[Diddle E. Squat]

Cmon BushBots... Lets hear you explain this away...

The obvious conclusion is that this is part of some backroom horsetrading and deals going on to advance the War On Terror.

Maybe you are unfamiliar with the UAE's proximity to Iran, which we are likely to attack (but probably not invade) sometime within the next few months, and which will probably lead to a war with significant collateral damage.

Not that the professional knee-jerk bitch and moaners would bother to think that through, in their near gleeful rush to once again shout "Betrayed! I told you so! We are doomed! I am the only one with wisdom!"

[MineralMan]

"The obvious conclusion is that this is part of some backroom horsetrading and deals going on to advance the War On Terror.

"

Or to advance something, at least....

[antaresequity]

Right...

So your premise is that this deal has something to do with the war on terror vis-a-vie UAE as a forward staging area for an attack on Iran because the UAE represents a geo-proximate advantage over seaborne and land based assets already in theater...sure thing...

What this is about is a British conglomerate selling its port operations to a conglomerate in the UAE. That same British conglomerate already had the sub-contract for these services...and by proxy...the UAE company picks up those contracts...DB Ports would become the third largest port operator in the world should the deal go through, AND the subcontracts are transfered.

The 'super secret' council in the trade department that approved the 'sale'...in reality approved not standing in the way of an overseas transaction that had local consequences...

Politically its idiotic...as has been proved by the mounting tide of bipartisan opposition and public outcry against the 'approval'.

The security and operation of American ports should rest with Americans. Thats just my opinion.

There is one benefit however:

For once the American people are openly expressing downright bias and contempt for Arabs if only in a tangential way.

Now isn't that refreshing?

[prairiebreeze]

yep, you said it well

[Paul Ross]

The obvious conclusion is that this is part of some backroom horsetrading and deals going on to advance the War On Terror.

False.

We already have some deal with the UAE. Why can't they settle for that?

You are aware that their government OWNs the DWP?

Anyways, if there were a legitimate explanation, this is what closed sessions are for.

And guess what, even then your thesis is improper.

No horsetrading justifies putting us at risk this way.

The guy is not seeing the forest for the trees. He is rationalizing as mere unessential or "manageable" details vital considerations to national security that in fact are essential, and already provably not being managed.