Posted on 02/21/2006 5:58:04 PM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
The Tampa Port Authority gave the green light Tuesday to sign a contract with the British company at the center of the controversy over its sale to a business based in the United Arab Emirates based on concerns it may threaten U.S. homeland security.
Amid growing criticism of a deal to give a United Arab Emirates company a major presence in U.S. ports, Tampa Port Authority commissioners took a different tack Tuesday.
They authorized port director Richard Wainio to sign a contract to bring the British company at the center of the controversy to Tampa to run cargo handing at the public agency's docks.
Dubai Ports World is acquiring London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steamship Navigation Co., in a $6.8-billion deal due to close March 2.
P&O operates facilities at six major seaports on the East and Gulf Coasts, and that has key congressional leaders worried about potential security lapses once Dubai, a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates, takes over.
President Bush said Tuesday that the sale had been extensively examined by the administration and was "a legitimate deal that will not jeopardize the security of the country." He pledged to veto any attempt in Congress to block it.
As it did nationally, the issue sparked sharp exchanges Tuesday at Tampa's port.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms said that while the UAE is an ally, news organizations have reported that some of the Sept. 11 hijackers used the nation as an operational and financial base.
"What you're being asked to do is pay no attention to the man behind the curtain," she said. "We are being encouraged to ignore possible risks and questions raised by good and diligent people."
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio pointedly asked if Storms was raising objections because Dubai Ports World is owned Arabs. "I think it's very important we deal with facts," she said. "Their ethnicity should not be a factor."
Storms shot back that she was concerned strictly with the political beliefs of people involved.
"They weren't Brazilians who blew up the twin towers," she said. "They weren't Chinese, they weren't Japanese. They were of a certain political persuasion, I'm sorry a member of this board turned this into a race bait(ing)."
Wainio called the deal with P&O a critical step for the port and the region.
100% of the terrorists are Arabs. Allowing Arabs to manage our ports is like having a convicted rapist to guard your 14 year old daughter!
they will also be controlling the flow of military items leaving the country with full knowledge of their destinations and usage......
Doesn't anyone recall when Thompson took over RCA?
Thompson was one of those fake companies owned and controlled by the French government. Talk about selling out America.
Here is an example to prove that the government of the United Arab Emirates IS NOT interested in the welfare of the United States.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1552878/posts
Note that the United Arab Emirates is on the list of governments who want to rescue and nurture a convicted TERRORIST who is out to bring down the United States.
What Rush said today, that some writer was advocating “making our enemies our friends” is simply stupid. This is not make-believe. Enemies are not friends, and no matter how good you treat enemies, they are still enemies.
It is too great a risk to trust the operation of our sea ports to a government which harbors TERRORISTS openly.
Thanks for the link.
I think the answer is to vote 3rd party.
This has to do with the math involved.
I can't be a Democrat and I am fed up with these Republicans to the point where my options are vote 3rd party or stay home.
We do have to be on the look out for the Countryclubers so that we don't have too many of them elected.
Tampa owns the ports...they could have easily canceled the P&O contract
The Tampa mayor is delusional.
What Rush meant is not to put all muslims in the same boat and then pull the plug.
Because we know every muslim is a terrorist, therefore DPW is a terrorist organization. Do I need a sarcasm tag here...
Isn't that the philosophy of Sheryl Crow and Yoko Ono?
"The best way to solve problems is to not have enemies."
"Give peace a chance."
They cancelled SSA in favor of P&O, and P&O turned into Dubai Ports World.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1581759/posts?page=55#55
Posted 02/19/2006 4:25:11 PM EST · 55 of 150Here's a port that isn't quite yet P&O/Dubai, but is scheduled to be so ... Tampa.
TAMPA - The Port of Tampa should move forward to secure P&O Ports North America Inc. as its terminal operator despite an emerging political issue over the sale of P&O's parent company to one in the United Arab Emirates, port director Richard Wainio said Thursday. ...
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