A secret op? Hogwash. This is nothing less than trading US port infrastructure for some hoped for information and cooperation. And no wonder its secret -- the details involve removal of otherwise routine security procedures.
From today’s Houston Chronicle:
"Under a secretive agreement with the administration, a company in the United Arab Emirates promised to cooperate with U.S. investigations as a condition of its takeover of operations at six major American ports . . ."
Now someone please explain what the heck this quid pro quo is all about? As a condition to UAE ownership of US port infrastructure, they (the UAE) agreed to cooperate with the US? So they weren't cooperating before, and we had to extend a little carrot? And that carrot is trading domestic port infrastructure for information? Sheesh. Very reassuring.
" The U.S. government chose not to impose other, routine restrictions."
I hope you all are asking yourselves -- What The Heck? This is becoming some kind of bad joke. And if you are still taking the blasé approach to this, read carefully the following:
"Under the deal, the government asked Dubai Ports to operate American seaports with existing U.S. managers "to the extent possible." The company promised to take "all reasonable steps" to assist the Homeland Security Department.
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 said stricter provisions are routine in other industries.
Foreign communications companies with American customers are commonly required to store business records in the United States. A senior U.S. official said the Bush administration considers shipping manifests less sensitive. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the agreement."
I know. It's all ok because our "government" knows best and they (whoever the living heck they are) looked at this real close. So close in fact, that perfectly nonsensical exceptions to routine security procedures were removed.
What type of nonsense is it to require so-called retention of paperwork, but not require specific time-periods or that the paperwork be retained in the US? And what kind of balderdash is it to say that shipping manifests are less sensitive? So now the US Customs CIS program and the proposed Cargo Verification regime amount to a lot of hot air?
This is, frankly, madness.
Hey, maybe the deal is part of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
"And so people don't need to worry about security. This deal wouldn't go forward if we were concerned about the security for the United States of America."
- President Bush, earlier today.
Because they apparently know everyone in our country is racist, and they knew that they would have to be held to a higher standard than China or Singapore because they are Arab.
BS rhetoric. This process is supposed to be conducted in secret. As far as cooperating, it darned well better, or the deal should be scrubbed.
" The U.S. government chose not to impose other, routine restrictions."
So?
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.
Whoop-de-doo. Let 'em run their business as they see fit. Dubai has agreed to the requirement.
I hope you all are asking yourselves -- What The Heck? This is becoming some kind of bad joke. And if you are still taking the blasé approach to this, read carefully the following: "Under the deal, the government asked Dubai Ports to operate American seaports with existing U.S. managers "to the extent possible." The company promised to take "all reasonable steps" to assist the Homeland Security Department.
This sounds like poor writing to me. The U.S. is trying to keep Americans in management jobs (good for them to try), and the Dubai firm statement has to do with DHS cooperation (which again, is a given).
This is just another in a long line of go-nowhere hit pieces. zzzzzzz
The COO is and American Citizen, why would this person need to be a us citizen? Do the Chinese have to have American citizen handle requests? How about Singapore?
But -- but -- you don't have to worry because the Coast Guard is in charge of security. And somehow that overrides every other security precaution.
Not to mention that the Mafia runs ports and the Chinese run ports, so why are we complaining now?
I guess if you're being gang-raped, what does one more matter? Just lie back and enjoy it. /sarc