There are plenty of anecdotes available about the good side of our relationship with the UAE. And technically the ex British Company now held by a UAE corporate entity would not manage the entire port – they would manage certain shipping operations. Something they have done all over the world, Australia etc, for some time. They would be a ‘tenant’ on aUS owned piece of land.

I understand the desire to make political points on this, but I think, even from a leftist-values standpoint, you guys are on the wrong side of this question. Its either that Arabs can’t be trusted or that you are backtracking on decades of liberal policies about which no one on the left ever whimpered (like the sale of F-16s).

Dugger

So, what aspects of security are we turning over to the UAE?

No JD, just like most people, I was not aware that this was even going on. Were you? If you had actually read what I wrote, you would have seen that I was trying to make a legitimate point from my perspective. That’s all.

“Is there any evidence, anywhere, that the Coast Guard, US Customs, et al. will not continue to do the remarkable jobs that they have been doing ?”

What’s your point, JD? There was apparently little evidence that 19 hijackers could all evade the federal government, take flying lessons, all get through security at different airports and take over 3 Boeng 757s in a single day was there? But it happened, didn’t it?

“However, the truth is being drowned out by the politicians attempting to score points in an election year.”

Just like these Republicans are just out scoring political points ?

NY Governor George Pataki – “Ensuring the security of New York’s port operations is paramount and I am very concerned with the purchase of Peninsular & Oriental Steam by Dubai Ports World..I have directed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore all legal options that may be available to them in regards to this transaction”.

Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich- “We needed to know before this was a done deal, given the state of where we are concerning security”

House Homeland Security chairman Peter King, R-N.Y

Senator Lindsey Graham- has called for an immediate freeze on the deal and demanded a “full and thorough investigation” of the sale.

If you disagree with me, fine, but dont accuse me of just trying to score political points and using it as an excuse to bash Bush. I dont work that way.

Contrary to this, the sale of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. to Dubai Ports World, a state-owned business from the United Arab Emirates, was approved by the Bush administration. Peninsular and Oriental runs major commercial operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. This would mean that management of some of our most vital seaports is given to a country that has supported Al Queda and Osama bin Laden.

Specifically,
 The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
 The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.
 According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.
 After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden s bank accounts.

Source: http://www.thinkprogress.org/2006/02/17/ports-uae/

I only hope that the Coast Guard, who bears the ultimate responsibility for protecting our coasts and territorial waters, is given whatever means and support necessary to prevent the worst from happening, especially if this sale is allowed to go through.

Is there any evidence, anywhere, that the Coast Guard, US Customs, et al. will not continue to do the remarkable jobs that they have been doing ?

From your point of view, this has nothing to do with attacking President Bush, racism, blah, blah, blah, and is only concerned with American companies controlling our seaports.

Were that the case, then you would have been equally concerned that a British company handled these administrative operations previously. Were that your concern, you would note that the vast majority of the employees are already at the jobs they are doing, and will remain after the purchase of the company. Were that the case, you would have been equally outraged when the Chinese began operating ports.

Let’s face it. This is a good political point for the left. It is easy to say. On its face it makes sense. However, the truth is being drowned out by the politicians attempting to score points in an election year.

ANd, of course, it isnt racism, its the fact that the white house resident and his dad are connected to the UAE, DUbai money faction through Carlyle.

Miers, katrina and Portgate are recent flumoxxing due to many irons
in the fire. If you think Rove is not an orchestrator, you are mistaken.

Dugger

DOD reviewed the contract.

This is the weakest link in your chain of logic. My Bush Hate compels
me, through sad experience, to question any military or civilian
agency who can be manipulated by this WH.

The only comfort I take in a cautionary acceptance of the DOD
review and the Deal itself, is that there was a disconnect
between the WH and the certain to be knee-jerked reaction. His
failure to arrange the usual PR blitz and arm-twisting seems to
support the notion that this deal is not part of an agenda.

Apparently someone has hijacked your account!

I heard a comment on the radio that some of the 9/11 hijackers “had travelled through the UAE” enroute to the U.S., and that some of the 9/11 funding had also been routed through the UAE. Well, both are true of the U.S., UK, and Canada as well, of course! I think the issue is not so much what goes on in the UAE (so long as they are not a state sponsor of terrorism) as what this company will be doing at these ports. I heard a very good explanation of this on NPR this morning. The fact is that these operations are very commonly performed by foreign companies, and it would be difficult or impossible–if not illegal–to draw some sort of boundary on the globe and say that companies from within that boundary are not allowed to do this business here. WITH THE CAVEAT that we are not talking about the designated state sponsors of terrorism.

I think this deal deserves the same level of scrutiny given to our widespread use of Chinese electrical components …which is to say, some oversight is warranted, but it’s not an automatic deal breaker.

Appparently the racial profiler, whose sandbox in which we play, is not.

Summary;
Relatively strong on women’s rights/Good baseline of income
per capita/Anti-Semitic.

(Yes, it is troubling, but remember- much of Europe is anti-semetic too. O.K. Maybe not officially, but…)

“the sum of all fears” indeed.

http://www.allthingsbeautiful.com/all_things_beautiful/

The story on NPR featured some people from the U.S. side of these port operations, who pointed out that a) most or all of the employees of these foreign companies in the U.S. are Americans, and b) movement of contraband cargo through the port would always require both complicity from Americans at the port and circumvention of various levels of security, including that provided by the Coast Guard.

Bottom line: these people are moving cargo, not providing security.

There is reason for caution and to double check our ‘due diligences’ but once done, don’t think its right to preclude a Mideast nation corporation, on principle, from the mix.

Keep in mind, to reiterate:

We own the property and are responsible for security

DOD reviewed the contract

Most of the employees will be remain-in-place Americans

Only the operations of the port will be done by the Dubai contractor

The Dubai company had the best bid and looks to give us hte best return on the dollar

The port operations were already in foreign hands well before this contract

Alos if you have as your litmus test, for a foreign comapny to run an operation in the US, the 100% clean track record of that country re fighting the WOT, then no country, including the US, passes full muster.

Dugger