Why we can't back out of the Ports Deal....US Navy Docking Rights in UAE

[KoKo]

From Atrios Blog: Quote from John Warner last night on CNN shows that maybe there was a trade off ..."for business." Or....for MORE WAR.

John Warner comments on CNN:
Warner was briefed yesterday by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The senator said he was satisfied that proper procedures were followed on the deal.

But he said he would withhold judgment on the deal's national security implications until after today's briefing. The United Arab Emirates provides docking rights for more U.S. Navy ships than any other nation in the region, Warner noted. He added: "If they say they have not been treated fairly in this, we run the risk of them pulling back some of that support at a critical time of the war."

ATRIOS COMMENT:

It's a Bad Idea!
This is precisely the point. State actors have different interests than at least the idealized view of business actors. The latter are pursuing profit, the former are pursuing a variety of interests. While in practice the world is not as neatly divided up like that as it should be, when you completely merge business deals and diplomacy you've got problems, especially when those business deals involve port security issues. Handing the keys of our ports over to a foreign government which is pursuing a variety of interests is not such a good idea, especially when that government is a hereditary oligarchy and not a liberal democracy.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_02_19_atrios_archive.html#114061878643669645

[bloom]

1. And so of course

the Republicans had to line up for it....

[aquart]

2. And our navy needs to dock there because............?

[KoKo]

17. We protect the Straits of Hormuz which is on Iranian border.....

(Oops...sorry for the Newsmax link...there are other better ones..but that's why)


Iran: We'll Shut Down Straits of Hormuz
A senior Iranian official is threatening to close the Straits of Hormuz using military force, which would effectively shut down the Persian Gulf oil supply ...
www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/1/26/92748.shtml - 35k - Cached - Similar pages

[aquart]

25. So if Iran blocks the UAE from selling its oil....

They won't suffer?

[raccoon]

3. I think you've got it. nt

[Inland]

4. What fine, dependable allies in the War on Terra.

If you liked the fact they make the ports at the UAE into a bargaining chip, wait until the ports in the US are in their stack.

[central scrutinizer]

8. just like Osama and the mujahadeen were dependable allies

during the Cold War, and Saddam was a dependable ally to counter the Iranian mullahs, and Manuel Noriega was a dependable ally....

[Inland]

9. You should check out my thread on just that point

It dropped like a stone, after the trouble to find pictures.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=501026&mesg_id=501026

[KoKo]

22. thanks...I'll check your thread out...i

it's hard to get stuff out there these days...thanks! :-)'s

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. We're fighting them there...

so they can own us here.

[CottonBear]

7. Brilliant. That should be a bumper sticker. n/t

[KoKo]

11. That Definitely should be a Bumper Sticker....Says it all...and in a way

that won't invite vandalism....

[calimary]

12. Oh MAN, what a GLORIOUS slogan!

Repeat as often as necessary!

I salute you!

[KoKo]

15. Send that to Jack Cafferty at CNN....I think he would use that! n/t

[CottonBear]

6. We docked there before the ports deal, right? n/t

[KoKo]

14. I saw Warner make that statement on CNN yesterday and it was chilling

the look on his face when he said it. It was cruel. I was glad to find that Atrios picked it up and commented because I knew it meant something important...but thought it was just me...and maybe I was hallucinating that Warner was saying it was a "swap," for business and necessary for war.

It was good to have the quote and realize that what I thought was exactly what he said. :-(

[KoKo]

16. We've been docking there since Gulf War I, I believe.. Here's more info:

I guess our Navy personnel money spent there isn't enough payment for them...they need to control some of our ports, too.
---------------------------------
Mina Jebel Ali
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
24°59'N 55°03'E

Jebel Ali is part of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates or states. Dubai is the main commercial center of the Persian Gulf. Its' port of Mina Jebel Ali has the largest man-made harbor in the world with 67 berths and extensive dry-dock capability.

Jebel Ali has become a favorite port of Navy ships in the Gulf, and is the most frequented port outside of the United States. This port has become a familiar stop for carrier battle groups while deployed to the Arabian Gulf.

Jebel Ali, located near Dubai, is the UAE surface hub logistics site in the NAVCENT AOR. It is served by container ships from Guam and other Pacific ports. Jebel Ali is connected to Fujairah by road and much air cargo is delivered by truck to ships inport at Jebel Ali. CLF ships often accept the cargo for ships that are underway FFT at sea. The Fujairah to Jebel Ali land link is the Navy’s logistics pipeline to the Gulf should the Strait of Hormuz be closed. Jebel Ali is manned by a PO1 who reports to the OIC in Fujairah. He operates a transhipment point and temp-storage warehouse with a Ready Service Store (RSS) at Jebel Ali with assistance from the on-station AFS and personnel from the CV (when in theater).

The Kasbah Liberty Center, swimming pools, and laundry located at the port of Jebel Ali are the primary elements of the Jebel Ali Recreation Center and are operated under the management of the United Services Organization (USO) and oversight of the Navy Personnel Command Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Division (PERS-65). By mutual agreement PERS-65 has purchased or authorized payment for specific goods and services for the use of Armed Forces personnel assigned or deployed to the Persian Gulf. The USO Director is the designated agent who manages those US Navy resources located at the port of Jebel Ali.

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:Te0GNhR311EJ:www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/jebel-ali.htm+US+Navy+Ships+Dock+in+UAE&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2

[MI Cherie]

10. So does that mean ...

... that the US government will allow a foreign government to blackmail the US Navy at a time of war over a business deal?

[gasperc]

stinks like a sweetheart payback

give us your ports, or find a new port for your navy's ships

hmmm, lest we not call that a threat

[gasperc]

13. stinks like a sweetheart payback

give us your ports, or find a new port for your navy's ships

hmmm, lest we not call that a threat

[MrBenchley]

18. Wonder how much we pay them for that?

[KoKo]

19. Here's Molly Ivans view on it...........

I just found this posted by DU'er Dudley_DUright over in Editorials. She's coming at it from the same angle...it seems but with a different twist:
--------------------------

Molly Ivins: It's the Corporation, Stupid

So, aside from the fact that it’s politically idiotic and at least theoretically presents a national security risk, just what is wrong with the Dubai Ports deal?

As President George W. Bush actually said, “I want those who are questioning it to step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British company. I’m trying to conduct foreign policy now by saying to the people of the world, we’ll treat you fairly.”

OK, here’s for starters. We have already been warned that, should we back out of the DP deal, the United Arab Emirates may well take offense and not be so nice about helping us in the War on Terra—maybe even cut back its money, as well as its cooperation. This is a problem specific to the fact that we are dealing with a corporation owned by a country: A corporation only wants to make money, a corporation owned by a country has lots of motives.

more...

[Uncle Joe]

20. Proper procedures?

Bush came out threatening to veto any attempt by congress to kill this deal and the next day, he claims not to have known about it? Excuse my WTF!?

[KoKo]

21. and NOW he announces he needs "time to review...even though he will Veto

it anyway."

YET...we hear that Bob (Viagra) Dole and Madeline (Clinton) Albright are LINED US AS LOBBYISTS FOR UAE..(United Arab Emerites) ??????????

Give me a break, here. Bush gets Clinton and Reagan and Bush I APPOINTEES TO SHILL FOR HIM...in his MARKETING CAMPAIGN?

Forgive the full caps...I'm not a freeper, really.... Just sort of "over the edge." :-( THE HYPOCRACY OF IT ALL!

[Disturbed]

23. UAE seeks world port control.

Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, who just opened the Pusan container port in South Korea a joint venture between Dubai and Korea's Samsung, said the P&O bid was crucial for Dubai to offer its customers in Europe and North America. P&O also has presence in South Asia, East Asia, Australia, Africa and South America.


http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/01/20/10012932.html

[leesa]

24. Good. Maybe we can then end this insanity. The REAL reason is they

know the true story behind 9-11 and many of the other neocon scams.