Posted on 02/20/2006 4:13:19 PM PST by Dane
A team from Dubai's DP World is expected to start meetings on Tuesday with groups which have expressed concerns about its takeover of P&O Ports' US operations as it seeks to head off political opposition to the deal.
The company, owned by the Emirate of Dubai's Ports, Customs and Freezones Authority, is set to meet representatives of some of the five US port authorities where P&O has operations, and national politicians who oppose the deal.
The team is thought to include some of the many US citizens who work for DP World, including Ted Bilkey, chief operating officer, who has been one of the main actors in Dubai's transformation into a major shipping hub.
They hope the meetings will erode support for efforts to reverse the approval already given for the deal by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, which approved the takeover in January. The efforts gained momentum last week when Senators Hillary Clinton and Robert Menendez introduced legislation which would prevent a company controlled by a foreign government from taking over a US port facility.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
You mentioned lax security at the airports. If the immigration laws had been enforced 9/11 may not have happened. How much destructive behavior do you need? Just because a large explosive hasn't gone off lately doesn't mean we're not vulnerable. Spain and Britain can tell you about that.
It's time to face reality, Muslim countries don't play well with the other kids and the last thing we need is to invite the bullies right onto our doorstep.
In the post 9/11 publication about the failures of our intelligence etc the UAR was mentioned 19 times specifically as having helped the 9/11 terrorists, everything from money and finances to their flights originating in the uAR and ending in the final destination where they hijacked the flights.
This is all about money. Government is selling us out on national security.
Our security depends upon American citizens to stop this insane bullshit. Government needs to listen to the people and listen well. Doing whatever the elite think is best is not in America's best interest and there are 290 million non elite people in America who think this is bad for national security.
And the muzzies are decrying that if we don't follow through with the deal we are racists. Striking the emotional issue with the R word only allows them to get stronger at our expense. Saying no is not racist but intelligence. Buying into the racist bullshit is exactly what they want to use to intimidate us into cooperation.
Enough said.
Do you even have a clue as to how wrong that statement is?
Education is a good thing, try it.
(Before 9/11) Produce just one case of terrorists hijacking airplanes and flying them into building?
(Before Cole) Produce just one case of terrorists using a speedboat bomb against a US warship.
Come on! It's no longer 9/10. Think outside the box!
Just WHAT do you think this is about? I can't believe that you don't get it. A foreign power bought the rights to run 6 US ports from another foreign company. US ports are a US asset. WHAT is so hard to grasp? Dubai will manage US ports.
WASHINGTON — In a rare display of his veto authority President Bush said Tuesday he will put the kibosh on any legislation that attempts to stop the purchase by a United Arab Emirates-owned firm of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., which runs six major U.S. ports.
Breaking a gaping silence during the debate of the purchase by Dubai Ports World, Bush said the deal should go forward and won't jeopardize U.S. security.
Officials from the Cabinet departments that participate in the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, which approved the sale last Monday, are appearing in a briefing Tuesday afternoon to defend the process by which CFIUS reviewed and approved the deal.
"I think it sends a terrible signal to friends around the world that it's OK for a company from one country to manage the port, but not a country that plays by the rules and has got a good track record from another part of the world can't manage the port," Bush said.
None of that is true. US ports are run by local port authorities. Security of the ports is the responsibility of the US Coast Guard.
Get educated. It isn't really painful.
Bush lied?
US ports are run by local port authorities. Security of the ports is the responsibility of the US Coast Guard.
I'm not talking about security.
Just WHAT do you think Dubai bought? They bought P&O and will maintain the contracts to run the ports. BUSH SAID AS MUCH. Is he stupid too?
"I think it sends a terrible signal to friends around the world that it's OK for a company from one country to manage the port, but not a country that plays by the rules and has got a good track record from another part of the world can't manage the port," Bush said.
That's easy to say when you're in a competitive industry, looking to save on labor costs or to improve a product.
When the government thinks "outside the box" it invariably leads to massive cost overruns, schedule slips, disappointing results. Been there, done that.
Risks must be weighed whenever the government lets a contract. Will the contractor perform? Are the requirements doable? Is there a fallback plan, in case the original one doesn't work out?
Understand, the government is by nature a conservative institution. When taxpayer money is committed to a project, no matter how trivial, the government likes to see it through to completion without any glitches. Minimizing risk is as important to government agencies as maximizing profit is in the business world.
Now, why am I spending time telling you about how the government works?
Because, in the case of changing control of P&O port operations at six American ports . . the new operator is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a government!
And not just any government, but one that is striving to be at the forefront in worldwide shipping and terminal operations. You think they will take any chances? Not on your life.
All the fuss and fury about this "deal" -- really a buy-out, which happens all the time in every industry -- needs to be consigned to the tin-foil heap where it rightfully belongs.
It gives no confidence that it's really been thought through when President Bush asks why we should hold a Middle Eastern company to a different standard.
You need to get out from under your tinfoil and realize that 99% of the business decisions in the world are made on economic factors exclusively. Politics (or "national security," if you will) plays hardly any role. If it were any other way, international trade would grind to a halt.
And then where would you find those neat toys for the kids you get at Wal-Mart?
Exactly right - and notice that none of the other countries are complaining - that includes Australia, England, Germany, etc.
I'm not positive how the flap started, but the best information I have is that it started with some Union members in Miami, who wanted assurances related to their contracts. They didn't get everything they wanted, so they wrote a letter to Chuckie Schumer. He saw the political possibilities, and so did his fellow senator, hillary. (They have always been Union supporters). And so a flap was born.
All they needed to do was find some inflaming language - like Bush is selling our ports to Arabs. Bingo.
BTW, a big argument against your Chinese theory is that the other two major companies that P&O invited to bid are based in Hong Kong and Singapore, and both of them declined to bid. If the Chinese wanted the business, they would have bid on it.
I see what you're saying, but I don't think the Chinese engineered this flap. They couldn't have known - as most Americans didn't know - that the Dems could find language that would get us into hysteria.
Only politicians could engineer such a response.
And, of course, the Chinese would be happy if we got rid of the UAR company. They'd take the contract over cheap. (Wonder if the Stevedore's union would like that?)
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