PORTGATE AND THE RUBBER-STAMPERS (Michelle Malkin)

Michelle Malkin Blog ^ | 2-23-2006 | Michelle Malkin

[Stellar Dendrite]

ping

[CWOJackson]

Portgate? LOL, more like Tempest-in-a-teapot-gate.

[Stellar Dendrite]

ping

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

When I grow up, I hope I land a hottie like Michelle.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

. . . this is not about Islam. This is about rewarding an ally who has helped us in the past. Its about our honor. Its about whether we are actually a scared bunch of sissies hiding in the corner from scary people who live elsewhere.

[Dane]

And I should listen to Ms. who has never worked in security in her life, Malkin, why?

Sorry michelle I'll trust Gen. Tonny Franks and not one who thinks she kills terrorists from behind a keyboard.

[Siena Dreaming]

the demonstrably unreliable UAE

Is she talking about the scads of good intelligence the UAE has been supply us since 9/11? Or is she talking about the efficient and stragically placed ports they are allowing us to use presently?

[clawrence3]

Would it help if we simply ignore the trolling from now on?

[alnick]

LOL, more like Tempest-in-a-teapot-gate.

LOL, or Malkin-off-the-deep-end-again gate. She's a bright woman, but she does have a tendancy to go overboard from time to time.

[Peach]

None of the 14 agencies involved in reviewing this deal had a problem with it. And this same company has been providing the same services to our US Navy for years.

Michelle can be a flamethrower at times and this is one of those times.

[raybbr]

Or is she talking about the efficient and stragically placed ports they are allowing us to use presently?

These ports and air bases also provide protection for UAE. Do we really need to allow this sale as a reward?

[CWOJackson]

Why not...the facts are sure getting ignored.

[Stellar Dendrite]

interesting:

Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove tells Fox News Radio that Dubai is a "great military asset" and "vital to our security." Meanwhile, the WSJ reports today:

Dubai is believed to have been one of the most important conduits for Iran's nuclear technology acquisition program, according to U.S. court cases and interviews with experts in the field. The Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, a nongovernment advocacy group, last year published a list of 38 weapons-related smuggling cases since 1982 in which the goods moved through Dubai and the other islands that constitute the United Arab Emirates. Most of the illicit goods crossing Dubai go through its ports.

More generally, according to sanctions experts and numerous U.S. court and regulatory cases, Iran uses Dubai to evade U.S. economic sanctions on Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. The UAE doesn't recognize those sanctions.

Iranian front companies in Dubai routinely obtain prohibited U.S. goods, federal court records show. In one undercover investigation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that resulted in a November 2005 guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the representative of an Iranian front company was caught on tape assuring an undercover agent posing as a businessman not to worry about sanctions regulations.

"You are going to export to Dubai, which does not have any regulations. It's a free, uh, country for importing, exporting," said Khalid Mahmood, according to his guilty plea. Asked if the equipment would then be shipped to Iran, Mr. Mahmood replied, "Once it comes here, we'll ship it anywhere in the world, no problem."

Similarly, in 2003, UAE officials refused a U.S. request to intercept a shipment of nuclear technology bound for South Africa by a smuggler named Asher Karni, according to University of Georgia sanctions expert Scott Jones, who works with U.S. agencies on proliferation issues. Mr. Karni was convicted of violating sanctions against weapons of mass destruction last year in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The UAE also was believed to be a nexus for Pakistan's nuclear program and hosted at least two front companies that forwarded material to Islamabad.

[Stellar Dendrite]

TNT to unveil UAE-Iran road transport service

Dubai: TNT Express, the world’s leading B2B express delivery company, will launch the Middle East ’s first UAE -Iran road express this November.

The thrice-weekly Sharjah-Bandar Abbas route is part of the company’s plan to double its Middle East Road Network (MERN) revenues within the next three years.

“Iran has consistently featured as a top 10 destination for TNT UAE and currently represents around five per cent of our total revenue, “said Bryan Moulds, UAE Country General Manager, TNT Express.

“We have excellent ground infrastructure throughout Iran and with this new offering, we anticipate our Iranian business to at least double in the next 12 months.”

The new road express route will include TNT’s fully inclusive door-to-door service. The company will use its state-of-the-art bonded trailers for deliveries to Iran, which will include full track and trace technology, customs clearance, GPS tracking and cost effective prices on heavy weight consignments.

http://www.middleastlogistics.com/topnews.asp?id=2216

[Siena Dreaming]

These ports and air bases also provide protection for UAE.

Are you saying they shouldn't use their own bases? They are also allowing the US to use them to kill terrorists.

Pretty nice ally in the WOT I'd say.

[Stellar Dendrite]

Wow.....



Iran, UAE explore expansion of trade relations
Tehran, Feb 2, IRNA

Iran-UAE-Trade
Iran and UAE explored here Wednesday ways of expanding bilateral trade relations.

Iranian Commercial attache in UAE Qassem Mirzaie told IRNA that the meeting focused on expansion of trade ties between Iran's Mazandaran province and Dubai.

The meeting was attended by over 50 private and public officials of the Mazandaran province who discussed removing hurdles in expansion of investments and trade relations.

Mirzaie who is also the head of Iran Trade Center in Dubai said that the UAE official stressed that the Iran-UAE trade exchange which stood at dlrs 3.3 billion in 2005, should be increased through holding trade exhibitions.

Many companies from Mazandaran active in various areas including automobile parts manufacturing, carpets, tourism, plant and flower participated in an exclusive exhibition which opened Monday and completed work Wednesday.

Textiles, transportation-related equipment, electronic gadgets, fake jewelry, and precious stones are some of reexports by Dubai, he added.

He said the Iranian businessmen in the UAE should strive to correct the trade imbalance between the two Persian Gulf nations.

Mirzaie said that the figures indicate that the bilateral trade stood at close to dlrs eight billion in 2004.

The volume of UAE's imports from Iran does not correspond to our industrial and trade capabilities and potentials. "The Iranian industrialists and traders should put more efforts to turn the trade figures around," he underlined.

He also urged the Iranian entrepreneurs to channel their investments into Iran. He further called for cooperation of Iranian businessmen to confront goods smuggling to Iran.

Dubai reexports to Iran, which have ranked first in reexports from the emirate in the past 10 years, dropped in the 2004, the Dubai Customs Internet Site reported here last month.

"Iran's reexports from Dubai totaled 10.348 billion Dirhams and ranked second after India last year," it said.

In 2004, Dubai had over 80 percent of total non-oil foreign trade of United Arab Emirates.

According to unofficial reports, the values of Iran's imports from Dubai were more than dlrs 4 billion in 2002.

Iran opened its trade center in UAE in June with the presence of Iranian and UAE trade ministers. Several UAE and Iranian officials were also present at the centers' opening ceremonies.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-18/0602025066004651.htm

[clawrence3]

Agreed then : )

[CWOJackson]

I actually met her several times in her Seattle days and am a fan of hers, however, her style has changed a lot since she hit the big time.

Of course she wouldn't be posted by these folks if her column didn't repeat the same fallacies and supported the issue.

[Shermy]

RUSHISRIGHT MALKINISALIBURAL RUSHSTUDIED RUSHHASFACTSNOONEELSEDOES ONLYDEMOCRATSOPPOSETHIS IAMNOTOVERREACTINGBECAUSEDEEP,DEEPDOWNIKNOWSOOMETHINGMIGHTBEWRONGWITHTHIS TRUSTINRUSH TRUSTINRUSH