Why Bush is stuck on the port deal

Asia Times Online ^ | Feb 25, 2006 | Thalif Deen

[skandalon]

Hmm, a little more information on the relationship of the US and UAE.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Nobody wants to hear facts. They're too busy emoting.

[gregwest]

It's always the same old story. Follow the money... Clinton's trail traced back to foreign supporters in Indonesia and China. Bush's buddies are in Saudi and the OPEC countries. Although I try to give him the benefit of the doubt, I really don't think one becomes president nowadays without being "bought and paid for" by one group of globalists or another.

[RonF]

What, does everyone in their military get their own plane? Are they reselling this stuff?

[Western Phil]

Note:

"described as one of the biggest single arms packages to a Middle Eastern nation and finalized in March 2000"

[Cannoneer No. 4]

F-16F (Block 60) built for the Air Force of the UAE, seen on its first flight. This two-seater version is now designated F-16F.

[sit-rep]

bttt

[skeeter]

"You could already see some UAE unhappiness over a failed deal to buy Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft due to the US refusal to fully transfer Link-16 secure communications technology," he added.

Gee, is it possible there are reasons we should not fully TRUST the UAE?

[sgtbono2002]

****Despite growing bipartisan opposition to the deal - mostly prompted by a fear psychosis that US ports should not be managed by a state-owned Arab company because of possible terrorist infiltration - *****

Wrong: Should read mostly prompted by democrats who think they have George Bush by the nuts.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Hawk

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Besides French Mirage fighter planes, the UAE has also taken delivery of about 36 British Aerospace Hawk, 100 trainer/ground attack aircraft, four warships from Germany and two frigates from the Netherlands. Additionally, France has supplied about 400 battle tanks in a deal worth nearly $3.8 billion.

Follow that money back to Bush.

[sangoo]

And they plan to use these aircraft against who? Let me guess...

[Sweetjustusnow]

"Just the order for 80 of the newest-generation F-16E/Fs alone was a major buy from the US," he said."

Don't you all just love it? We're so insecure about our economy that we are selling our weapons to our enemies who want to destroy us.

Anyone care to explain this so called WOT?

[McGavin999]

I guess you failed to read the part of the article that said the deal was finalized in 2000, with the delivery up to 2007. That means that the deal was made by Clinton, but don't let facts get in the way of your Bush bashing.

[antaresequity]

Sounds to me like the UAE is stockpiling weapons for us...

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Rich country, rapacious neighbors.

[sinkspur]

Don't you all just love it? We're so insecure about our economy that we are selling our weapons to our enemies who want to destroy us.

When did the UAE threaten the United States? And how effective would 30 planes be against the United States?

You don't know much about foreign policy, do you?

[mysterio]

Anyone care to explain this so called WOT?

Sure. We allow our government to grow uncontrollably and give them questionable new powers under euphemistically named initiatives like the patriot act. These are refried policies that Clinton's justice department lobbied for in the 90s, but didn't get. Then we open the borders and sell weapons to the enemy.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Nobody in the United A-RAB Emirates has tried to destroy me yet. Can't say the same about the United States.

[Cannoneer No. 4]