Tommy Franks Defends Dubai Ports Deal

Newsmax ^ | 2/22/06 | Carl Limbacher

[Dane]

Tommy Franks Defends Dubai Ports Deal

Former CENTCOM commanding general Tommy Franks said Wednesday that the Bush administration was right to approve a deal for a United Arab Emirates-based company to run six major U.S. ports.

"We have more U.S. Navy ships using the port in Dubai, Jebel Ali, than any other port outside the United States," Franks told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes."

The former Iraq war commander explained U.S. reliance on the Dubai port facility by saying, "We know he difference between an enemy and a friend."

"The Emirates is a friend," Franks aid. "That is the best run port that I've ever seen."

Gen. Franks said the Dubai company had three essential qualities that commend it for the task of running U.S. ports: the capacity to handle the job, the inclination to do it right and security, which he noted "will remain, in any case, in the hands of the United States Coast Guard."

[Lesforlife]

Franks and Dole!

[Daytyn71]

I was against the deal at first until I dug a little deeper to see that the UAE has been an strong ally in the war on terror as well an important strategic ally in the region. We can't afford to lose our military presence in the Middle East. Remember, Saudi Arabia bowed to extremist pressure and kicked us out.

George W. needs to press these points to the American people because the Liberal Anti-Bush Press is scaring the public into thinking that W has lost his mind. So far the Administration has done a lousy job countering the Liberal Media's constant barrage of lies and deceipt.

[Dionysius]

I'd rather go with Tommy, Rudy, Rush and Tony -- and, of course, GWB. As for Jimmuh, even a blind squirrel gets an acorn once in a while.

[TheForceOfOne]

Savage? now there is a calm in the eye of the storm.

lol

[Seattle Conservative]

LOL!

BTW - Txsleuth said on another thread that she/he heard on Err Amerika that Poppy and Neil Bush were going to make $$s off the deal and that the UAE was an investor in the Carlyle Group, so your headline isn't too far off track.

From Loud Mine on another thread - LOL!:
Halliburton Awarded Ports Contract
Whittington was last obstacle

[sam_paine]

or a blowhard radio commentator(michael weiner)

Dane, to be fair, even "The Great One" Mark Levin was railing against this.

I've gotta go with Dubya and Franks on this one after the hysterics die down.

[Sweetjustusnow]

"Give a choice between trusting General Franks and Chuck Schumer, and its a no-brainer."

But you would trust Tom Dashle, Madeline Albright, etc.? Those who have been lobbying for this deal?

I wonder if this were 1947 and the Japanese Government were going to buy the administration of our ports if we'd all think that was a jim dandy idea.

It's great that the UAE allow us to operate from their port and that they allow us a military base there. (Which by the way, is good for them as well). I'm glad and happy about that, but it seems to me that the least we could do is get something back for this multi billion deal over our ports. Some concession that helps to open up their society. Something! Why aren't we using this deal to gain the least little bit of something for our own companies that operate there. UAE requires that all companies that operate out of their states be owned by a minimum of 51% by the UAE. Are we concerned at all about "free and equal trade access"? I'm not saying that we could demand that they remove this Government requirement of theirs, but for the love of God, toss us a bone perhaps? Like perhaps even recognizing Israel's right to exist? Which they DO NOT according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry's web site.

[wallcrawlr]

more knee jerkers finding themselves kicking their own ass

[KJC1]

Thanks for posting this.

Hopefully some very tired knees can get the rest they dearly need.

[DogBarkTree]

"more knee jerkers finding themselves kicking their own ass"
Being a self admitted knee jerker Im glad I held my tongue on this untill now. I think W is right here. This isnt about handing over control of ANY ports. It relates to loading and unloading control of ONE terminal in these ports. Security is still under OUR control. Being a card carrying Enemy of Islam member, I find myself very surprised to be siding with W over this. I guess Im not the racist I thought I was. We screw the Dubia out of this and we'll screw ourselves.

[Canedawg]

But if the UAE doesnt recognize the right of Israel to exist, how can they be FULLY trusted?

[austinaero]

Remember when Gen. Wesley Clark was the goldenboy of the moment?

[wallcrawlr]

last i heard we still spied on Israel.

do we not fully trust them either?

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"...or a blowhard radio commentator(michael weiner)"

Savage has always worked at being "edgy", as that's his schtick, and at times would just get too obnoxious to keep listening for me, but anymore he sounds like a nasty little kid who needs a good working over in the corner of the schoolyard by someone whose name he's been making into childish derogatory rhymes.

He has little time for anything BUT name calling and talking about how unfairly ignored his brilliance is.

Who needs the little weenie.

[Old_Mil]

"We have more U.S. Navy ships using the port in Dubai, Jebel Ali, than any other port outside the United States," Franks told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes."

Now, ask yourself...if you were a strategist in the service of the furtherance of jihad, and you had the opportunity to make a deal where you'd let the great satan's boats use a port of Allah in the short term so you could get a significant foothold in his home country through which intelligence, military assets, and weapons could be funneled...would you make such a deal?

Or would you be as shortsighted as the proponents of this hairbrained UAE managment scheme?

I'm afraid the lessons of Vietnam have faded to obscurity in the minds of western military planners.

[conservative blonde]

I'll go with General Franks too.

[Old_Mil]

What's wrong with trusting Bush's judgment? Where has he let us down in the War on Islamofascism?

Perhaps because his judgement has so often been wrong? As far as the war on islamofacism goes, his starting premise (the whole religion of peace thing) is flawed.

[Old_Mil]

Who's side are YOU on? America's or the GOP's. Sometimes you must abandon PARTY and be a patriot first.

Of all issues, this has been most instructive in separating the wheat from the chaff on this issue. I stand in America's corner and oppose this deal.

[Junior_G]

Apparently national security is now xenophobic...racist, even.

[Junior_G]

The problem here is that globalism has so corrupted the Republican party and become so commonplace that foreign management of our ports is now supposed to be A-OK. The issue shouldn't be whether an Islamic state with ties to terrorism should manage our ports (can you believe that there are actually two sides to this debate); but whether ANY foreign entities should manage them.