Posted on 03/10/2006 8:16:05 PM PST by crushelits
President Bush said Friday the collapse of the Dubai ports deal could hurt U.S. efforts to recruit Mideast governments as partners in the worldwide war on terror.
Separately, in what may have been an aftershock to the failed transaction, a new round of trade talks between the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates was postponed.
On Thursday, Dubai-based DP World backed away in the face of unrelenting criticism and announced it would transfer its management of port terminals in major U.S. cities to an American entity.
Bush struck a defiant tone Friday with the Republican-led Congress whose new willingness to buck him has taken its most dramatic form with the ports controversy.
The president said he was open to improving the government's method of reviewing such transactions, but he insisted his administration's approval of the deal had posed no security risk — and that the reversal could have the opposite effect.
"I'm concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East," said Bush during an appearance before a conference of the National Newspaper Association. "In order to win the war on terror, we have got to strengthen our friendships and relationships with moderate Arab countries in the Middle East."
The United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a part, is just such a country, Bush said.
Dubai services more U.S. military ships than any other country, shares useful intelligence about terrorists and helped shut down a global black-market nuclear network run by Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, the administration says. This week, though, the State Department's annual human rights report called the UAE's performance "problematic," citing floggings as punishment for adultery or drug abuse.
The president said he would now have to work to shore up the U.S. relationship with the UAE and explain to Congress and the public why it's a valuable one.
"UAE is a committed ally in the war on terror," he said.
En route Friday to a presidential inauguration in Chile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice echoed Bush. The failed ports deal "means that we are going to have to work and double our efforts to send a strong message that we value our allies, our moderate allies, in the Middle East," she said.
Thursday's action spared Bush an embarrassing showdown, which he seemed likely to lose, over the veto he had threatened of any attempt by Congress to block the transaction.
After weeks of questions from lawmakers of both parties about whether giving a state-owned company from an Arab country control of significant port operations could increase terrorist dangers, the silence from Republicans on Friday was telling. The only statements came from Democrats who sought to keep the issue alive.
Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., a chief critic of the Dubai deal, said lawmakers needed more detail on DP World's planned divestiture. It wasn't clear which American business might get the port operations, or how the U.S. entity would be related to the Dubai government.
"Make no mistake, we are going to scrutinize this deal with a fine tooth comb," Schumer said.
And the Democratic Party planned a mobile billboard in Memphis, Tenn., where GOP activists were gathering for a weekend conference, accusing Republicans of standing in the way of providing enough funding for port security. "Republicans owe the American people answers as to where they really stand," said party spokesman Luis Miranda.
Republicans, too, have said the deal's end does nothing to address the nation's continuing vulnerability at its ports, where the vast majority of shipping containers are not inspected. In fact, work continued on Capitol Hill on two fronts: reworking the process under which the government approves foreign investment and boosting port security.
Senate Homeland Security Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, promised a committee vote by the end of April on legislation to strengthen cargo inspections and port security. Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., was readying a nearly identical measure for the House. Both bills have Democratic co-sponsors.
There were some signs the president's worries about the impact abroad were warranted.
Analysts said the developments could make cash-rich investors in the Persian Gulf, where there is the widespread belief that the furor was rooted in anti-Arab bias, wary of high-profile investments in the United States.
And the latest round of negotiations on a new free-trade arrangement between the U.S. and the UAE, scheduled for Monday in the United Arab Emirates, was postponed.
Both sides hastened to dispel speculation that the delay was the result of the ports controversy.
Neena Moorjani, spokeswoman for U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record), would not directly address that question, but said it's not unusual for delegations to need more time to prepare. A UAE official said there was no connection, and that working groups would continue discussions by phone.
>>So, why aren't you president?<<
Did you say this to Clinton or Carter's critics? Seems the same logic would apply.
Since you evidently think the President is an adult, then I presume you side with the folks that have utter disgust at the way those in Congress have conducted themselves? If so, Good.
Perhaps I should have placed a warning on my post that I was merely regurgitaing all the trash coming from so many "lips" since this began. But then again, I thought it was self evident given my other posts have been nothing but vitriolic toward those that have equated the UAE qith Osama bin Ladin. Hence, my new tagline.
So why wasn't he president during those terms?
It's not the Arab part, it's the muslim part, in the end, rightfully.
Reagan wasn't the "Great Communicator" in '87 and '88.
During Iran Contra and other problems.
Conservatives have been re-writing history and it's time that ended.
Good man, Great President, but communication couldn't spare him in the latter half of his second term.
>>So why wasn't he president during those terms?<<
Because ice cream doesn't have bones.
???
>>Reagan wasn't the "Great Communicator" in '87 and '88.During Iran Contra and other problems. Conservatives have been re-writing history and it's time that ended.
<<
During Iran Contra, threatened with impeachment, President Reagan saved his own bacon with a direct address to the American people. And it worked.
And that's the way it was.
"The death of reason is never a praiseworthy thing......"
I dont know how you became so confused but you did. Reason prevailed in this case and is certainly praise worthy.
While you might like having a bunch of muslims frollicking around our strategic ports, most of us with reason figure this not brilliant idea at this time. Why you ask? Well as a lil reminder to the so challenged, we are currently at war with some muslims. We're spending billions fighting some muslims. Grandma is getting her anal cavity explored at the airport because we are at war with some muslims.
Members of our armed forces are being killed almost daily because we are fighting a war against some muslims.
Methinks it is you that needs correcting.
Are you for camp fires or do you just enjoy root canals?
You are kidding, right? Start from the Revolutionary war and go forward.
The poster said the Prez should drop this. I said after you insult an ally by comparing them to head choppers and folks that ram planes in our buildings, the subject ain't going to go away just cause some folks have tired of it after their temper tantrum got them their way.
Your response? Trade deficits. I'm not even going to attempt to track your thought process in how you got from point A to unrelated point B, other than the knowledge you needed a lead in to your set upon talking point and chose the wrong quote to usher you there.
;-)
Regardless of communication skills of the individuals, it is not a level playing field for comparison, making your 'Reagan did fine' an unfair assessment.
(Personally, I think the PR in this particular situation was bad, but I think the main problem is that, since the media lies about everything he says anyway, he just doesn't bother trying to communicate through the media. If you want to hear what he has to say, listen to his speeches. He communicates very well there).
I just thank our maker every day for wax paper!
Reality check:
Members of our armed forces are fighting side by side with Muslim allies against radical Islam.
And if our knees bent the other way, what would a chair look like?
Okay, I stole that from Gallagher.
:-)
Best that it was explained to me, toothpaste and Egyptian tapestries. Probably there are some high technology fiber optic components. Glass is made from sand and heat.
I realize how important the Coast Guard is, maybe we should make sure congress realizes it as well. It's about time someone educates them about how the ports work.
And no, I wouldn't stop the companies from mechanizing. I just seriously doubt they will have the capital to do it AND purchase the contracts. The outcome will be to attempt to meet the obligations on the cheap. We all know what the results of that will be.
I prefer to have our Congress make its decisions based on reason, and not on hysteria, or fear of not being reelected.
All the things you stated in making your case are based on your feelings about Muslims, and your confusion in thinking that 'they are all alike.' But thanks for making my point.
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