Posted on 02/11/2006 9:11:33 AM PST by STARWISE
A company in the United Arab Emirates is poised to take over significant operations at six American ports as part of a corporate sale, leaving a country with ties to the Sept. 11 hijackers with influence over a maritime industry considered vulnerable to terrorism.
The Bush administration considers the UAE an important ally in the fight against terrorism since the suicide hijackings and is not objecting to Dubai Ports World's purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co.
The $6.8 billion sale is expected to be approved Monday. The British company is the fourth largest ports company in the world and its sale would affect commercial U.S. port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.
DP World said it won approval from a secretive U.S. government panel that considers security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in American industry.
(Excerpt) Read more at biz.yahoo.com ...
You need an explanation?
I expect this to be pulled by the RNC Mods here, but it's the truth. La Hacienda Blanco has NO desire to control our Borders, why bother worrying about the Ports...hell, there a LOT of $$$ to be made here!
Welcome to Laissez Faire Homeland Security!
We are all screwed...and yet the "Cult of Bush" will blow smoke up your butts to explain how great this "strategery" is!
You can find the federal security requirements for owners and operators of port facilities (Title 33, Chapter I, Subchapter H, Part 105, Maritime Security: Facilities) here from the Government Printing Office's new e-CFR beta site.
ping
You must not have any idea how difficult port security is to accomplish safely. Millions of containers coming in yearly, not enough equipment to x-ray scan them, incompetent inspectors, a government that doesn't give a crap, etc. etc. etc.
I live in a port city, and the thought of Arabs coming in here isn't a nice one.
ping
Another 'secret' gov't panel...I say fire 'em since I am paying the salaries of these clandestine agents...Or do they make more money from their operations???
It's no secret that the Bush family has very large personal (financial) oil interests in that neck of the woods...Probably no connection tho...
Hardly any U.S. flagged vessels left. The majority of them sail under foreign flags now so they can avoid our laws.
This is another example of this administration putting America at risk for the sake of the almightly dollar while it bows to foreign interests.
The only way this could be sold to me is if it came with the announcement that income taxes were just done away with and that the government would get its operating revenue from taxes on all goods coming from port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.
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"The committee, which could have recommended that President Bush block the purchase, includes representatives from the departments of Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, State and Homeland Security.
The State Department describes the UAE as a vital partner in the fight against terrorism. But the UAE, a loose federation of seven emirates on the Saudi peninsula, was an important operational and financial base for the hijackers who carried out the attacks against New York and Washington, the FBI concluded.
(snip)"Does this pose a national security risk? I think that's pushing the envelope," said Stephen E. Flynn, who studies maritime security at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. "It's not impossible to imagine one could develop an internal conspiracy, but I'd have to assign it a very low probability."
Changing management over the U.S. ports "doesn't offer al-Qaida any opportunities it doesn't have now," said James Lewis, who worked with the U.S. committee at the State and Commerce departments. "It's in Dubai's interest to make sure this runs well. There is strong economic incentive to be sure these worries never materialize."
Flynn and others said even under foreign control, U.S. ports will continue to be run by unionized American employees. "You're not going have a bunch of UAE citizens working the docks," Flynn said. "They're longshoremen, vested in high-paying jobs. Most of them are Archie Bunker-kind of Americans."
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It sounds like it's been well vetted, but still .. the perception .. etc. etc.
bump
Well THAT sounds assuring.
"You're not going have a bunch of UAE citizens working the docks," Flynn said. "They're longshoremen, vested in high-paying jobs. Most of them are Archie Bunker-kind of Americans."
Apparently "Flynn and others" are unaware the Guest Worker programs open ALL job sectors to "Guest Workers".
PING (sorry to those that have been double pinged)
Check out this article.
I wonder what the ramifications of Arabs "overseeing" the Philadelphia port are, as well as the major ports in the Mid Atlantic?
Time for another phone call to Curt Weldon.
bump
I think there is something missing from this article. I don't how much actual authority a private company has over port operation or security matters.
I'd be interested in what Weldon says.
True. But its a warm and fuzzy pro-family, anti-gay marriage, anti-abortion kind of selling out, so I'm all for it.
Security Ping
Don't make me cuss right here near Sunday!
I think we're losing AMERICA right in front of our faces and most are too blind to see it...
You know, I use to not be able to grasp what you're saying, but lately, especially with Iran, I'm leaning more and more that way.
They mean to kill us. And if they can do it from within, all the better.
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