Posted on 02/17/2006 6:15:19 AM PST by Dark Skies
The White House is obviously not listening to the congressional uproar over Dubai Ports World. Lawmakers want to know why a federal panel allowed a state-owned United Arab Emirates shipping firm to pay $6.8 billion to acquire six major American ports -- including critical ones in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia -- despite its home country's glaring ties to international terrorism. But the White House is yawning.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
You got that right.
Congressman Peter King [R-NY] was just on The John Gambling Show,...
... I think that if we give him our support,he won't let us down!
... btw , did you read the transcript or hear[Mark Levin played it on his show yesterday] the back'n forth with John Gambling and ABC NEWS reporter Ann Compton??
... breathtaking , just breathtaking!!
I have read on other threads that no US company was interested in buying this. In fact, this is one foreign company selling to another foreign company.
Should the US govt tell the first foreign owner that it can't sell to the second foreign company?
Should the US govt step in in buy the company and operate it?
Should the US govt convince/subsidize a US company to buy this?
I would agree that Schumer cares nothing about security, but voicing concerns over this is pushing the Democrat PR line? You talk like someone who just automatically says the opposite of whatever a perceived "enemy" is saying.
Seriously. The kind of blind party loyalty you exhibit is what one would expect from a DU plant.
Actually, it isn't quite that simple. These are long-term leases and concession agreements. IIRC, in some cases (depending on the port), the port authorities enter into land leases and the operators own and finance the improvements (facilities) and in some cases, separate investment companies own the improvements. But the point is still, containers are shipped into and through the ports by a company that has questionable loyalty to the U.S.
And as to the lease provisions that permit the Ports to merely cancel the leases...again, it isn't as simply as that I imagine. When there are hundreds of millions of assets involved, the cancellation provision are quite complicated and if there is a cancellation, I would think there would be complicated unwinding procedures for just compensation to all parties.
I do agree with your point that the operators are not buying the ports. I think that was naive of the writer of the article to make such a statement.
But I repeat, this acquisition by Dubai Ports World needs very careful analysis. It does give an islamic country tantamount ownership (if partially through long-term lease agreements) in major U.S. ports.
King said this company would have to be apprised of all Homeland protocols. Do you want to tell an arab nation all our protocols?
All of these people -- from Chuck Schumer to Peter King to the chairman of the Port Authority of NY/NJ to everyone else who has come out and expressed public "concern" about the deal -- are simply covering their @sses and engaging in this political posturing because of all the gross distortions that have been put out there in all of these stupid articles and editorials.
Ironically, the chairman of the Port Authority of NY/NJ has more power here than anyone else. If he simply stood up tomorrow and publicly announced that he would make every attempt to cancel the P&O leases at Port Newark/Elizabeth and eliminate all berthing rights for P&O ships at all of the New York and New Jersey facilities, this deal would collapse immediately. There's no way in hell this UAE-owned company would pay $6.8 billion for P&O if they no longer have access to the largest port facility on the eastern seabord of the United States (in the world's largest consumer market).
"All the various National security agencies have given this company a clean bill of health."
What a joke....!
Other than Jimmah Carter giving away the Panama Canal, this could be one of thw worst blunders and lead to huge security problems that a sitting President has done to his own country.
What in creation is Mr. Bush doing when he gets such poor advice from his advisors? It's as if the hidden secret terror cells are on his own staff!
And worse, not a word from him or his staff. When Chuckie Schumer is at the lead for once with something that must be told, we are all in trouble!!! And Chuckie is absolutely correct in his concern, much more so that our pseudo leadership.
Just tell them you oppose it especially in this post 9/11 era. And make sure oppose and ports and UAE is in the subject line. They'll get the hint. It doesn't have to be detail. Brief and on point is best.
bookmk #65
That is a good way to describe it. I'm sure Rove is on the phone calling all GOP congressmen "traitors" on the phone.
Phrase you letter however you want to whomever you want but remember the immortal words from the movie "Meatballs"...it just doesn't matter!!!
Say it over and over again, these folks in DC think we are all dummies and they know everything. Do you think for a moment that any comments to the WH or to Congress even get read by those who we entrust our government to??
And don't forget Michael Savage. He has been on top of this from the get go, before Levin and others.
yup , we must continue to help them
Bottom line.....These Arab oil countries are floating in US dollars. They are going to use them to buy assets. If we want them to continue to take these dollars we will have no choice but to let them buy what they want. By running a 700 billion trade deficit every year, we are behind the eight ball!!
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.
Critics of the proposed purchase said a port operator complicit in smuggling or terrorism could manipulate manifests and other records to frustrate Homeland Security's already limited scrutiny of shipping containers and slip contraband past U.S. Customs inspectors.
"When you have a foreign government involved, you are injecting foreign national interests," Kreitzer said. "A country that may be a friend of ours today may not be on the same side tomorrow. You don't know in advance what the politics of that country will be in the future."
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI has said the money for the strikes was transferred to the hijackers primarily through the UAE's banking system, and much of the operational planning for the attacks took place inside the UAE.
Many of the hijackers traveled to the U.S. through the UAE. Also, the hijacker who steered United Airlines flight into the World Trade Center's south tower, Marwan al-Shehhi, was born in the UAE.
After the attacks, U.S. Treasury Department officials complained about a lack of cooperation by the UAE and other Arab countries trying to track Osama bin Laden's bank accounts.
Saturday February 11, 9:41 am ET
By Ted Bridis, Associated Press Writer
Company From United Arab Emirates Poised to Oversee Six
American Ports Due to Sale
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1579951/posts?page=82#82
Check earlier and later posts in the same thread, press releases, etc. from DP International, WH, and others.
David Sanborn of Smithfield, VA who the President nominated to serve as Administrator of the Maritime Administration ... Most recently, as Director of Ship Operations for Dubai Ports International ...
Just more of the same insiders club, having conrol and profiting from the major levers of commerce.
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