Cancel This Deal, Diplomatically (Bill Bennet-Important Read)

National Review ^ | 3-1-06 | William J. Bennett & Seth Leibsohn

[STARWISE]

The Dubai Ports World deal can’t work.

Dubai Ports World, the subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates, has now asked for a 45-day review from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to investigate security concerns over the control of six U.S. ports. This is to the good, calming calls for congressional action as well as subsequent threats of a presidential veto. Many lobbyists have been hired, charges alleged, fact-sheets disseminated, and polls put in the field. Still, questions remain to be asked, questions that none of the above D.C. responses have addressed.

(snip)

But better than asking questions, a back-channel message should be sent to the UAE to withdraw this deal, much as China withdrew its UNOCAL bid last year. This deal will not stand public deliberation; it confuses things.

(snip)

Never has the president been further from the base on these issues than now. But, by having the UAE withdraw its offer, the issue will be taken off the table — it can be corrected and ended; otherwise it will live and bleed for at least another 45 days.

(snip)

No matter how many assurances we are given that our government will remain in charge of this security, the cargo will be managed and coordinated by a foreign-owned company whose country has anything but a strong record in preventing terrorism. In short, when all the smoke is cleared, the UAE is not a country of tried and true reliability like, say, Great Britain. There is a difference between Great Britain and the UAE, many differences in fact, and we should not be instructed otherwise.

[devolve]

Yup -

They were caught smuggling in thousands of AK47s for LA drug gangs

AK's manufactured by Red Chinese PLA partners:

Senator Diane Feinstein-Blum PolyTech

[Iscool]

The EU gives money to Hamas. They continue to support Terorism in Israel. When do we boot all the Euro trash out of economcy? BTW, your statement about the UAE is a lie.

No, it isn't a lie...And another non-lie is that you had the same attitude when we wouldn't support George when he tried to slide little Harriet into the Supreme Court...

[Cindy_Cin]

I haven't been paying much attention to Mr Bill Bennet since I saw him endorse John McCain on Fox news

[BlackbirdSST]

I'm not specifically picking on you, but this argument ... I've seen it many times before in the past week or two, and the logic is so convoluted as to boggle the mind. I guess nothing focuses attention upon ports like having a Muslim nation heavily involved in them, huh?

Speaking of convoluted? I seen it said numerous times, that this is a status quo deal, "NOTHING" will change. So what's up with that? Somebody got off the reservation here. Blackbird.

[Iscool]

Curious how all the Knee Jerk Critics and chest beaters over look the fact that the people doing the bulk of the fighting and dieing on OUR side in the WOT are Muslim Arabs.

You got to have some long arms to stretch that far...

[em2vn]

Halliburton would do a nice job of setting up a division to handle the port terminals.

[Howlin]

I am sick and tired of this. These same people never raised a word of alarm about any other deal.

I hope nobody is surprised when the Democrats win in 2006 and 2008.

The long knives are surely out for George W. Bush.

[Howlin]

No matter how many assurances we are given that our government will remain in charge of this security, the cargo will be managed and coordinated by a foreign-owned company whose country has anything but a strong record in preventing terrorism.

I wonder why he's not worried about the security at the terminals in UAE?

[Howlin]

Precisely.

[CWOJackson]

More and more stories are starting to come out with the facts in them. This is only going to make the people who created and abetted this hysteria look more foolish.

[Howlin]

Is somebody maintaining an official list of long-standing conservatives who have fallen out of favor with the Bushbots? We can add Bill Bennett to that list now.

Sneer all you want; you just remember one thing: come 2006 and 2008, you ain't going ANYWHERE without those BushBots you denigrade all the damn time.

And there are more of us than there are of you.

[Howlin]

Still stirring the racial pot, I see, stellar.

[RegulatorCountry]

"And there are more of us than there are of you."

You can add Bill Clinton to your number. Does it feel good?

[Howlin]

I'm getting sick of these people.

I hate liars, theirs or ours.

And if you can't get the facts straight, who should listen to you?

[mystery-ak]

I hope you had a chance to watch Brit tonight..if not catch the repeat...they had a report from Baltimore docks and the dock workers were amazed at what is happening in DC over this issue.....they interviewed several people who said that no one is to be fired, same people will run the docks and the only thing that changes is the name on their checks.....

[Howlin]

You can add Bill Clinton to your number. Does it feel good?

What, you'll see my Bill Clinton and raise me a Hillary and a Chuckie and a Charlie Rangel?

We're not the ones here trying to use this issue to destroy this administration. That seems to be your job.

I'm just telling you we won't forget come 2006 and 2008.

[Howlin]

they had a report from Baltimore docks and the dock workers were amazed at what is happening in DC over this issue.....they interviewed several people who said that no one is to be fired, same people will run the docks and the only thing that changes is the name on their checks.....

And what does it say about those against this deal that they have to LIE time after time to further their agenda?

[woofie]

Bushbots Unite!