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
My pleasure...
ITMT, when shall we "assume" the nice men with butterfly nets are coming to take you away? (ho-ho-hee-hee-ha-ha)
Yes, she does. LOL
You don't know much about the ME. The UAE ruling parties would lose all influence with their people if they didn't defend the regions honor. You simply don't understand what the implications are. That is why so many active and retired military leader types are being outspoken about this.
Well thank you Me Lady for your grace and honesty (though of course I am an insolent "student" as you are painfully aware :-D)
Forget it.........never mind...........you wouldn't believe any fact, if you were shown them by the president, the CIA, the FBI, and GOD! LOL
Loving George Bush doesn't have anything to do with it.
And frankly, I'm astonished that you're letting yourself be duped by the Democrats.
But Hillary thanks you.
If you try to stop this deal, you're essentially blowing the ME up.
On Friday he was talking about how he's going to be at a live debate with Jerry Springer. There's my wife saying she hopes Springer kicks his ass.
Slurp, slurp. See your mail...lol.
Sir James, if I didn;t love you, I'd be slapping you around for being sincerely OBTUSE.
FYI...there is white slavery ( that's what sex trafficking used to be called ) right here in the US of A. I guess that this country is just as "bad" as the UAE; right?
He doesn't care.
We've been dealing with those governments for years. Saudi Arabia had no problem taking our troops in when Iraq invaded Kuwait did they? They needed us militariy protection and so does the UAE.
I'm not disputing any of what you're saying regarding internal posturing and possibly oncreased anti-Americanism, which they'll overcome with force if need be however at the end of the day the government will get over the rebuff simply because they'll have no choice.
These are the same people, who want President Bush to act as though he was EMPEROR OF THE WORLD; as long as he did what they want done.
But I HATE liars and imbeciles!
And this whole thing is being driven by LIARS and IMBECILE, with the gullible, lazy, and very stupid repeating the propaganda and then claiming that they are right and that they know and understand what's going on.
If this deal "hasn't got a chance" ( which I hope you are incorrect about ), then I hope that YOU and the rest of the uneducated, lies are better than facts club are happy with the consequences; they will NOT be good.
Exactly so!
Never, but they are looking for you, right now.
They have nothing to do with it. From the beginning and days before the democrats started making noises I saw the deal as bad news. I prediced it was DOA because of the political fallout and stand by that.
Listen, genius, you were whining about my post as if it had been directed right at you, so try another excuse.
I don't know what a 'snake cake' is either- I wrote 'snack cake'- you know, one of those chocolate goodies you have piled next to your keyboard. Wipe that icing off the monitor and you'll see more clearly.
Your wife and I are kindred souls! LOL
The consequences will be even worse if they let the deal go through.
Yes! EXCELLENT and worth a repeat.
"They're just NUTS!
These are the same people, who want President Bush to act as though he was EMPEROR OF THE WORLD; as long as he did what they want done."
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