If the deal goes through, it will sink both Bush and his party in November. We'll have a Democratic Congress and an impeached President by this time next year.
-Dan
Posted on 02/26/2006 1:56:17 PM PST by AmericaTalks
For all of its failings, the one thing the Bush administration had been able to point to as a success was the way it was conducting the war on terror. In recent weeks, however, it has become increasingly apparent that Bush is either asleep at the wheel or has lost his mind. I speak of course of the Dubai Ports deal, and the increasing influx of Muslims into this country, with the blessing of our government.
In the former, we have to wonder what in the name of all that is holy George W. was thinking when he allowed Dubai Ports world, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, to purchase London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation. The deal raises so many red flags about it so as to be laughable, if it weren't so scary.
First, the financing of this transaction should raise eyebrows. As Jerome Corsi wrote in a column for WorldNetDaily, "DPW is a governmental agency fronted as a commercial entity. Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC and Deutsche Bank AG are organizing an international lending syndicate to create a $6.3 billion term loan and a $200 million revolving facility in a $6.5 billion loan deal to finance the acquisition.
This nearly-100 percent leveraged takeover is possible only because the debt will be backed by A1 Moody's rating of Dubai, one of the seven Emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates. The borrowing entity will be Thunder FZE (Free Zone Enterprise), an acquisition vehicle set up by DPW, with a 100 percent guarantee provided by PCFC. Some 30 international banks are expected to participate in the $6.5 billion acquisition, plus refinancing a $1.65 billion loan DPW raised last year. Debt issues are not foreign to Dubai – last month PCFC issued a separate two-year $3.5 billion Islamic bond, the largest Islamic bond ever raised."
In addition, Dubai Ports World has ties to the Bush administration.
Recently, George W. nominated one of DPW's senior executives, David C. Sanborn, to serve as maritime administrator, reporting directly to Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta. Sanford, a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Maritime Academy, joined DPW in 2005. Before being nominated to be maritime administrator, Mr. Sanford served as DPW's director of Operations for Europe and Latin America.
Bush has repeatedly stated that the United Arab Emirates have been extremely helpful in fighting the war on terror. But their help is questionable. Again, as Corsi points out, " The 9-11 Commission Report documents how al-Qaida and the 9-11 terrorists who flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon used Dubai as a banking facility and a country of transit. Dubai continues to work actively with the radical religious clerics ruling Iran, serving both as a vacation home and a capital haven to many of the wealthy mullahs and their families, including former Prime Minister Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who is the first mullah to be considered a billionaire while the Iranian per capita GDP continues to be calculated at around $1,800."
Helpful in the war on terror? Helpful to whom?
The UAE also has direct ties to Osama bin Laden.
As far back as 1999, U.S. intelligence officials spotted bin Laden at a desert training camp in Afghanistan. There was an opportunity to destroy the entire camp. But the operation was called off because an official aircraft from the UAE was spotted, along with members of the royal family.
Bin Laden was hunting with the princes of the UAE. Concerned that the princes might be killed in a strike, the mission was called off. Two years later, 3,000 Americans were murdered as a result.
Knowing this, why would Bush doggedly pursue this transaction? And why didn't Michael Chertoff, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice know about this deal in advance? Did Bush really learn of the sale from news reports?
It just doesn't make sense.
Many right wing pundits are divided on this issue. Rush Limbaugh, a true Bushyite, backs the sale. He said on his popular syndicated radio show "I have been a profile in courage on this story. When it comes to the UAE or the Middle East: I do not believe that every Arab nation, government, sponsors terrorism. I don't believe they all are for it. I don't believe they secretly fund it. I think this story about the two or three of the 9-11 hijackers came out of the UAE, they may have.
"The London bomber was a British citizen. We have had homegrown criminals in this country try to blow up buildings and commit crime in this country. The idea that the United Arab Emirates government recruited those three hijackers, trained them and paid for them is not true. Just because they came out of there, I'm not willing to cast negative aspersions on a whole country."
Sean Hannity, on the other hand, disagreed.
"I think this president's been tough on the war on terror. I want to believe him," Hannity said. "I don't like the track record and the involvement of the UAE as it relates to money issues involving 9-11, transportation issues. They have a history of supporting terror that, frankly, is sketchy at best. ...
"Their support of the Taliban concerns me. Their non-recognition of Israel concerns me. The UAE's banking system filtered a lot of the money that was used operationally prior to 9-11. Their use of transportational assistance.
"Those specific things, they're going to have access to one of the most sensitive, secure areas in this country. That history bothers me. The administration is saying they're changing. What am I missing here?"
Exactly, Sean. What part of this convoluted puzzle is missing?
The New York Post reported this week that "Al Qaeda warned the government of the United Arab Emirates more than three years ago that it "infiltrated" key government agencies, according to a disturbing document released by the U.S. military.
The warning was contained in a June 2002 message to UAE rulers, in which the terror network demanded the release of an unknown number of "mujahedeen detainees," who it said had been arrested during a government crackdown in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
The explosive document is certain to become ammunition for critics of the controversial UAE port deal, who fear the Dubai-based firm could be used by terrorists to sneak money and personnel into the United States.
Little is known about the origins or authorship of the message.
"You are well aware that we have infiltrated your security, censorship and monetary agencies, along with other agencies that should not be mentioned," the message said.
"Therefore, we warn of the continuation of practicing . . . policies which do not serve your interest and will only cost you many problems that will place you in an embarrassing state before your citizens.
"Your homeland is exposed to us. There are many vital interests that will hurt you if we decided to harm them.""
If this knowledge isn't a deal-breaker, I don't know what is.
President Bush has really taken a hit for his staunch support of this deal.
A new Rasmussen Report poll reveals that only 17 percent of Americans favor the deal to turn over control of U.S. ports to a state-sponsored company in the United Arab Emirates, and shows a major blow to President Bush's perceived leadership in the war on terror. And 43 percent indicate they trust the Democrats more on national security today while 41 percent prefer Bush.
"From a political perspective, President Bush's national security credentials have clearly been tarnished due to the outcry over this issue," notes the polling agency. "For the first time ever, Americans have a slight preference for Democrats in Congress over the president on national security issues. The preference for the opposition party is small, but the fact that Democrats are even competitive on the national security front is startling."
By the way...do you know what is mostly shipped out of these 22 ports (And yes, it's 22 ports, not the six originally reported)? Nuclear reactors.
This ports deal may be the nail in the GOP coffin for the midterm elections this year, and the presidential race in 2008. The democrats will capitalize on this, and rightly so.
But wait...there's more.
Not many people are aware of it, but over 10,000 students from Osama bin Laden's homeland are attending U.S. colleges and universities this year, thanks to an agreement between President Bush and King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz. And the U.S. universties are welcoming this influx of Muslims because Riyadh is paying 100 percent of their tuition and enrollment costs.
Why be so conerned about it?
Because Saudi Arabia virtually invented Wahhabism, the radical brand of Islamism that spawned al-Qaida.
As many as 25,000 Saudi students are expected to arrive over the next five years, with all their bills paid by the Saudi government. More?
The United States has agreed to grant citizenship to 7000 Ahiska Muslims who will settle in Pennsylvania. They are currently living in Russia, where they are not treated as citizens.
When you combine this with the fact that Bush continues to push for his guest worker program, and the fact that our borders are very porous at the moment, one really has to question how well Bush has conducted the war on terror.
This ports deal, if it is allowed to go through, will sink Bush.
This is one conservative who also wonders if it will sink this country.
David Zublick America Talks Conservative Internet Talk Radio www.americatalks.com
-Dan
His political capital credit card is way maxed out. He just isn't trusted enough to pull off something like this. I would have thought he learned that lesson with the Miers nomination. Sad thing is, this might be a smart idea and actually leave us safer, if in fact they are true allies. But Bush's word isn't enough right now. And the risk that the reverse is to is simply too great. Or at least that they are vulnerable to being used by our terrorist enemies.
Wonder which party though ~ West Coast Longshoreman's Union perhaps, with it's traditional Marxists field agents doing the writing?
Anyway, the writer lost me when he said: "Because Saudi Arabia virtually invented Wahhabism". The truth is it's simultaneous or the other way around. Try: http://islamlib.com/en/page.php?page=article&id=485 for a quick look-see concerning Wahab. Quite a character.
...And why would that be?
People who still treat Bush like he doesn't know what he's doing are such suckers it's incredible.
Must run in the family. Right when it's time to win, the Bush guys drop the ball.
The UAE also has direct ties to Osama bin Laden.
There you have it folks, the intrepid Mr. Zublick has uncovered the Bush Administration's ties to Osama bin Laden.
I heard the above on Michael Medved'd program this summer. They're to be settled very close to Philadelphia, and given welfare, medicare and state sponsored health care once they get here. Philadelphia is one of the six major ports in the Dubais deal. I grow increasingly MORE uncoomfortable with it all.
I personally don't have anything against letting them have the ports. They won it fairly and are as good an ally as we can hope for (still not much though).
Still, it's stupid to stick to it when EVERYONE disagrees with him. Just tell the government politely that he can't give them the ports.
I find it funny though how the democrats are up in arms about giving the ports to Arabs. They were against profiling and this is the ultimate profiling. Well, anything to hit Bush.
Sorry for the typos.
O, the irony.
Ya know, I really appreciate you taking the time to consider YOUR rights and post such a blasphomous picture...It's really big of you.
With people like you supposedly on the right, who needs enemies on the left?
Inconsiderate prick!
LOL!!!!
-Dan
"We have to wonder what in the name of all that is holy George W. was thinking when he allowed Dubai Ports world, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, to purchase London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation. "
President Bush is not in charge of regulating all commerce on Planet Earth. That would actually make him a tyrant.
Or it would make him our.... oops, I'm sorry, that's blasphemous, or so I'm told. :)
I'm waiting for certain people here to start rioting in the streets over political cartoons featuring the Image of Bush.
-Dan
Bush is not running for anything so he can't be sunk, but it will sink the Republicans if they back him on this.
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