Brit Hume: Bush Will Reverse Ports Decision

NewsMax ^ | 2/19/06 | Carl Limbacher

[LibWhacker]

The Bush administration will reverse its decision to allow a Dubai company based in the United Arab Emirates to gain control over several key U.S. ports, the Fox News Channel's Brit Hume predicted on Sunday.

"I don't think the administration will be able to sustain this," Hume told "Fox News Sunday." "I think it will have to reverse itself in some way or create some entity that stands between the company and the management of the ports."

"I just don't think [the decision] can stand," he added. "It doesn't sound good to let some Arab shieks to be in charge of our ports - that's what it comes down to."

Appearing on the same program, Sen. Lindsey Graham slammed the ports decision, saying, "It's unbelievably tone deaf politically at this point in our history, four years after 9/11, to entertain the idea of turning port security over to a company based in the U.A.E., who avows to destroy Israel."

In a decision announced last week, the Bush administration's Committee on Foreign Investment approved the purchase of six major U.S. ports by the U.A.E.-based Dubai Ports World.

The move set off a firestorm of criticism, with skeptics complaining that banks in the U.A.E. have helped launder money for terrorists and that the country itself was home to Marwan al Shehhi, the Sept. 11 hijacker who piloted United Airlines Flight 175 into Tower 2 of the World Trade Center.

On Friday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended the Dubai deal, telling a Mideast news outlet: "There was a thorough review. It was decided that this could be done and done safely."

[FreeReign]

February 19, 2006 | FOX | Lindsey Graham:We certainly should investigate it. I don't know if we should block it.

And then he goes on to say "we should not have them (any foreigners) running our ports."

No.

Here is the transcript of the Graham interview. He didn't say that. He did say that it "was tone deaf politically", as in not politically correct.

[FreeReign]

Yes, if you call handling the coordination of almost 80% of our troop's support. Without the UAE none of our troops would have chow halls in Iraq, or American citizens in support positions, or many other services. They are actually one of our best non-fighting allies over there.

Pssst. Don't let the truth get out.

[K-oneTexas]

Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS")is an organization that appears to be more financial, commerce, export and even dare I say political aspects of sales opposed to national security (homeland or otherwise) aspects.

It is chaired by the SECTREAS and he/she has an intelligence unit but I can not see them truly investigating security and intelligence matters or possibilities. That would better be handled by FBI or some Intel/Counter-Intel group with in-depth and through research of all parties and aspects. After all this group was also the one that passed on the IBM Lenovo deal as well as others.

Congress (House and Senate) are now saying they have oversight. How I don't know as it is not a treaty. Also they do not review any other "sales" made by the Executive branch. I think now (though maybe and hopefully I am wrong) that it is a done deal. The Panama Canal sale was voted on in Congress but I didn't see that here.

Another stinky deal we will end up paying for for years to come.

[K-oneTexas]

Questions: Why don't American firms want to do business with the Federal Government? Were there no American companies at all bidding for this project? What companies presently run our state side ports? Are foreign companies only running the state side ports too? Are there any American companies with the knowledge and wherewithal to manage this size of a project, a large port operation? Manage any size port operation project, large or small?

I just don't know the answers.

[DoughtyOne]

So what you guys are saying is that help on Iraq soil translates to no worries whatever to help on U.S. soil. Right?

IMO, help in a combat zone where troops are armed and won't stand for any nonsense, is somewhat different than a non combat zone in some of our busiest ports and population centers.

[DoughtyOne]

Well, I guess there's always the possiblity that the profit margin on operations like that just don't compare to having things made at slave wages overseas, then selling them here to the American public.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Simple fact of the matter is, port security is a DHS job. Ports are watched over by the U.S. Coast Guard, the FBI, the DEA, the CIA, the NSA, the ATF, and the Port Authority and it's Port Authority Police Department.

[BigSkyFreeper]

The Danes are a seafaring people.

Maersk does and has owned a 50% stake in the NY/NJ ports.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Hope Brit's right.

He's not. The media is misrepresenting the facts, Congress is clearly snookered by the media and is appearing clueless on the whole matter. If the media did a self-analysis of it's own reporting by doing a Lexis-Nexis search, and gone by those facts, everyone who's running around saying this is a bad deal would look goofy right about now.

[roofgoat]

I'm no fan of the Port deal at all. At minimum, I think it sets a dangerous precedent.

I just can't wait to corner a few of my friends and family that try to bust my chops about this Port deal because they know I'm conservative. Then I'll question how they choose to ignore border security.

I have Mexican Family members and if they pipe up about Bush endangering the US due to Port ownership transfer, I'll remind them of their feelings regarding our border issues.

[BigSkyFreeper]

The only thing worse than having Arabs in charge of our ports would be having Democrats in charge of them.

The Democrats and their media cohorts seem to be in charge of misrepresenting the facts and everyone is slitting their throats over the issue. The mass hysteria over this issue is about as goofy as the Cheney quail incident.

[Pharmboy]

Dubai sheiks are partners with South African Jews in global gambling, so they can play in the sandbox, but, you are right: the appearance with this port thing rots.

[BigSkyFreeper]

This whole arrangement was probably handshaked on 2-3 years ago.

Actually this company buyout was announced something like 2 or 3 months ago.

These mega deals like this don't happen overnight.

Right, this one didn't either.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Perhaps so, but we should want it to be different (that is, minus the graft and corruption).

Start by getting rid of the unions.

I think it's hilarious to see the roles reversed. Conservatives protecting union jobs, and Schmuck shooting himself and the unions in the foot.

[BigSkyFreeper]

While I feel lucky that Bush is in office instead of Kerry, he is putting Americans in jeopardy with this sale.

You put your own life in jeopardy every time you step out the door of your house.

[BigSkyFreeper]

There are a number of conservative Republicans that are as opposed as Schumer.

Since when have the Democrats been interested in national security? If FReepers got a memo, I didn't get one.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"While I feel lucky that Bush is in office instead of Kerry, he is putting Americans in jeopardy with this sale."

Bush is a lame duck. We all need to understand that. The conservatives have to take back the political process. Spending is out of control, the administration is giving ports to UAE, the southern borders are out of control, we are no safer than when 9/11 hit. And we will still bodily search old ladies in wheel chairs at the airport, because we don't want to be identified as profiling. This ship is off course and its time for the conseratives to put it right-ahead.

As for Rice, I never was impressed with her. A cold-war trained professor who was a provost at stanford when the Chinese Spy scandal took place and has refused to address it http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/1/23/203153.shtml
We need a juggernaut at state providing with great clarity to the scum of the earth to cease their activities or pay the consequences. Not deals to the UAE that publicly wants to crush Israel.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Yemen, is suppose to be a friendly country but that friendly country just let a bunch of mastermind terrorists escape their prison a week ago. WITH FRIENDS LIKE THIS WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?

Yemen is crawling with terrorists. Remember the USS Cole?

[roofgoat]

Thanks for the Welcome Spanaway Lori.

I would hope most of the posters here know that Schumer and such are grandstanding and in no way care to take aggressive steps to secure the future of our Country.