These two losers Oooooooh, we're so scared LoL!
Posted on 02/22/2006 6:19:30 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement
Feb 22 9:03 PM US/Eastern
Email this story
By TED BRIDIS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
1d08c5bfc6d0@news.ap.org The Bush administration secretly required a company in the United Arab Emirates to cooperate with future U.S. investigations before approving its takeover of operations at six American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It chose not to impose other, routine restrictions.
As part of the $6.8 billion purchase, state-owned Dubai Ports World agreed to reveal records on demand about "foreign operational direction" of its business at U.S. ports, the documents said. Those records broadly include details about the design, maintenance or operation of ports and equipment.
The administration did not require Dubai Ports to keep copies of business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to court orders. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate U.S. government requests. Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of foreign sales in other industries.
"They're not lax but they're not draconian," said James Lewis, a former U.S. official who worked on such agreements. If officials had predicted the firestorm of criticism over the deal, Lewis said, "they might have made them sound harder."
The conditions involving the sale of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. were detailed in U.S. documents marked "confidential." Such records are regularly guarded as trade secrets, and it is highly unusual for them to be made public.
The concessions _ described previously by the Homeland Security Department as unprecedented among maritime companies _ reflect the close relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
The revelations about the negotiated conditions came as the White House acknowledged President Bush was unaware of the pending sale until the deal had already been approved by his administration.
Bush on Tuesday brushed aside objections by leaders in the Senate and House. He pledged to veto any bill Congress might approve to block the agreement, but some lawmakers said they still were determined to capsize it.
Dubai Port's top American executive, chief operating officer Edward H. Bilkey, said the company will do whatever the Bush administration asks to enhance shipping security and ensure the sale goes through. Bilkey said Wednesday he will work in Washington to persuade skeptical lawmakers they should endorse the deal; Senate oversight hearings already are scheduled.
"We're disappointed," Bikley told the AP in an interview. "We're going to do our best to persuade them that they jumped the gun. The UAE is a very solid friend, as President Bush has said."
Under the deal, the government asked Dubai Ports to operate American seaports with existing U.S. managers "to the extent possible." It promised to take "all reasonable steps" to assist the Homeland Security Department, and it pledged to continue participating in security programs to stop smuggling and detect illegal shipments of nuclear materials.
The administration required Dubai Ports to designate an executive to handle requests from the U.S. government, but it did not specify this person's citizenship.
It said Dubai Ports must retain paperwork "in the normal course of business" but did not specify a time period or require corporate records to be housed in the United States. Outside experts familiar with such agreements said such provisions are routine in other cases.
Yes, I was just quoting the effective date for the Port Deal based upon the existing Port Deal. That unless or until there is legislative interruption or the President retracts/rescinds the Deal, the implementation, the effective date is "March 2, 2006".
I do agree that Congress appears concerted and ready to express a majority effort to intervene prior to March 2, if the President does not rescind the Deal (which doesn't look likely). AND, that Congress appears ready to override a Presidential veto if Bush uses one.
No, it means I never suggested any such thing, but that didn't stop you from pulling it out of thin air. People who can't stick to the point are silly, and useless in what I thought at first was a serious debate. If you want to just arguing against completely invented positions, you don't need anyone but yourself for that.
So even routine obligations were waived for Dubai. When they say the White house and administration, to whom are they referring. Certainly not Bush. He claims to have known nothing until the eal was done. Who is in charge. Did Bush allow mid level bureaucrats to make such concessions or don't they even have to bother telling him what is going on?
Of all the states on earth. Why should Dubai receive such preferential treatment?
Dubai has a large population of Iranian borns plus more than a few Palestinians. Dubai is a wide open place where a lot of illicit stuff goes on, including, according to the State Dept trafficking in women and girls for prostitution and domestic laborers. A number of U.S initiatives to promote democracy and the rule of law are under way in several Gulf states. However the 2005 report as did the previous years report, does not include a section on the UAE; reflecting official UAE reluctance to support U.S. efforts to promote reform there.Y et we arm them to he teeth with some really high power hardware including 80 f-16 aircraft equipped with the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missle AMRAAM 475 of them. The HARM missile and the HARPOON anti ship missle system.
The U.S. has treated this place very very well. What have we gotten in return? The right to use some of their territory for our purposes? Without our presence and assistance they would have been swallowed by their larger neighbors. So it doesn't seem practical that we needed to do so much just for privilege of using their territory.
Only seasoned traitors are excited about what is transpiring and being destroyed in this Bush fiasco.
How many times are you going to cut, paste and post your rubbish?
Bush claims to have been in the dark about this deal.
He said he found out about the purchase, which transfers operations at ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia to the Persian Gulf company, last Tuesday in meetings with senior Bush administration officials. "As I understand it, the whole process took only 20 to 25 days," he said of the transaction. "There's no way you can do a complete analysis in 20 to 25 days and that includes financial analysis."
Malkin: No More Business as Usual / Bush Digs In (Port Deal)
Since I heard him on radio last week saying this, I wonder if the Tuesday King is talking about is a week from yesterday.
Bush is doing the right thing on the port deal.
This company has some of the best technology and record on conformity to new port rules. These new rules were enacted as part of 911 security reform. If you are serious about 911 security risks, you should support having the best empirical company for the job.
The company is held by a government that is a recent ally in the war on terror.
The purchase has been approved by Congressionally approved procedures.
Its time to put on the brass knuckles here. This is always the thing I detest about conservatives. They don't want to tell it like it is because they respect other people's feelings too much. Here it is:
Opposition to the port deal is racist, nativist, ignorant, jingoism posing as sincere concern about the country's well being. Every one knows that is what is going on here. The dems know it. The Media knows it. The cowardly republicans know it. Who in this brouhaha has an advocated position which has produced ZERO terrorist attacks since 911?
Oh wait, I know GEORGE BUSH and his administration.
Democratic party's advocated position-- worthless.
Media's advoacted position-- hate bush at all times.
Republican coward position-- resist having a spine whenever possible.
We get to choose between Communist sleeze and Socialist/Globali$ts every four years now. Even Reagan, who had mostly Rats in power to deal with, gets trashed by Conservatives around here.
Speaking of silly, do you ever go back and read what you say to people and how you treat them, simply because you think you know it all?
What I have not heard anything about is why the U.K. Deal is terminating (other than that company is slated by this Deal to be purchased by UAE, et al).
Otherwise, find another organization, OR, incentivize American business, etc. In the entire world, is this one from the UAE and COSCO from China/Taiwan the only two available?
In which case, we have a problem. Time to make an effort for American business to catch up. I do think for national security reasons it's very important...who knows, maybe we can even implement a working border security program that is not contingent upon a "guest worker program" inorder to become available to Americans.
These truly are the reasons this Deal is so concerning and that is that there is recognition for our need to improve by much our national security and border security. We have to confront these problems and incorporate them into capitalism, somehow that doesn't sell out Americans in the process.
Me thinks this port sale story is a phony story floated by the democrats. Eventually when the president speaks to us, he'll tell us the truth and, that is, he'll tell us there has never been, nor is there such a story.
The president would not allow such a deal. So, I'm sure he knows about it.
And that's my take on it.
Yeah, you and me, too.
Thank you. I've tried to only minimally rip the UAE for what it REALLY is, but it's time to tell the whole UAE story.
These two losers Oooooooh, we're so scared LoL!
What other "cover ups" are you referring to?
Why would I go back and read what I post? I post it -- and I don't know about you, but I don't have trouble remembering what I say.
And of course I do think I knwo what I'm posting; why would I post things I don't think I know?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.