Posted on 02/25/2006 4:21:24 PM PST by SwordofTruth
On Sunday, the Australian government issued the following alert to its citizens: "We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the United Arab Emirates because of the high threat of terrorist attack. We continue to receive reports that terrorists are planning attacks against Western interests in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Commercial and public areas frequented by foreigners are possible terrorist targets."
The United States has approved a business deal that would turn over the operation of six major American ports to a company that is owned by the UAE, the very country Australians are to be wary of visiting. The obvious question: If it is dangerous for an Australian to travel to the UAE because of terrorism, isn’t it even more dangerous for a company owned by the UAE to own the rights to American ports where terror might be directly, or indirectly, imported?
There have been some dumb decisions since the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, including the "welcoming" of radical Muslim groups, mosques and schools that seek by their preaching and teaching to influence U.S. foreign policy and undermine the nation. But the decision to sell port operations in New York, Newark-Port Elizabeth, Baltimore, Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans to a company owned by the UAE may be the dumbest of all.
Security experts repeatedly have said American ports are poorly protected. Each year, approximately 9 million cargo containers enter the United States through its ports. Repeated calls to improve port security have gone mostly unheeded.
In supporting the sale decision by a little-known interagency panel called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the Bush administration dismissed security concerns. National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones said the sale of the ports for $6.8 billion to Dubai Ports World was "rigorously reviewed" by the committee, which, he said, considers security threats when foreign companies seek to buy or invest in American industry. Apparently, money talked louder than common sense.
In a rare display of bipartisanship, congressional Republicans and Democrats are forging an alliance to reverse the decision. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has announced plans for her Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs to hold hearings. Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Frank Lautenberg, DN.J., who are members of Collins’ committee, have raised concerns. New York’s Democratic senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton have also objected to the sale. Clinton and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., expect to offer a bill to ban companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from acquiring U.S. port operations.
In the House, Reps. Chris Shays, R-Conn.; Mark Foley, R-Fla.; and Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., are among those who want to know more about the sale. In a House speech, Foley said, "The potential threat to our country is not imagined; it is real."
The UAE was used as a financial and operational base by some of the 9/11 hijackers. A New York Times editorial said the sale takes the Bush administration’s "laxness to a new level."
Members of Congress may wish to consider that the UAE was an important transfer point for shipments of smuggled nuclear components bound for Iran, North Korea and Libya by a Pakistani scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan. The UAE was one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government before the U.S. invasion toppled it.
The Department of Homeland Security says it is legally impossible under Committee on Foreign Investment rules to reconsider approval of the sale without evidence the Dubai company gave false information or withheld details from U.S. officials. Congress should change that law.
Last year, Congress overwhelmingly recommended against the Bush administration granting permission to a Chinese company to purchase the U.S. oil services company UNOCAL. Six years ago, when a Chinese company took control of the Panama Canal from the United States, retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Thomas H. Moorer warned of a "nuclear Pearl Harbor."
Congress must stop this sale of American ports to foreign interests and, in an era of terrorism, prevent any more potential terrorist targets from falling into the hands of those who wish to destroy us.
Cal Thomas writes for Tribune Media Services.
cal@calthomas.com
I did. It will be interesting to see what Cal says tomorrow.
ping
This is not a selling of a national resource. It is the selling of a UK company, to a UAE company. The people doing the job now will keep doing the job.
Hum? I wonder if Cal is aware of the fact that as part of this same deal with P & O, the Australians have the same thing at stake as do the Americans. Australian ports are part of the same deal with the Dubai company as are American ports.
http://www.mua.org.au/news/general/dubai.html
The Australians are not in complete and utter hysterics like the Americans are. The Australian part of the deal is moving forward, despite the stall in America.
Now Cal would have Americans believe that because of the warning issued by the Australians, the American port deal should not move forward. Why is it then the Australia is issuing the warning about the UAE, yet the Australians are not the least bit concerned about this port deal????
Check out the post telling about another development: Iran has agreed to sell oil to China. This is the reason that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is so brazen in his rhetoric. He has China to back Iran up. China does not want Iran to get cruise missles from the Kittyhawk task force. This would take that oil away from them. This is getting dicey and we are not getting any help from the limp wristed Republican leadership. And forget about the DemonRATs. Their obsession with GUNS TO BUTTER have them swimming up to their eyeballs in stink.
The way I understand it is that C-TPAT is a voluntary program to enhance and expedite security. I don't see where it says anything about relaxing it.
"20-10-2005 PORT BENEFITS FROM MAJOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT The Port of Adelaide is reaping the benefits of a multi-million dollar investment, following the acquisition of the container terminal by the world’s fifth largest port and container terminal operator – DP World. Based in the United Arab Emirates, DP World owns and operates 16 container terminals, four free trade zones, and three logistics centres across the Middle East, Africa, India and Asia – and now Australia.
DP World acquired the Port Adelaide container terminal in February, and has signalled its commitment to South Australia with a $5 million investment in new straddle cranes at Outer Harbour. "
http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/minister.asp?mId=5&pId=6&iHealth=0&sId=5469
Don't tell Cal.
What is happening here is that President Bush is no longer being given the benefit of the doubt. Things go a lot smoother when we give each other and the President the benefit of the doubt. I am still undecided, so lets just wait for the hearings.
Yeah its voluntary. The 'partners' self test. I think we can count on all of them to be honest and protective of American interests, don't you?
I don't think that's the point. The point is the existing security is still going to be there.
Look at it a different way, though . . . If that same Australian government that has issued a travel advisory warning its citizens traveling to the UAE has not expressed concern over the acquisition of P&O Ports by the UAE-owned company (P&O operates a number of port terminals in Australia), then why should the U.S. use this travel advisory serve as any kind of indicator when reviewing the proposed acquisition?
Cal Thomas huh! feh, just another clueless kneejerk xenophobe racist with an agenda to attack anything George Bush. Too bad women aren't involved, you missed a chance to be a sexist. Get a life Cal. Blackbird.
And no warning to the citizens of Australia to not go near the DBW Terminal?
They have already allowed DPW to have a contract in one of their ports.
England is currently in the process of allowing DPW to takeover the operations of P&O in their ports.
It is difficult to imagine that three allied nations in the WoT have all suddenly gone stupid.
There is no dedicated "U.S.S. Kittyhawk port facility" in Mina Jebel Ali. The UAE has the ability to service all of our carriers.
Kitty Hawk has been in port in Yokosuka since mid December in SRA.
I see the usual suspects are here, trying to defend the indefensible.
This above is pure bull shite.
Red China has warehouses and docking facilities up and down our west coast, and the companies which operate these port facilities are owned and controlled by the Red Army of Communist China. This has been true since the early ninetys.
Dubai is now much like Hong Kong was in the old days, a transhipping point but for the entire middle east, and full of wealth from around the world. The Emirates want to help the USA flood the middle east with products manufactured by US companies, aiding in bringing the backward Islamic world into the 21st Century.
Those who buy into the isolationist policy of the Dimocrapic party are creating tremendous barriers to soldifying the diplomatic relationship we have with the Emirates, which allows us secure forward military bases along the Gulf of Hormuz. It also prevents us from prosecuting the pacification of the Iraqi and Afghani populations who need cheaply transported Western goods and material. So just STOP!
If Dubyah thinks we should sanction this deal, thats good enough for me.
The rest of you RINOS can pike and hike.
I totally agree. The lie that this in somehow turns ports over the DPW is indefensible.
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