Tommy Franks Defends Dubai Ports Deal

Newsmax ^ | 2/22/06 | Carl Limbacher

[Indy Pendance]

I heard 18% of all worldwide shipping is Maersk out of 35ish total shipping companies, Zero companies in the US. I just heard that, no verifiable links.

[milemark]

Hmm, who should I trust, an outstanding General with decades of military experience, or a blowhard radio commentator(michael weiner) or a keyboard commando who thinks she kills terrorists by writing from behind a keyboard(michelle malkin).

Well, that depends: Is this Gen. Frank's freely offered wisdom or is it bought and paid for? DPW has reportedly hired former Sen. Bob Dole as a mouth on their behalf, maybe they also purchased a General to go with their Senator and President.

[Indy Pendance]

This too shall pass. It's a FR trademark to have these kind of battles. Soon they'll crawl back into lurkdome, or wherever they hang out.

[Lancey Howard]

Great post, and another great job by Carl.

I'll go with Tommy Franks, too.

[Lancey Howard]

LOL, but don't forget the "/sarcasm" next time you post something like that or some people around here might take you seriously, in the belief that you are a complete fool rather tha a clever satirist!

Best regards,
LH

[farmer18th]

Hmm, who should I trust, ..Franks, Weiner, Malkin

Gotta agree with you, Dane. Democracy has gone too far here; we need to just declare martial law and let the generals craft policy.

...never cease to amaze me all the guys who turn into groupies in bobby socks when a General starts yapping..

[leadpenny]

You can discuss this issue without questioning the loyalty and patriotism of prominent Americans.

[bd476]

Great find, Dane. Thanks for posting this!

[Bender2]

EXTRA!...EXTRA!...EXTRA!...EXTRA!...

EXTRA!...

I have more New York Slimes Editions on my FR Homepage and my Archives Page

[Chuck54]

maybe they also purchased a General to go with their Senator and President.

...and how much you reckon Bush cost them? Sheesh!

[demlosers]

Well, that depends: Is this Gen. Frank's freely offered wisdom or is it bought and paid for? DPW has reportedly hired former Sen. Bob Dole as a mouth on their behalf, maybe they also purchased a General to go with their Senator and President.

Franks is a straight shooter, but I'm sure you really do know that:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/port-rashid.htm

[smoothsailing]

I'd already made up my mind on this and avoided most of these threads, but I liked what General Franks had to say.

Both Hannity & Colmes were sputtering.Time to change the name of the show to KneeJerk & Jerk.

[Indy Pendance]

Who's who?

[Echo Talon]

Dont fall for it -See Bush is from Texas and so IS Franks. Who cant see the conspiracy here --even Franks is bought and sold. Franks is prob getting Free Ranger tickets for life what a sell out

Why is Condi for it also?

[Cedar]

"The former Iraq war commander explained U.S. reliance on the Dubai port facility by saying, 'We know he difference between an enemy and a friend.'"

Gosh, I'm so relieved they can spot them. Maybe we don't have to worry about terrorists flying planes into our buildings.....oh wait.....did they miss that one...?

[smoothsailing]

HA! :)

[Echo Talon]

LOL! Sheesh, every new piece of background on this makes me glad i changed my mind about an hour or two after first being against this.

I know, at first reading the headlines I was like WTF! Then after some digging im like ehhh "nothing to see here"

[farmer18th]

Gosh, I'm so relieved they can spot them

Me too. I've got to pass this on to a Marine friend about the secret vetting spray and the "promise not to hire terrorists" pledge.

[demlosers]

Both Hannity & Colmes were sputtering.Time to change the name of the show to KneeJerk & Jerk.

LoL!

[Cap Huff]

Interesting that you should mention Maersk. I posted this yesterday on another thread:

There is a weird similarity between this port operations affair and the recent cartoon explosion. Last weekend I learned through an acquaintance who works for the world’s biggest cargo carrier, Maersk — a Danish company (!) that in one mideast country there was a peculiar reaction to the cartoon story. At the outset there was a big hullabaloo in that country about boycotting Danish companies --- you know, no more Danish butter, cheese and beer. No problem, or so everyone assumed.

Then someone pointed out that something like 30-40% of imports and exports are handled by the Danish shipping company. Whoa! Now what? Some thought they could simply shift business to another shipper, but then they found out that there is a severe shortage of shipping capacity in the world market. In other words, stop using the Danish company, and you've effectively cut your own exports and imports by about 40%. Their economy could hardly afford that. Real pain. Not just giving up some Lurpac butter and an occasional Carlsberg brew (surprising how many Muslims do drink). From what I understand the “boycott everything Danish” ended up being everything except the most significant commercial enterprise which is the shipping.

There are differences between the cartoons and the ports, but this much is similar: reacting emotionally before the facts are known may be initially satisfying, but MAY be silly in the long run.

When I first heard about the port story I initially reacted with the idea, “how could anyone be so foolish?” — but as I learn more and more I find that most of what I thought I knew, just isn’t so.

I’m not yet fully convinced that the deal is without any security risks at all, but I’m not in a position where I can know that independently. I’m going to weigh the information as it becomes known, and try to use some reason and logic to come to a reasonable conclusion.

Now I would say that Tommy Franks is one in a position to have an informed opinion on security. Admiral Bone of the Coast Guard is another:

http://www.radioblogger.com/#001406

By the way, it looks almost like Hugh Hewitt is aware that he fell off the dock and is wanting someone to throw him a line to climb out . . .