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."

[milemark]

Franks is probably the only solid support that I have seen the president get.

Don't forget the great and wise Jimmy Carter.

[Marine_Uncle]

It is clear you are not investigating this issue to find facts, just knee jerking. But that is your right to do so. Yes we can all have gut feelings on the issue. But the issue is not being made clear for the most part. Like I said I have been spending some time reading reports as they come off the press, and most are misleading. And what I wrote in this particular post as well as some for postings yesterday by folks had attempted to at least clear up some of the false reporting. In closing I hope you understand DPW is not taking over any port. Just bidding to take over current operations that P&O had performed at a given terminal operation(s). Surely nothing to do with running security or port managment operations.

[milemark]

What's wrong with trusting Bush's judgment?

The fact that Jimmy Carter thinks he's right about this is enough for me to doubt his judgement. I doubt that Carter wants WOT street cred.

Where has he let us down in the War on Islamofascism

We should wait until he lets us down to say anything?

[McGavin999]

maybe they also purchased a General to go with their Senator and President.

WOW, what a dirty thing to say. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable over at DU whatever your party affiliation.

[floriduh voter]

They will have manifests. Will every manifest be accurate? Nobody can state with certainty, can they?

It only takes one infiltrator who promises that he luvs America. A Marine just called into Hannity (I don't listen to Hannity much these days) but anyway, the caller is against DPW. He said that AQ is looking for an opening and this gives them another opportunity.

Who on this thread lives by a port? Those who live by coastlines have reason to be more concerned than someone who is landlocked who will think it's okay because it's not in their backyard so to speak.

[floriduh voter]

The company's recordkeeping will be in UAE. Now that sounds like a plan AQ can get behind.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1583829/posts

[clawrence3]

Everyone in the industry knew P&O was up for sale as of October, 2005 - no American company that I know of since this hit the front page has stepped up with $7 billion either way.

[clawrence3]

Guess where P&O's current record keeping is?!

[maica]

I contend that they didn't even know about the bidding.

America is a world leader in many things. Container terminal operations is not one of them. It seems that some small countries have developed world-wide connections in the business of shipping.

When the P&O Navigation Company decided to offer some of its operations for sale, companies in that business certainly knew about it.

The discussion in CFIUS is what has to be secret so as not to influence shareholder value, etc during the process.

[Marine_Uncle]

" Who on this thread lives by a port?"
I do. I am a few miles away from the huge Tioga container terminals within the Philadelphia Port complexes. The place is huge. And it is only one of more then a dozen huge facilities along the Delaware river. We have to remember, there are many business ran by Arab based companies in the US. I plan on proving for myself through carefull searches in the days to come, that some of our FR posters on a few like posts have made authoritive comments indicating there are currently Arab companies that lease and operate container shipping facilities at some of our ports.
I just hate to put anyone down at this point. We all share similiar concerns with our national security. And with that being the case, perhaps it would be safer to have DPW take over P&O's current operations and keep a very tight watch over them, say make them show without a doubt they are simply good businessmen, and will do their best to prove it, then have some say Chicom or Asiatic company say from Indonesia or Malaysia make a bid to take over what P&O had in place.
And now we are hearing this whole thing has become an issue based on unions griping that DPW is not union friendly. So this may be half the beef as to why Chucky for instance all of a sudden is hopping up and down.
One thing for certain. The President is not informed about every little detail that happens around the globe. No president is capable of handling the whole worlds ills. This contract review was done by the responsible agency that OK's new business leases etc., for our ports.
Nothing was done in secret. The contract bid was reviewed by the proper agencies. They got a pass. Just like the Chicom company that now runs a terminal in Long Beach CA.
The fact of the matter is almost all container shipping functions are done by companies in foreign countries. Whoever where to replace P&O could be no better then DPW as far as how they run their internal security, administrative, and billing processes. So I could ask you the same question regarding will they have "manifest". Will any other company that ended up with the P&O leases be any more efficient and responsible as how they conduct their business?

[Dat Mon]

YOU SAID...."Hmm, who should I trust , an outstanding General with decades of military experience, or a blowhard radio commentator(michael weiner) or a keyboard commando who thinks she kills terrorists by writing from behind a keyboard(michelle malkin)."

Well, the answer is, you base your decision and your opinion on a preponderance of the facts and logic, trust doesnt enter into it, unless you cant know the facts for whatever reason.

Here we have a situation where Tommy Franks, a man I respect, is on one side of the issue, and Frank Gaffney, a man I also repect is on the other side.

Which tells me that perhaps the issue may be a bit more complicated than many people on this site are alleging it to be...when placed within a larger picture of national security, the WOT, and other possible future military options we may have on the back burner.

Thats why Im personally staying neutral on this issue for now, until I get more information, and until, more importantly, the Congress does its Constitutional duty, by holding hearings and examining this deal from top to bottom, inside and out, along with the vetting procedure that was employed to approve this deal.

The security aspects of this deal are probably complex, and some, if not most aspects may end up talked about in closed Congressional sessions.

When the hearings process is complete, Ill expect my particular congressman, Curt Weldon, who happens to be a national security expert, to issue an opionion. Ill weigh that opinion, along with many others such as Hunter, Sensenbrenner, Coburn, Kyl, Allen, Santorum, and a bunch more, before I make up my own mind.

Thats what we elect these people to do.

Ill also keep in mind the common sense notion, that all human beings are fallible, and prone to mistakes in judgement from time to time.

In the meantime however, Ill take a very dim view of any so called 'conservative', who happens to use the terms racism, racist, racial profiling, xenophobe, nativist, etc .

All these words are liberal inspired MSM approved mush speak.

They dont belong in the lexicons of intellectually honest conservatives.

[CWOJackson]

"Will any other company that ended up with the P&O leases be any more efficient and responsible as how they conduct their business?"

That is very doubtful.

[Marine_Uncle]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1584353/posts

[Almondjoy]

Why I suddendly remembered the movie "Something about Mary"... I'll never know.

[Marine_Uncle]

"That is very doubtful."
I know. They all use the same computer systems, programs, methods, etc.. It seems like this company has been praised by many as being very good at what it does.

[CWOJackson]

The DoD considers them the best and they have a little experience in that area...including port security.

[Paul Ross]

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

Yup. Tell it to the 17 sailors lost aboard the U.S.S. Cole.

Yemen was deemed a friend by the Brass at the Pentagon too...so completely as to ignore the strongest warnings of Able Danger.

Gen. Tommy Franks (retired) is apparently still under Orders....

If only we could make the Globalists pay out of their own pocket rather than ours, for the damage they have already caused:

Paying for this one would have set them back....

[Dane]

The US Navy has been docking in Dubai for years and they have praise for the security and professionalism.

Maybe you should do some research, Dubai is not Yemen.

[CWOJackson]

I'm resisting the natural comment about how difficult it is to...and dish towels, etc.

[Paul Ross]

Your spoof paper doesn't fly.

Tom Delay came out against the Port Gate deal yesterday.

Except for the White House Cabinet, and the MSM shills for Globalism...not much left but the shouting.

The Deal is Dead.

Want to veto the impending legislative supervisory rejection prohibiting it?

You've got to ask yourself one question...Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya p__k??

As Clint Eastwood said, "Make My Day!"