Monday, February 20, 2006

Dubai Taking over US ports?

Last week while every new agency was concerned about cheynne's hunting accident I happen to come across some actual NEWS!

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has approved a deal in which a United Arab Emirates company would operate six major ports in the
United States.

A U.S. government panel has determined that the UAE firm, DP World, would not endanger national security.

DP World, based in Dubai, has offered $6.8 billion for the purchase of a British firm that operates the ports of Baltimore, Miami, New York, New Jersey, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

DP World intends to acquire the London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation [P&O] Co. The sale was expected to be approved on Monday.

"The P&O directors have withdrawn their recommendation of the offer by PSA, which was announced on Jan. 26, 2006, and unanimously recommend that P&O Stockholders vote in favor of the revised proposals at the meetings, which are now scheduled to take place on Feb. 13," DP World said in a statement.

The company said the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "thoroughly reviewed the potential transaction and concluded they had no objection." The committee includes representatives from the departments of Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, State and Homeland Security.

The United Arab Emirates has been described as a leading military ally of the United States. In 2005, the UAE acquired the first 10 of 80 F-16E/F Block 60 multi-role fighters in a $6.4 billion purchase.

But officials said the UAE has not fully responded to repeated appeals from the Treasury Department to halt money-laundering activities exploited by Al Qaida and aligned groups. They said that for years Dubai served as a base for Al Qaida operatives, including those who destroyed the World Trade Center and a Pentagon wing in 2001.

"America's busiest ports are vital to our economy and to the international economy, and that is why they remain top terrorist targets," Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said. "Just as we would not outsource military operations or law enforcement duties, we should be very careful before we outsource such sensitive homeland security duties."

I found it very odd that the Bush Admin would do something as obviously stupid as this. And what I found even more surprising was that the main stream media had such a hard on to get Dick Cheynne hung for accidentally shooting his hunting partner that they glarred over this.

Now this weeks its major news NOT because of its news worthyness because if that was the case it would have been major news last week.

But rather because the media wants every chance it gets to stick it to this admin. Its amazing really.

I dont support this move here but from what I posted below from a wife of someone that works in the industry. It seems like there is more then meets the eye on this one. Apparently most of our ports are managed by outside corporations.


On my way into work, our local radio program on picked up again on this story.
The host Pat Cambell seems to be upset about it. Which by all means I am also.
BUt it dawned on me that we get our oil from Arab nations on a daily basis. Would a move to block the UAE from purchasing the managing rights to the ports be a sign to the muslim world that we dont want their money? Or we dont want them managing our companies in the US?

If that is the case then my god do we have a serious problem. We get most of our oil from the region and there are billions of arab dollars invested in the US. So its a bit hypocritical on our parts to deny them the ports which they bid for from another company.

I understand the whole homeland security thing. But if you really want to see a homeland security matter just think about what would happen in the inflames the muslim world just as the cartoons did. I mean they got pissed over a cartoon!

From - pc540.blogspot.com
Another prespective...


My husband works in the international transportation industry. In fact, his boss at one time was Dave Sanborn, the man that the White House has appointed to a post within the Maritime Commission. Dave was most recently working for DWI in the Dominican Republic and has worked for them before. DWI is not "buying the American ports" as I see frequently misrepresented in articles about this in the MSM. American ports cannot be bought.

They are buying the port operating division of a London-based, British-owned Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. That purchase will include current contracts that P&O ports has with the various ports listed in the stories. There are other port operation companies out there. The port in New York or any of the other ports mentioned could choose to contract with some other company if they do not want DWI being responsible for operating terminals in these ports. As we understand it the same employees who work for P&O currently will still be the employees that work there after the purchase goes through.

I don't think there are suddenly going to be Arabs running all over the ports. Anymore so than there already are. Actually because of regulations and unions, more and more of ocean shipping, port operations and terminal operations in America are being run by non-American companies. Just a heads up...as we read the stories the information is so fact challenged. My husband does think there is room for some clarification, but to have Chucky [Schumer] out there trying to make this into a "the Bush adminstration IS NOT concerned about port security" is just spin.


Lets see how this plays out now that it has hit the open media and get spun out of control. I cant wait.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Domestic Spying Program...

I found this interesting and very fascinating. The whole domestic spying thing that the Senate is trying to accuse the president of abusing.

Link below for more on the A.G opening speech.

Attorney General Opening Statement

I was actually drawn to listening to this at work today so I listened to it from NPR. (one of the few free outlets to get info still) But it was interesting how the dems seem to be the only ones really hammering this "illegal" thing on what he is doing. Yet he is trying to keep us safe.

What I found really interesting was a part I just heard that talks about the fact that if FISA or rather the courts find that the govt has spyed on this person wrongly or hasnt presented their case properly they can once the 72 hours is up notify the person being spyed on. I find that interesting for 2 reasons. Pro and Con. If you are not the person that should have been searched you have just been notified of it. But if you were a person that was part of a terrorist organization you are now alerted that you were under electronic surveillance and would most likely lead to either a complete change of any plans to either move forward immediatley? OR it will lead to them goin even deeper with their plans.

I dont know about this card the dems are trying play. It seems dangerous.

And those that follow that thinking and are all anti bush confuse me tremendously. You want the govt to protect you following 9/11 but when something is done that targets the ones that want to kill you it becomes a problem of epic propotions that need a senate hearing.

Yet when this was done in the past with say... Ehhh Clinton it was never even brought up as an issue.

Its like the Democrats in the senate want the terrorists to get a hand book on what the US Gov is doing to catch them and how to avoid it. That is the impression I get from this.