WP/AP: United Arab Emirates Firm May Oversee 6 U.S. Ports

[PhilipShore]

Washington Post/AP
United Arab Emirates Firm May Oversee 6 U.S. Ports
February 12, 2006

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/11/AR2006021101112.html

A company in the United Arab Emirates is poised to take over significant operations at six American ports as part of a corporate sale, leaving a country with ties to the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers with influence over a maritime industry considered vulnerable to terrorism.

The Bush administration considers the UAE an important ally in the fight against terrorism since the suicide hijackings and is not objecting to Dubai Ports World's purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co.

The $6.8 billion sale could be approved Monday and would affect commercial port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

[Erika]

1. W, the king of the world corporatists

and the enemy of the U.S. working class.

[lovuian]

2. Isn't this an open invitation for terrorists to attack our ports...

that are so vulnerable!!! This is the worst decision I have seen for our security!!!

[JCMach1]

8. Give me a break! you should love the UAE... they hate terrorism

and it happens to be one of the most Capitalistic states on the planet... The UAE is ALL about making money...

[leesa]

36. Oh well, if they're all about making money they must be good!

Are you crazy?? This is an issue of critical national security and we are selling it to the highest bidder?

[Higans]

69. Of-coarse * is selling our security to the highest bidder.

Did you expect any thing else?

[long_green]

39. Wonderful. So some incredibly well-financed terrorists

offer someone in the company a pile of money to look the other way. Why not? After all, they're ALL about making money.

[niallmac]

42. True but I find it all hilarious never the less.

This time in history will have to go down as more screwed up than the Dark Ages. We sequester Cat Stevens. We usher the Saudis out of the country immediately after 911. We read our own citizens mail and library requests without a warrant and we hire an Arab country to guard against Arab terrorists.
Your knowledge of the nuances of different Arab nation states, tribes whatever is appreciated. I only have to remind myself that you
are atypical of the average American who receives 90 percent of his information from CNN in which case A rabs is A rabs.
For my two cents all I can say is that this Homeland Security business is the most corrupt evil amoral piece of BS this nation has
created in a long time.

:donut:

[Megahurtz]

65. Wow, I guess if they're so Capitalistic

and all about making money than they must be good.:eyes:

[Tight_rope]

66. Well it was all about making money when we trained the 911 high-

jackers. We let them in because they had money. I guess you believe in selling your soul to the highest "devil".

[long_green]

38. seriously. who do you blame if an attack is made

on our ports OR an attack is made elsewhere by terrorists entering the country through a "friendly" port? Democrats? Homosexuals? The congregation at Coretta Scott King's funeral?
What an issue if there were an opposition party in this country.

[Daphne08]

3. In addition to the obvious, why not hire an American company?

[rodeodance]

4. ourports are going to be under foreign control! got that. looky here.

Stephen E. Flynn, who studies maritime security at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, said even under foreign control, U.S. ports will continue to be run by unionized American employees. "You're not going to have a bunch of UAE citizens working the docks," Flynn said. "They're longshoremen, vested in high-paying jobs."

[JCMach1]

9. It's just a friendly takeover, not a terrorist plot!!!

Remember Capitalism?

[KoKo]

18. JCMach1....I assume you are just being "tongue in cheek" on this?

:eyes:

[long_green]

40. I understand that

and I don't necessarily have a problem with foreign business investing in this country. But in the climate created by the Terra Administration this sticks out like a sore thumb.
The American longshoreman may still be there but who will hire the security? Not an American.

[adriennui]

5. why?

this is utterly surreal, i can now honestly say i do not understand anything.

[GoldenOldie]

6. While the BFEE has all eyes on the illegal immigrants.....

they are selling our Ports of Entry off to our enemies who truly did participate in 9/11???

Where in the hell are those we elected to represent us????

[Up2Late]

7. Hey, why don't we just sell them to Yemen while we're at it!!!

Or better yet, let just sell our Ports to the Bin Laden Family!!! :wtf: :crazy: :argh: :banghead: :mad:

[LynnTheDem]

10. You gotta be kidding.

Holy fucking shit.

Any amount of American blood for money. eh bush?

[rodeodance]

12. This is not good folks

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. P & O are also the largest English Channel ferry operators

but I don't think anyone here is considering this a security risk.

[Kolesar]

13. Jesus on a pancake

This ought to fly well with the minuteman-border-types in the gop. :sarcasm:

[tanyev]

14. Well, heck, let's just start selling off our airports next.

Fire sale! Get a piece of the U.S. cheap! Let's put the Wal-Mart smiley somewhere on the flag.

[flyarm]

26. well that was put forward this week by the DOT!! to sell Us airlines

to EU countries!!


don't look now....look over there...no over there...


who remembers the selling of America by Reagan..where even our capitol buildings were being sold to the Japanese...

its a good Gop..trick...the selling of America...fuck security..they don't care..because their Kool Aide drinkers are too damn stupid to know what the hell is really going on...

you know , their churches will tell them * is making them safe..and god knows they never read anything but the bible to find out whats really going on!


a fed up fly

[acmavm]

15. This is not right on so many levels. The bastards are selling our

country right out from under us.

[KoKo]

16. Agree....this would have been unheard of before Bush.. Foreigners

controling our Ports. Can you imagine if Carter or Clinton had allowed this.

Shows that these Repupublicans have never had any "true beliefs" about America First and all that Crap they spout. They are liars and are selling our country off piece by piece under our noses while the Christian Fundies and the NeoCons dance in the parade.

Sell it off.! And, how long does anyone think it will be before those "unionized dock workers" get the ax and non-union workers are hired..

I hope the unions lead a charge against this. Without their noise this will go under the radar.

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. Foreigners already 'control your ports'

If that's how you characterise this (this isn't about controlling the whole port, just having significant operations there). P & O is a British company. Clinton did allow it:

# USA Acquired ITO – multiport stevedore/terminal operator, June 1999.
...
# New Orleans, USA Acquired Gulf Services, also in May 2000.
...
# New York, USA November 2000, entered into joint venture (PNCT) with P&O Nedlloyd in Port of New York and New Jersey with terminal capacity of 1M TEUs.
...
# Baltimore, USA Awarded 6 year contract to manage two facilities in May 2001.

http://portal.pohub.com/portal/page?_pageid=36,1,36_31151:36_32105&_dad=pogprtl&_schema=POGPRTL

There was a contest for buying the British parent company between Dubai Ports World and PSA, the state-owned Singapore port operator; Dubai bid the most.

[KoKo]

28. It shouldn't be allowed .........PERIOD....no matter who did it......and

in this case the UAI's makes it even more imperative.

[flyarm]

27. not unheard of ..Reagan sold off our government buildings to

the Japanese...

then collected 3 $$ million the days after he left office to go to lunch with them in japan...

this is typical Rethuglican!

fly

[sarcasmo]

51. Could you imagine the outrage if Clinton did something like this.

The only logical conclusion to draw, these Christian Fundies are trying to destroy the Government from the inside out.

[Cooley Hurd]

17. Port security is the biggest hole in DHS...

As far as I've heard, port security is still being under-addressed by DHS. My HUGE fear is that someone will sail a nuke-laden container ship into one of our ports and set it off.:nuke:

Privatization of our security will KILL us, literally!:scared:

[mom cat]

24. The terrorists in DC are a much bigger threat to America!

[KoKo]

19. "DP World" said it won approval from "Secretive US Govt. Panel!"

"DP World said it won approval from a secretive U.S. government panel that considers security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in American industry. The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "thoroughly reviewed the potential transaction and concluded they had no objection," the company said in a statement."

[file83]

55. Sibel Edmonds was JUST commenting the damage SECRECY inside

the Bush Administration is having on National Security.

From Sibel Edmonds' article:

Let's try your security angle on the subject of classification, where you state "disclosure of classified intelligence inhibits our ability to carry out our mission and protect the nation." The entire 9/11 Commission report includes only one finding that the attacks might have been prevented (Page 247 & 376). They quote the interrogation of the hijackers' paymaster, Ramzi Binalshibh, who commented that if the organizers, particularly Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, had known that the so-called 20th hijacker, Zacarias Moussaoui, had been arrested at his Minnesota flight school on immigration charges, then Bin Laden and KSM would have called off the 9/11 attacks, because news of that arrest would have alerted the FBI agent in Phoenix who warned of Islamic militants in flight schools in a July 2001 memo; a memo that vanished into the FBI's vaults in Washington. The Commission's wording is important here: only "publicity" could have derailed the attacks. Classification is indeed a very important mechanism, if it is applied diligently and wisely; however, as illustrated above, in certain circumstances, even with respect to national security information, classification can run counter to our national interests.

So, in this selling of the ports case, the secret business deal is something that other parts of government (FBI, NSA, CIA) weren't allowed to be a part of. There is no "publicity" about it until after the fact. WTF!?

[jimshoes]

20. It's like Michael Jackson owning

the rights to a ton of Beatles songs, only a billion times worse. What happens when they want to buy Lake Huron, or perhaps, Arizona?

[IDemo]

22. Nothing like having an inside track for the job here, eh?

DP World executive nominated for presitigous US government position

Global ports operator DP World today welcomed news that one of its senior executives, Dave Sanborn, has been nominated by US President George W. Bush to serve as Maritime Administrator, a key transportation appointment reporting directly to Norman Mineta, the Secretary of Transportation and Cabinet Member.

The White House has issued a statement from Washington DC announcing the nomination. The confirmation process will begin in February.

Mr Sanborn currently holds the position of Director of Operations for Europe and Latin America for the Dubai-based company

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. This is a joke. Who can't see this as selling our country off and

leaving it vulnerable to foreign attack? Christ. Our country is so stupid.

[muriel_volestrangler]

25. It's not your country being sold off

A British company is being bought by a company owned by the Dubai government.

[KoKo]

29. It's GLOBILIZATION! Some here are okay with that. I and others are Not.

And, as I said up thread. How long before those Union jobs are gone....

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. Thanks for the correction.

Dubai, Dubai. There is something about Dubai that rings a bell. Did that name come up in that French book, The Forbidden Truth? The one that talked about the secret meetings that led to 9/11?

[PhilipShore]

32. The Guardian: CIA agent...met Bin Laden in July in Dubai hospital

The Guardian
CIA agent alleged to have met Bin Laden in July
Anthony Sampson
Thursday November 1, 2001

http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,584444,00.html

Two months before September 11 Osama bin Laden flew to Dubai for 10 days for treatment at the American hospital, where he was visited by the local CIA agent, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro.

Bin Laden is reported to have arrived in Dubai on July 4 from Quetta in Pakistan with his own personal doctor, nurse and four bodyguards, to be treated in the urology department. While there he was visited by several members of his family and Saudi personalities, and the CIA.

Intelligence sources say that another CIA agent was also present; and that Bin Laden was also visited by Prince Turki al Faisal, then head of Saudi intelligence, who had long had links with the Taliban, and Bin Laden...

[The Backlash Cometh]

33. Well, well. How very interesting.

[PhilipShore]

35. Yahoo News: U.S. Policy Towards Taliban Influenced by Oil

Yahoo News Thursday November 2001
U.S. Policy Towards Taliban Influenced by Oil - Say Authors
By Julio Godoy, Inter Press Service

http://tiger.berkeley.edu/sohrab/politics/taliban+us.html

PARIS, Nov 15 (IPS) - Under the influence of U.S. oil companies, the government of George W. Bush initially blocked U.S. secret service investigations on terrorism, while it bargained with the Taliban the delivery of Osama bin Laden in exchange for political recognition and economic aid, two French intelligence analysts claim.

In the book ''Bin Laden, la verite interdite'' (''Bin Laden, the forbidden truth''), that appeared in Paris on Wednesday, the authors, Jean-Charles Brisard and Guillaume Dasquie, reveal that the Federal Bureau of Investigation's deputy director John O'Neill resigned in July in protest over the obstruction.

Brisard claim O'Neill told them that ''the main obstacles to investigate Islamic terrorism were U.S. oil corporate interests and the role played by Saudi Arabia in it''.

According to the book, the government of Bush began to negotiate with the Taliban immediately after coming into power in February. U.S. and Taliban diplomatic representatives met several times in Washington, Berlin and Islamabad.

[AntiFascist]

68. On Page 91 of "The Forbidden Truth"....

Another bank believed to have facilitated transfers for Osama bin Ladin's networks was the Dubai Islamic Bank<30>, created in 1975, based in the United Arab Emirates, and run by none other than the current minister of finance of the United Arab Emirates<31>. According to the CIA, these transfers fed organizations associated with bin Ladin. The Dubai Islamic Bank was also one of the principal shareholders in the BCCI with more than $80 million in assets there. The bank has been involved in several scandals...

<30> Bankers Almanack, 2000; IAC Company Intelligence, 2001.
<31> Among its shareholders are the governments of Dubai and Kuwait (which account for 10 percent of the capital). The bank is a shareholder in Bahrain Islamic Bank, Islamic Bank Bangladesh Ltd., and Tadamon, and also has investments in Al Shamal Islamic Bank.

[KoKo]

31. Dubai...running US ports.....as opposed to a British Company...Dubai

...Saudi...influence.... Open to infiltration...Not having our interests first..Globilization...is first.

[acmavm]

37. Yes it is. Control of the biggest ports are being sold to a Middle Eastern

country. These ports are American and should be controlled by Americans. Instead foreigners are buying and selling control, which amounts the posession, of THE PORTS IN OUR COUNTRY.

Do not try to minimize this. This is absoluted obscene and ridiculous.

[donsu]

34. this will make the bushmilhousegang's drug smuggling easier

they are in the drug business you know

[seafan]

41. Why is this story on page A17 ?????? Send this to AAR/Media/Dems ASAP

These thieves are selling our country out from under us.

We are in serious, serious trouble.

[teryang]

43. A Saudi owned firm was given access to FAA computers before

...911. No security risk there!

[seafan]

44. "A secretive US government panel" gave approval to the UAE!

snip

DP World said it won approval from a secretive U.S. government panel that considers security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in American industry. The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "thoroughly reviewed the potential transaction and concluded they had no objection," the company said in a statement.

The committee, which could have recommended that President Bush block the purchase, includes representatives from the departments of Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, State and Homeland Security.



SNIP


IT'S THIS WIDESPREAD SECRECY BY THE * ADMINISTRATION THAT IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY!!

[FormerRepublican]

45. Secret Bush plan to break the dockworker's unions and do the next 9/11?

[KoKo]

46. Long discussion of this posted on DU this a.m.....check it out here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2102309

[BeHereNow]

48. Hi Koko01- about your link

I wanted to visit the other discussion you posted,
but your link just opens this thread.
Is there another thread you meant to post instead?
Thanks-
BHN

[KoKo]

52. Here's the DU Link for this again...don't know what happened to other one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2102309

[BeHereNow]

53. Thanks Sweetie-pie! Found the other one, here it is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2454971&mesg_id=2454971
It's over in GD Politics...
BHN

[KoKo]

57. GACK! "Sweetie Pie?" ....last person who called me that...got

a very nasty demise...:-(

[BeHereNow]

58. Meant as a term of fondness only.

So sorry to have offended you.
sincerely,
BHN

[BeHereNow]

47. My head is now exploding...

This is beyond outrageous mockery of
the citizens of this country.
And you know what?
There will not
be so much as a soft
bleating from the sheep about it.
BHN

[agincourt]

49. Well I suppose the UAE would have inside scoop,

on where the terrorists are. Honestly, can you imagine a democratic president doing this? Every pigboy talking head would be exploding about the treason committed here. I'm sure timmy russert will make a stink. Yeah right.

[Pavulon]

50. first the japanese

then these arabs. My god we are selling america. /sarc

They own caribou coffee too.

UAE is one of the more stable countries in the ME.

[The Stranger]

54. Unless this company or some individuals have committed some terrorist acts

that someone is prepared to link to, I have to say I find the bigoted, disgusting, racist responses on this thread un-fucking-believable for a Progressive board.

Let me see if I have this straight.

1. There is a company that has been hired to do something that "would affect commercial port operations." Fascinating -- the article somehow fails to tell us what the fuck this company is exactly supposedd to do.

2. The company is from a country, the UAE. Presumably, the company is organized under the laws of the UAE or has personnel from there (another unspecified, rather loose association here).

3. That country, the UAE has "ties to the September 11, 2001 hijackers." Once again, the word "ties" could mean that the hijackers had coffee there, were born there, or spoke nicely of the place.

4. Because of this, people think (and apparently Charles Schumer is implying) that this company is going to cause terrorist attacks at U.S. ports?

Unfuckingbelievable.

[muriel_volestrangler]

56. I agree that some responses have been racist in this or similar threads

Here's what's happening: currently, "P & O", a British company, run operations at 6 US ports (out of 29 around the world), for instance half of the Port Newark container terminal, which handles about 40% of the Port of New York/New Jersey container traffic. They run (and perhaps own the land of) docks, and shipping companies pay them for for the loading/unloading etc.

P & O is being bought by Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the Dubai government, which runs (and owns?) similar terminals in various countries. Dubai is one of the United Arab Emirates.

I don't know what the 'ties' are really meant to be either. The UAE is regarded as a trustworthy country by western governments (all governments, as far as I can see).

[johnnydrama]

59. UAE

The company isn't from the UAE, it's owned by the government of the UAE. Big difference.

It's not hard to look up what people mean by ties to 9/11 hijackers. Look it up.

Do you think it's ok that GOVERNMENT's of other countries are running our ports?

[The Stranger]

60. If you make the allegations, back them up.

What are the "ties" to which you are referring?

[PhilipShore]

61. Mad Cow News: Bush's UAE Ally in War on Terror Vacationed with Bin Laden

Mad Cow Morning News
November 25, 2004

http://www.madcowprod.com/11122004issue.html

Mohammed bin Zayid, the UAE's Crown Prince and Chief of Staff, is tied to al-Qaeda yet regularly meets with Bush Administration Officials to discuss the prevention of terrorism.

"On February 10th, Clarke reported that a top UAE official had vehemently denied that high-level UAE officials were in Afghanistan."

"Evidence subsequently confirmed that high-level UAE officials had been there."

link


BBC News
Ports and ferries group P&O has agreed to be bought by Dubai Ports World in a takeover deal worth £3.3bn ($5.7bn).
29 November 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4480542.stm

DP World, owned by the Dubai government, said it planned to keep P&O's headquarters in London and chief executive Robert Woods would continue to head the business.

[serryjw]

70. There is nothing racist about this

Bushit keeps tell us we are at war. WHY was this decided, AGAIN, in secret if he had nothing to hide?

[Tight_rope]

62. MORE OUTSOURCING...BUT THIS TIME THEY WORK IN-HOUSE

[Megahurtz]

63. What the Hell?

Anything just to kiss ass for oil......

:sarcasm:

[Tight_rope]

64. There are no more bad names left to call these idiots.....

:spank: :spank: :spank:

[donsu]

67. isn't this the straw that will break america's back?

nt