Done That.
You know what amazes me?
It has taken me over a year to obtain an immigrant visa for my wife, but it took the Bush administration only 25 days to "thoroughly" investigate and approve a deal that would hand over the management of 6 major ports in the US to a country that had two participants in 9-11 attacks.
To top that off, Sen. Lugar's office had the nerve to tell me that my wifes visa had been delayed by the "horrific" events of 9-11 and the security procedures the government was forced to put into place following those events.
Oh..the irony.
It probably took them an hour to look through your wife record, but a year to get to her record.
I think it has more to do with the fact that none of our Congressman or Senators have had to endure the process - otherwise they'd be changing things pretty damn quick.
Tuesday 15 February 2005, 19:27 Makka Time, 16:27 GMT
The Oman-US accord is likely to cause friction with Riyadh
Oman is to sign a free trade agreement with the United States in July in a move likely to irriatate Saudi Arabia.
Trade and Industry Minister Maqbul bin Ali said there would be negotiations with the US in March and April although the US Embassy in Muscat refused to confirm an agreement had been made on Tuesday.
The accord is likely to cause friction with Saudi Arabia, Oman's northern neighbour, which is opposed to fellow member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council making bilateral agreements with the United States.
The agreement will become effective in 2006 if it is approved by the US Congress, Bin Ali told a meeting of Omani business executives.
The minister added that a US delegation will visit Oman between 12-14 March to discuss the accord and an Omani delegation will hold talks in Washington on 18 April.
Last year Bahrain signed a free trade agreement with the US.
Saudi Arabia complained that such accords weakened the collective bargaining power of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a loose political and economic alliance that groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The Saudi government downgraded its representation at the GCC summit in December in a move widely seen as reflecting Saudi disapproval of Bahrain's pact with Washington.
A third member of the GCC, the United Arab Emirates is negotiating for a free trade accord with the US.
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Prince, how do you read this deal and the effect it may have on our relations in the region?
Sunday 23 January 2005, 15:26 Makka Time, 12:26 GMT
Qatar and Bahrain are two GCC countries in talks with the US
Qatar is considering a free trade agreement with the US, a local newspaper has said.
The Qatari daily The Gulf Times on Sunday published an article indicating the two countries have held initial talks on the free trade pact, which could be signed this year.
Qatar's Minister of Economy and Commerce Shaikh Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Jassim Al Thani was quoted at a recent conference as saying the government considered a free trade agreement with the US vital.
"Yes, we are definitely considering a free trade agreement," he said at the Project Opportunities in Qatar conference.
The deal would also assist Qatar's economic integration into global markets, according to government sources.
"Both sides will benefit from the agreement and they will be long-term. On our side our exports will get tax relief and protection on the strength of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US," the sources said.
Saudi concerns
Qatar's neighbour Bahrain has also recently agreed on an FTA with the US, raising concerns among other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, especially Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has threatened to slap duties on Bahraini goods The move sparked a threat by Riyadh to slap customs duties on goods from Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abd Allah bin Abd al-Aziz had also boycotted the recent GCC summit in Bahrain apparently in protest against the trade deals with the US.
The kingdom, a regional heavyweight, had accused its smaller Gulf neighbours of weakening GCC solidarity by forging separate economic and security agreements with foreign powers.
Other GCC members such as Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates plan to sign similar deals, which could further alienate Riyadh.
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Anyone with half a brain who cares ... and who's NOT in Congress or the press with an anti-Bush agenda ... can clearly see how much work is going on behind the scenes to fortify the cooperation with friendly Arab countries that's so vital to our security and the future of the free world, and Saudi Arabia looks to be losing its monopoly as our major ally in the region. Very very savvy.
It's not rocket science to see that W, Condi, Rummy and I'm sure Cheney are working around the clock on this area .. while constantly enduring the petty slings and arrows of the ignorant, tunnel-visioned, pathetic MSM.
It would be comical if it wasn't so sick .. that they're choosing to ignore the real news .. the news that matters .. that the grownups are making, while they wet their diapers and revel in their childish playground. That could very well be W and KR's strategy. God bless W and all of them and BTT!!
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Ding ~~
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