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
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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.
I don't believe that you understand Mohammedanism, personally.
The US isn't selling anything here. The selling and the buying is between two foreign companies, P&O and DPW. Since the deal involves the logistics movement of goods though US ports-of-entry, it was vetted and approved by many US government agencies headed by the Commerce department. The only thing extraordinary here is what's being drummed up by the press.
Did this happen in Dubai or are you thinking of Yemen?
I wonder why the mods have not ban you yet when your stupidity, ignorance, and constant attacks on President Bush is since you joined four months ago is an absolute evidence that you are a troll.
Amen. They may sober up, though, when they find themselves pulling the lever for Hitlery & trying to remember...'How did it come to THIS???'
"like the U. Arab Emeritus businessmen"
If you did just a little digging, you'd find out that the Dubai 'businessmen' are the world's richest Mohammedan Executives outside of only S.A. and finance the terrorists in, among other places, the Philistine Terror State, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, for starters, and believe they will be the epicenter of Sharia-based Financial Law in the coming Islamic Union.
Who are we to question a Bush decision. Even though he was clueless about what was going on until it was done. He'll veto anything those evil doers in congress try to do. Of course they will override him and then he will be just an impotent lame duck.
I will never EVER pull the lever for a Communist DemocRat.
If Republicans would act like Republicans and stop being politicians like the politico Rats, the DemocRats would actually be forced to move right as a Party in due time.
In Yemen, in a port that we had assurances that we were safe to refuel our naval ships.... The point that I am making is that the CEO of this company can give all the assurances in the world, but it just takes one guy 10 levels below that believes Jihaad is the way of life and boom.
I am sure the CEO will apologize up and down and will "immediately start an investigation" blah blah blah. It will be too late for us.
To insert some levity into the matter... :)
Is this Bush.com or FreeRepublic.com "the premier online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web"?
I didn't hear/read any of his previous comments, other than his very brief but succinct comments today on FOX (I'm sure it was at the beginning of O'Reilly, as a guest speaker before O'Reilly's broadcast but after O'Reilly's opening comments in support of the Port Deal).
Today's comments to my memory (I'll watch the rebroadcast later, however) did not include the mention of the time, number of days (if they did, I missed that), just an emphasis upon what King regards as a lack of any thoroughness in any "investigation" involved. He quite bluntly said that the "investigation" was, moreorless, bogus, or, at best, so perfunctory as to be not comprehensive, not thorough, and thereby, ineffective in light of the required process.
It's comments like this that make me think I'm on DU. NO ONE has said "don't question it." NO ONE.
What many of us have been saying is don't knee-jerk and flip out without having all of the facts.
How do you know who has facts and who doesn't?
It's obvious to me that either Bush didn't have the facts or he is lying.
Which is it in your opinion?
Sounds ever more like our Pres. wanted to ramrod this sweet-deal thru for our "Arab friends"
You're correct. But there's a lot of 'em & I'm willing to respect their religion & culture if they're willing to reciprocate & help US find a peaceful solution to stabilizing Iraq and bringing our troops back home...
If a business deal with reasonable Arabs can further that along, whether it's running port operations or internationally-franched chicken, I'll support my Commander-In-Chief's judgment for now...
No one can answer that question honestly. You can't say yes or you can't say no and be sure that you are right. There s no way to know if they are a jihadist until jihad somebody. History may provide some clues but they probably would be considered islamophobic unless it was history written by mohameddans. Then, of course, it would be accurate.
Then why didn't an American company place a bid on the P & O leases? Would you force an American company to take over the leases?
And what do people know about shipping and ports???
Here are quotes from Dubai Shipyard's web site:
To be the shipyard of choice, in the International and regional market, for ship repair, conversion, new building, oil rig repairs, offshore fabrication, afloat repairs and industrial services.
To Consolidate and develop Dubai Drydocks as a world leading ship repair, conversion and new building yard in order to enhance the value of our owners investment in the company.
To provide our customers with a service or product which fully meets their requirements and is managed in an ethical and professional manner at all stages.
To treat employees with respect and provide them with a safe, healthy working enviornment which affords security, job satisfaction, fair remuneration and good working conditions.
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