Dubai Ports World to divest itself of all American interests

CNN

[navysealdad]

Dubai Ports Worls to divest itself of all American interests

[plain talk]

Well if you are such an expert perhaps you should contact the Pentagon to suggest a few things to help them out. Write down your suggestions and send them in to them. Sounds like they desperately need your expert advice.

[Elyse]

The reasons no American companies have bid on these leases are; high tax burdens, burdensome regulations (enviro-wacko and others), union problems and egregious tort law.

I keep hearing people say this and it's really not the whole truth. In the 70's there was a slump in the industry and American companies sold out. The companies that stayed in were from Great Britain, Denmark, China and Singapore. They slogged along making low profits in the US, but they also had a good market opening in Asia that they took advantage of and then there was an upturn in the US and now they are cashing in. Dubai started out small in their own port, but through a good location and good management they quickly became a centerpiece for commerce in the Middle East and they cashed in on profit, too.

Now, it's nearly impossible for an American company to get in because the bids for port deals are just too large and the cost of running the terminals after you attain the lease is large. But the main factor is that it's nearly impossible to get the bid on the lease in the first place. You can't blame China, Singapore and Dubai for conducting business in a normal business enviroment. You can't blame American government. The only people you can really blame for the US not being up there with the big boys in the port terminal business are the American companies that pulled out way back when.

[ScreamingFist]

You're talking about HARDWARE. Why do you think the guys in charge of OUR hardware (Franks, Pace and Rumsfeld) have been so OUTSPOKEN in support of the UAE? And beyond hardware, what about INTEL?

Franks, Pace and Rumsfeld are politicians...yes including Franks. Don't get me wrong, a deepwater port in the UAE is a good thing, along with troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, this is called flanking in strategic terms. Iran knows it. As far as intel, I've seen this posted dozens of times.....what intel? Do you have links?

[Chode]

okers...
Boeing was lobbying hard to keep the port deal alive, i guess they got the word, no deal... means NO DEAL.

[CowboyJay]

"Don't judge the site without reading. That site is not from a radical group like the KKK that promotes hatred, but simply a report on Islam by an investigative reporter, using quotes from Islam's 'holy' books to prove his points."

Shhh... Don't confuse them with facts and true open-mindedness. Most here lack the intellectual courage to face the truth about Islam.

[2111USMC]

Yep.

What you said.

It sickens me to see some of these posts on FR.

What a bunch of uninformed idiots.

[ScreamingFist]

I'll take that as a compliment! ;^)

It was. There was a time on this forum that posters could disagree and not not be called "knee jerk right wing radicals with intentions of godhood...."

Debate and differing opinions.....what a concept.

[hummingbird]

"Daaang...."

Worth pondering.

[STARWISE]

Wonder what the next strategy is for these paid lobbyists, that we know of, who didn't failed to produce the desired outcome. Oh, the bar tabs and dinners that must've been run up.

,p>

"Dole is a special counsel in the Washington office of the law firm Alston & Bird. DP World hired the firm in 2005 to help shepherd its purchase of the British-based firm Peninsular and Oriental, which currently manages the U.S. ports, Galloway said.

Special Counsel, Robert Dole - Alston & Bird

When you see Wendy Sherman spouting anti-Bush rhetoric, remember she's a principal in The Albright Group

Haven't seen Carol Browner out on the trail, but she's also a principal in The Albright Group

The Cohen Group

Vernon Jordan

of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer Field LLP

[Stajack]

What about Qatar?

What about it?

[inquest]

when the Republicans lecture the Rats about playing with a defense bill, they're just hypocrites

That horse had already left the barn when they attached Katrina aid (with who-knows-what little goodies for local pols and politically connected interests) to the defense appropriations bill. Lewis's amendment had at least some vague relation to national security.

[M203M4]

Thank you, thank you. Oh I don't know who to thank! There were just so many people who had to play along and/or get fooled to make this happen. I guess I would like to thank IGNORANCE first and foremost. Because without ignorance, this would have never been possible. Thank you ignorance!

*applause*

[cva66snipe]

More of a clinton deal IMHO....see post #670.

I was talking about military & M.E. policy in general from 1989-present. But at this point selling any weapons to a M.E. Arabic nation which tomorrow may be used against our own troops isn't wise. Our government got too friendly with some over there too fast and have thrown caution to the wind.

[TigersEye]

It was. There was a time on this forum that posters could disagree and not not be called "knee jerk right wing radicals with intentions of godhood...."

ROTFLOLPIMP (seriously) Thanks! That made me laugh harder than I have in almost a year.

[Wasanother]

Your right, it seems more and more politicians are too willing to tamper with defense bills for political posturing and one-line sound bites.

[inquest]

You certainly seem to be hoping for that to happen. Anything to soothe your wounded pride, right?

[M203M4]

What to happen? I am referring to the title of this thread...I suppose I should congratulate you. You were part of the team that made it happen. Good work.

[TigersEye]

Thank you for shedding more light on that aspect of things. I'm sorry that I'm wrong but glad to be corrected. It still leaves us with the question; "what can the government do to make American companies take this deal?" If American companies dropped out of this business on their own that's freedom of choice. If the suggestion is that taxpayers subsidize this industry, which is obviously bigger money than bailing out Chrysler, I'm deadset against that. I'd rather see foreign companies offer a good service at a competitive price. We regulate the security and I'm satisified with that.

[cva66snipe]

And you see no major changes in geo-politics since then? OK.

I see a lot more attacks on U.S. interest in that region and a lot of down sizing that is making us dependent on other nations. So why aren't we cutting more deals with India instead? Location wise it's doable with less the security risk. Even the PI's isn't that far away. This isn't the day of 16 knots per hour ships.