Posted on 02/23/2006 5:09:55 PM PST by Lizavetta
WASHINGTON - Weeks before one of its companies sought U.S. approval for its ports deal, the United Arab Emirates contributed $100 million to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, officials confirmed Thursday.
The Bush administration said the money it received from the United Arab Emirates was nearly four times as much as it received from all other countries combined. Other countries, including some in the Middle East, also pledged large contributions but have not yet sent the money.
The White House said the $100 million for storm victims demonstrates the close relationship between the two governments now caught in a firestorm over the potential security risks of state-owned Dubai Ports World running operations at six major U.S. ports.
The money from the United Arab Emirates was previously described by the State Department only as a "very large" contribution. The White House said so far it has received $126 million in international donations, including the UAE money.
The administration said there was no connection between the request for U.S. approval of the $6.8 billion ports deal and the UAE contribution. It disclosed details about the donation to support President Bush's description of the nations as important allies.
"There was no connection between the two events," said Adam Ereli, the deputy State Department spokesman.
Robert Kimmitt, deputy secretary at the Treasury Department, told senators Thursday that Dubai Ports World first approached U.S. officials Oct. 17 to discuss a proposed purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., which runs significant operations at six large U.S. ports.
Kimmitt said the company informally approached Treasury officials to discuss preliminary stages of the purchase. A formal review of the proposed sale started on Dec. 16, Kimmitt told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The United Arab Emirates sent its $100 million Katrina donation on Sept. 21 using an electronic transfer to an account at the State Department, the White House said. Two-thirds of the money was given to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help coordinate aid to 100,000 families. The rest was sent to the Education Department to help rebuild schools and universities near New Orleans that were damaged by the storm.
The United Arab Emirates has long-standing ties to the Bush family. Records show the UAE and one of its sheikhs contributed at least $1 million before 1995 to the Bush Library Foundation, which established the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. The executive chairman of Dubai Ports World, Ahmed bin Sulayem, is not listed among donors.
This simply doesn't pass the smell test, in my opinion. And it makes not a rat's ass bit of difference to the question of whether or not they're suitable for any kind of port authority, security, loading, or whatever.
Did you know the real link to the story is
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060224/ap_on_go_pr_wh/ports_security_katrina_1
?
Do the UAE royals always give money to disaster victims in the U.S., or only when they're trying to take over operations of our ports?
oh good, so glad that they helped pay for lap dances, tatoos and big screen t.v.s
What's funny about it? Who ever was discussing the UAE before now? Of course it came out now when they're being analyzed by everyone who until this moment had no problem with them. Now they're part of the Axis of Evil. Guess Bush has just been forgetting to mention that all along. So have Clinton And Chuckie, the new pals of so many FReepers.
I guess that makes it all better.
Really? That is sooo unlike those fanatical terrorizing Arabs!
...suckers...
Someone pinch me... this is only a dream...there is no place like home... there is no place like home...
I'm done with this topic. Again.
(I'm thinking of Michael Corleone in Godfather 3--"They're pulling me back IN!")
I remember hearing the story right after the hurricane.
I heard about it earlier also.
But it really has nothing to do with anything. No one implicates the UAE government itself as a terrorist threat.
It is "friends of friends" who are the concern.
"So have Clinton And Chuckie, the new pals of so many FReepers."
______________________________
Don't forget Jimmah Carter too...he is also a new friend to so many freepers.
Why not donate 100 mil? It's nothing to them, and one of the ports is in New Orleans...
"Funny how a donation of $100 mill is coming out NOW, as opposed to the days following the hurricane."
USA Today article from 9/7/05 listing international donations...including $100MM from UAE:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-09-07-katrina-world_x.htm
Wrong, it was known shortly after the hurricane.
It did come out in the days following the hurricane. The other large donor was Kuwait.
They played us like a violin, didn't they? Either the port deal is utterly HUGE, or the amount of information they plan to gather will be utterly incredible.
Years ago, a friend of mine was in the CIA. He told me that in foreign countries you would routinely get arrested for taking photographs of port operations. Now we put entire port operations in the charge of foreign governments.
Where's Rudy Giuliani when you need him? He sent back a huge bribe to the Middle East when he had the authority to do so.
The difference being that there's no danger of our agreeing with him bolstering his image as a hawk.
If FReepers wanna legitimize Hillary's "moderate-right" image, you can celebrate with her in '08. If the has-been wants to be on my side of the argument, I couldn't care less--he's no longer in danger of being in charge of the country.
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