USA Today: Sept. 11 report ties bin Laden to UAE

[Judi Lynn]

Posted 2/23/2006 12:55 PM

Sept. 11 report ties bin Laden to UAE

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States raised concerns with the United Arab Emirates seven years ago about possible ties between officials in that country and Osama bin Laden, according to a section of the Sept. 11 commission's report that details a possible missed opportunity to kill the al-Qaeda leader.

Republicans and Democrats alike are raising concerns this week about the Bush administration's decision to let a UAE-operated company take over operations at six American ports, in part citing ties the Sept. 11 hijackers had to the Persian Gulf country.

President Bush has called the UAE a close partner on the war on terror since Sept. 11, and his aides have listed numerous examples of the country's help.

The Sept. 11 commission's report released last year also raised concerns UAE officials were directly associating with bin Laden as recently as 1999.
(snip/...)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-23-911-report-uae_x.htm

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

1. Raw Story threw this one out there yesterday...

...and it's interesting that USA Today picked it up. Let's see what the rest of the MSM does with it.

:patriot:

Tenet: CIA didn't hit bin Laden in Afghanistan..was with UAE royal family

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2475671&mesg_id=2475671

[BOSSHOG]

2. If you oppose this deal with UAE

you obviously are a racist. That according to White House Spokesman and "conservative" statesman rush limbaugh.

[LynnTheDem]

10. If you DON'T OPPOSE this deal with the UAE, you SUPPORT TERRORISM.

Will the Dems frame it this way?

Of course not; too fucking polite and PC. *sigh*

[mattclearing]

16. Just like if you think Donovan McNabb is a good QB, you are a racist. n/t

[BOSSHOG]

17. I guess I'm a racist

I think McNabb is one of the top five QB's in the NFL.

Using limbaugh logic, would a black person who thinks Tom Brady is a good quarterback a racist?

[humbled_opinion]

35. Or...

If you think Donovan Mcnabb is a bad QB then of course you must hate members of PETA...??
Eagels QB..
Screwed Logic of the Right..

[Ben Ceremos]

39. Straw man.

Ports deal is of considerably more importance than whether a given skin color is perceived as competent for a given sport. Not opposing this deal may/could lead to a very unfortunate "I told you so" in the future. Preferrable to train Americans to guard their own ports and to give them sufficient funding to allow them to do the job better than any dubious competitor, especially ones with links to shadowy figures that possibly have it in for America. It only takes one nuclear bomb to ruin your day. Americans would do well to oppose this deal on grounds of national security. Boosh is screwing you again and you guys sit and argue about the cost=efficiency of potentially losing a major population center. To me, this is a no-brainer.But then again, I voted with my feet.:crazy: :nuke: :shrug: :cry: :pals:

[superconnected]

26. I'm racist.

I'm against white Christian Republicans.

Down with Christmas.

[Occulus]

32. Some of those people are here on DU

There was one that crawled out just yesterday and tried to tell me people who are against the deal are obviously racist.

I laugh (giggle, actually) at that insinuation.

Sorry- the opposition to this deal is in no way a racial issue, and further, I see those who are saying that as very useful idiots... for Rove, et al.

Stupid to even try to insinuate that. Stupid, stupid, and blatantly obvious to boot. Idiots all, and insultingly so, to think people would fall for it.

Sheesh.

[catmother]

3. yeah and we've had close partners in the past who have later

become our enemies.:eyes:

[MadMaddie]

4. Say it aint so....

On a more serious note, one would have to think that the * Cabal read the Sept 11 Commission report....which we all know they didn't because they used it to stoke their fireplaces.....


This is way beyond incompetence.....this is crimanal.....they are intentionally ignoring all indicators and warnings....just as they did prior to 9/11...prior to Katrina....

[catmother]

6. you are absolutely right.

:shrug:

[blm]

5. 9-11 report ties UAE to Bin Laden, NOT Iraq - Bush makes deals with UAE

and blows up Iraq until it triggers a civil war.

Typical BFEE - Bushes, UAE and Bin Ladens were also partners in BCCI deals.

[radwriter0555]

7. The FBI doesn't even link OBL with 911......

Check the FBI's most wanted website on him for yourself.

OBL said he didn't perpetrate 911. I believe him. And he's also dead.

[LynnTheDem]

11. You, me & my hubby; only 3 people I know who think OBL did NOT do 911.

He was way too shocked & surprised right after 911; I don't think he had a clue.

Also, where's that white paper detailing how bushCabal "know for a fact" it was OBL??? The white paper bush PROMISED to release to the public 4 years ago?

Just wondering.

[Ben Ceremos]

40. Count me and a dozen friends

amongst your coterie. OBL is quite the convenient figure, way too often.

[stop the bleeding]

8. this will be interesting now that the MSM has this - K&R!! n/t

[SHRED]

9. thanks for posting this

[Rose Siding]

12. Levin is really hitting them with this today

They didn't even TALK to anyone on the commission. I don't believe security ever entered their minds when they made this deal.

[Roland99]

13. Ruh-roh, Rorge!

[The_Farouk]

14. Wrong issue

I have posted in other threads on this deal so here I am again.

First, the real issue should be about American jobs and domestic control of our ports. Currently, a majority of out port operations are carried out by foreign companies including Chinese control corps.(Ports of LA and Long Beach). However, this control does not mean that these companies control the security over the port. Our ports will still remain under teh control of our current pathetic DHS and local authorities. This deal will not make our ports any more or less safe.

Again, we should frame this debate as being about American jobs and outsourceing. The current rhetoric just borders on hate and racism.

If we are going to use the standard of this or that country had terrorist in it, or terrorist plotted inside its borders then why was a British company in control of the ports to begin with. The london bombers planned teh attacks in London. What about Germany? Much of the 9-11 attackes were planned there, but we dont deny them port deals.

[Roland99]

15. Hate and racism? Yeah...right.

Play those talking points elsewhere.


This is a disaster in the making. Selling security for some quick bucks.

[The_Farouk]

22. NO

This is not selling security. As I said other ports are run by foreign governments but the security is still maintained by DHS and locals. This deal doesnt hurt our security...It hurts our economy because we dont use domestic companies. But hey I didnt see Congress or anyone else protesting that a British company was doing this before.

Others here mentioned that the UAE recongnized the Taliban, which was wrong, but hey UniCal invited the Taliban to the US for tour. While the US didnt recognize them we certianly turned a blind eye to their works.

I hate Bush as much as anyone and I think much of this is about the islamiphobia that he unleashed coming back to haunt him, but Dems can not win on security issues. You will never win when the strategy is to out flank the republicans to the right.

[stop the bleeding]

23. difference is, company in the UK was not owned by the UK -correct?

Dubai Ports Company is owned by the UAE -correct?

Any company that is owned by a government has no oversight and I am not comfortable with that kind of set up no matter where that country is from. It is about lack of oversight for the company, nothing else.

[The_Farouk]

25. Chinese

Chinese companies are in charge of container operations at teh Port of LA. Does that bother anyone?

[stop the bleeding]

28. It bothers the hell of me n/t

[Occulus]

33. Fuck YES it bothers me!

And it would bother me just as much if they were, say, Canadian.

These should be American jobs, PERIOD.

[stop the bleeding]

34. yep you said it n/t

[The_Farouk]

36. agreed

I agree and thats the real issue, not the who, but the what.

[Roland99]

30. They will control a fair amount >>>>

I don't want a state-owned company from a state linked to the 9/11 terrorists to be in charge of JACK in my country!

[stop the bleeding]

18. I'll splain in simpler terms - this is about a Country/Gov that owns

the company, which = no oversight. Quite different when just the company is in charge, here the Government is in charge and therefor they do not have to answer to anyone.

This same Government that owns the company with no OVERSIGHT is also one of 3 countries in the world to officially recognize the Taliban, I don't believe the UK or Germany as cited in your examples fall into either one of these problematic reasons. This country is also a major hub for any kind of illegal trafficking of weapons, drugs and money - please see lack of oversight for more clarification.

This is not just about a particular country and people associated with country. This is about what this Country stands for and how it operates, which BTW is quite different than what Germany and the UK stand for or the companies that operate within their borders with proper oversight.



Hope this helps and makes things a little clearer.:toast:

[The_Farouk]

24. I would agree

in most cases but before this scandal broke I doubt that most members of Congress could find the UAE on a map. Hey, many German companies benefited under the Nazi regime, I didnt here outrage about that.

Like I said, too me this is about jobs and should be disucssed in teh greater context of outsourcing. Every news report and every speech I have heard on the subject always begins with "an Arab company" or and "An Arab country." It starting to feel a little hateful to me. I have learned for many years that the one uniting factor among the left and teh right (generally speaking) is a shared fear and/or hatred of Muslims and Arabs.

Somehow 19 wackos came to represent Muslims world wide. Sorry to say we dont all belong to the same union.

[stop the bleeding]

29. I agree - people in America instantly think that because you are an

Arab than that = a terrorist. It is sad that a few bad apples spoiled it for everyone else, but on a sadder note. I can't believe a country(America) that is suppose to sophisticated, educated, morally correct, and loving can fall so far so fast with racist crap like this.

makes me ashamed :cry:

[dweller]

19. interesting clip by rushbo on Franken today

that the security to the WTC wasn't sold to a foreign country, and yet terrorists took them down .... (paraphrased)

too bad Al didn't reply about security at WTC on or about Sept 11.

i wonder who was in charge of security then? :think:

dp

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dweller]

38. feeling safer yet?

btw, who is Marvin Burns? or is that a typo?

and welcome :hi: to DU!
dp

[Mazie Gordon]

41. It was a typo in the original article -

sorry mods, there was a similar common dreams article - guess I should have posted that instead - thanks for the welcome, I'm actually a long time reader & contributer, infrequent poster. For some reason, every one of my infrequent posts are getting deleted recently.

There was an interesting front page article on the UAE ports deal in the Newark, NJ Star Ledger yesterday. It mentioned that there have been about 65 deals that have been vetted by CFIUSA during the bush administration.

[oblivious]

37. More relevant is who was in charge of security at the airports on 911.

[salinen]

20. It is fine to be a racist against

those who fly jets into our buildings or fund the plans to do it. Yes I hate the 9-11 hijackers. The reason *ush is sitting firm is he made a deal long ago to stage operations from U.A.E. In exchange, they wanted this cash making machine known as port security.

[stepnw1f]

21. A Tar and Feather Candidate

Probably already have the feather thing down by now.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. Now would be a great time to rehash Dumyass' ties with the bin Ladens

People have either forgotten that or dismissed it as insignificant, claiming that Osama was simply the "black sheep" of the family.

[angryxyouth]

42. So then, under the Patriot Act wouldn't this kind of deal be illegal?

Shouldn't the conspirators be rounded up and held without council for at least a year?