When you follow the money, the ports sale makes sense.

[Montagnard]

The ocean-cargo industry consolidation that Colgan cited gained momentum in 1999, when CSX Corp., then headed by John W. Snow, now U.S. Treasury secretary, sold its large ocean-cargo unit to Maersk, the Danish ocean-cargo carrier, for $800 million.

CSX badly needed cash because its bidding war with Norfolk Southern Corp. had raised the price of Conrail Inc., the Philadelphia freight railroad, from $91 a share to $115. The two Southern railroads fought to a stalemate, and jointly bought and broke up Conrail.\

In 2004, CSX sold its Hong Kong and South American port operations to Dubai Ports World for $1.15 billion.

As Treasury secretary, Snow chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which approved the Dubai deal. The panel includes the secretaries of state and homeland security and other administration officials.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/13901834.htm?source=rss&channel=inquirer_nation

Looks like just another Republican selling out the people's government for personal gain. I would love to know if Snow has stock in Dubai Ports World.

[shance]

1. People need to take arms now. The Administration is seizing our ports.

They are forcing every Americans' hand and will continue to do so until we fight back.

They are selling our country when its not theirs to sell.

[onenote]

16. it doesn't help to overstate/misstate the case

There are serious issues raised about the decision to approve of transfer of the port management contracts from the British company that currently holds them to the UAE company that is buying the British company. But suggesting that the ports are being sold is inaccurate and simply allows those who support the transaction to dismiss the opposition as exagerrating or not understanding the deal.
In order to defeat the repugs we have to make sure we have arguments that they can't just dismiss with a wave of their hand.


onenote

[Brothaman2k]

21. Very Astute

Well stated. This stuff is too important to be drawn into inflammatory rhetoric that can be dismissed as "leftist" name calling. Gotta stay on point, in control and walk a fine line in this debate to keep ourselves "in the mainstream".

[gilpo]

28. Correct, Let the Righties look like fools on this one....

Link to discussion about Freepers freaking over the Dubai Ports thing:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x450631

Edit: spelling

[AZModerate]

42. Never Thought

I have to say, that never in a thousand years did I think I'd ever post here. Although I have visited this site from time to time, it was just for entertainment (sorry). I am a registered republican. I voted for Bush in 2000, but in 2004 I voted for Kerry out of protest for Iraq and the general stumbling and bumbling of his administration. That said, I still consider myself a republican, although I suppose I would tend to be a bit more libertarian than repub since family values and shit can kiss my ass. Since '04 I have sided with the GOP about 50% of the time. I wanted to say this to give everyone reading this some prospective on what kind of person this is coming from, now to what I actually have to say.

This issue with the UAE owning security for our ports was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. I wanted so badly for the past 6 years to believe that team bush really did have the countries best interests at heart... and even though I had instance after instance of demonstrations to the contrary I turned a blind eye and held out hope against hope that there were facts that I didn't know and that is why what they were doing seemed so fucked up. But this port security issue has opened my eyes wide fucking open. I will no longer give them the benefit of the doubt on shit, more over I will zealously oppose this administration and if anyone associated with it runs in 08 I will vote Democrat... even if hilliary runs, hell even if Kucinich runs.. I don't fucking care. I finally have accepted that this administration doesn't give 2 shits about this country and they are willing to subvert it, and sell it off piece by piece as long as them and their buddies can get richer. The biggest disappointment I have is with myself for ignoring the glaring reality of the situation for so long, but I suppose better late than never.

Anyhoo, I am sure I am still at odds with most democrats on most things. But when it comes to opposing this administration, and anyone involved with it who may run in 08... you have found one more ally.

[ldf]

53. glad to have you here, and a great big WELCOME!

we need converts to do anything about this administration.

yes, we do tend to go off the deep end here about so many things, myself included.

however, if you dig deep and read the true intents of the posters, you will not find a more patriotic, red blooded bunch of americans on the planet. the site, mostly, makes me proud to be member.

it is going to take quite a coalition to have enough votes to win so overwhelmingly that vote fixing either can't be used, or will be so obvious that even the most uninvolved american will see it.

again, welcome, pull up a chair a sit a spell. you will learn much.

and if nothing else, we ARE entertaining. :hi:

[Clark2008]

59. You know, I bet you're not

(at odds with most Democrats on most issues).

Something tells me that you probably get your news from corporately-owned "mainstream" media that tells you that liberals are knee-jerk, wild-left reactionaries - that "liberal" is a "dirty" word.

My guess is that, once you settle in here, and read what real liberals and/or Democrats believe, you'll find that you probably don't disagree with as many things as the corporate media would have you believe about Dems.

:hi: welcome to DU.

[Oilwellian]

65. Did you call in to CSpan this morning?

I heard the exact same comment from a CSpan caller this morning.

[AZModerate]

67. Nope, it just appears to be a popular sentiment

I imagine that this situation has most likley caused GOP loyalist attrition by the thousands upon thousands. I mean on one hand you have the administration saying "Well we hate the thought of infringing upon American's civil liberties, but if that is a step we need to take to connect the dots then so be it" on one hand, then taking the position that it is ok for the UAE to be in charge of port security for our eastern states. Hyprocricy of that magnitude is simply going to wake up the docile masses.. and if that doesn't then nothing will.

[The Backlash Cometh]

69. We will fight another day.

Today our fight as Americans, is against Bush and his corporatist -- which apparently get their support from powerful families in Texas, as well as around the world.

[newyawker99]

72. Hi AZModerate!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[merbex]

74. Welcome to DU

I am speaking strictly for myself - now that you have made this momentous decision to break with the Repug Party(I think you have even though you state that is the B* administration you've broken with)a whole new world awaits you

This site alone is able to send you off on search and discovery about a whole host of issues that you may have questions about

I wish you good luck on your journey

[eridani]

78. Kucinich is probably politically closer to you than either Clinton

Check out www.kucinich.us and see.

[EFerrari]

24. I agree. The facts are damning enough. Hyperbole isn't needed

or useful.

[eridani]

77. The Brits shouldn't be involved either

American ports should be American, period.

[leeroysphitz]

17. Tell me where to shoot. n/t

[Algorem]

2. it's a Snow job.He's got those youthful good looks,why's he so greedy?

(CBS Evening News gonna do a report about it tonight.not saying it'll be any good,or mention Snow,but.)

[Algorem]

7. I swear cbs said at beginning of show that they were going to do a report

on it,but I'm about 95% sure they didn't show one.wish i'd recorded it now.

[burrowowl]

3. Makes as much sense

as privatizing prisons, voting machines, hospitals, airwaves, national forests, water, air, etc.
Real Government should be for the COMMONWEAL of the PEOPLE!
Corporate Ownership IS NOT more productive, just funnels profits to the top 1% richest!
And they don't give dipshit about the people, just themselves!

[Acebass]

4. Here's a fairly good accounting of whats going on...

http://politicalswitchboard.invisionzone.com/index.php?act=ST&f=407&t=7894&st=0

[Montagnard]

5. Thanks

Just saved that blog to my favorites

[Acebass]

6. your welcome, we're all in this together...

So it's to our best interest to share...

[Emit]

10. Acebass, In one of the articles you posted over at the link you gave

I noticed this line:

According to documents, P&O and DPW said for the deal to go through, the committee must agree not to formally investigate the purchase or Bush must not move to block the sale for national security purposes.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,185107,00.html

Wonder what 'documents' this Faux news article is referring to?

Have you read anymore about this particular statement/claim or about these documents?

[Acebass]

15. The letter to Snow is in a PDF file in that thread...

[Emit]

18. Thanks, I read that, but that is not what that sentence is referring to

At least, I don't think so.

[Brothaman2k]

22. I hope this is America's wake up call

The fact that this administration thought they could just outsource our security while talking that BS about being tough on terror out of the other side of their mouths and get away with it shows just how little regard they have for the intellect of the citizens of this country.

Apparently we were just to damn stupid to notice this. Unfreakingbelievable!

[jwirr]

47. This is not the first time. I think that airport security is contracted

to some offshore outfit. Can't remember the details but it was probably one of those tax evasion companies that move to an island just off our shores. How * could be such a traitor is beyond my understanding.

[Emit]

8. And here's who else is on that committee

~snip~

Executive Order. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS") was originally established by Executive Order 11858 in 1975 mainly to monitor and evaluate the impact of foreign investment in the United States. In 1988, the President, pursuant to Executive Order 12661, delegated to CFIUS his responsibilities under Section 721. Specifically, E.O. 12661 designated CFIUS to receive notices of foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies, to determine whether a particular acquisition has national security issues sufficient to warrant an investigation and to undertake an investigation, if necessary, under the Exon-Florio provision. This order also provides for CFIUS to submit a report and recommendation to the President at the conclusion of an investigation.

In 1993, in response to a sense of Congress resolution, CFIUS membership was expanded by Executive Order 12860 to include the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. In February 2003, the Department of Homeland Security was added to CFIUS. This brought the membership of CFIUS to twelve under the chairmanship of the Secretary of Treasury. The other members are the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Commerce, the Attorney General, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. ~snip~

From: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY, OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT
http://www.treas.gov/offices/international-affairs/exon-florio/


So, in addition to Snow (old bio here), the other members that approved this include:

Dr. John Marburger (Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy); Stephen John Hadley (Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs); Allan Hubbard (Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council); Condi, Rumsfeld and Gonzales, Carlos M. Gutierrez (US Secretary of Commerce), Joshua B. Bolten (Director of the Office of Management and Budget), Robert B. Zoellick (United States Trade Representative), Ben S. Bernanke (Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers -- ? -- or his replacement after he became Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)

Did I miss anyone?

According to the article in the OP, Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is also part of the committee.

[annabanana]

32. Zoellick (PNAC) & Hadley ?!??

OK, Sure, I trust these guys to represent the best interests of America.

[Nikki Stone 1]

9. kick & recommend

:kick:

[alfredo]

11. Kick and Recommend

[schrodingers_cat]

12. reported on CNN this evening....

at last it's getting media coverage......

[Singular73]

13. Why not sell JFK Airport to the Saudis...

Would be the equivalant.

[Sydnie]

14. Hey, blivet** has been saying that the oceans no longer keep us safe

guess this is what he had in mind, huh?

[Ksec]

19. Lets outsource the President.

Ship him and his corporate whoring administration straight to AbuGraib. Make them do the pyramid . A little water boarding. Some nice feces smearing.

[Jose Diablo]

20. How much public tax money was used to build these facilities

and how is it these facilities became private corporate owned. After the energy and communications are taken with eminent domain into the government owned and operated, the port and transportation infrastructure should be next.

There is a place for 'competition', that would be small and medium size companies. With unregulated competition in large corporations though, it is not really competition, it's merchant monopoly. We have seen how much the energy corporations really compete with each other. They don't. They charge whatever the market will bear. It's the same with communications and transportation.

Those putting in plugs for competition are either a beneficiary of competition or they have drank the kool-aid served-up by the cold war warriors trying to discredit communism.

When they were screaming the loudest about the evil communist empire, we weren't even under capitalism at that time. It was FDR's economic populism form of econimic system. Our system of teaching history to the youth failed miserably, or maybe it was wildly successful if the purpose was create cannon fodder for fighting a war, with the dirty pinko commies.

It's alway's been about colonialism on the part of our American international investors and using our military to fight their wars, not our (the peoples) wars. And the propaganda dished-up to us in history classes from the 50-70's fit right into the agenda of the elite and the military machine to have a purpetual enemy.

Anyway, somewhere along the way, public property somehow became owned by these turds that want us to fight their fucking wars they create for us. All in the name of economic freedom. But whose economic freedom?

[liberal N proud]

23. Mounting evidence proving, corruption and republicans go hand in hand

When will the people of this land wake the fuck up and say enough?

[Vinca]

25. "Follow the money" always works with this administration.

That's all they care about. Democrats need to glom onto this story and talk about it nonstop from now until election day. Their entire campaign is "we can protect you." Well, no you can't if you're selling out ports to foreign companies that have had ties to terrorism.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

26. Rice still planning her visit to UAE this week?

"I would hope that our friends in Abu Dhabi would not be offended by the fact that in our democracy, we debate these things," Ms. Rice said in the interview with the Arab journalists~
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060220.IBPORTS20/TPStory/TPBusiness/

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

27. Supposed to leave today~

~~US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the administration continued to support the sale, and would brief congress on its decision. “It’s the considered opinion of the US government that this can go forward,” Rice told a round table of Arab journalists at the state department in Washington.


Rice said there had been a “thorough review” of the sale, and “it was decided that this could be done and done safely”.

She described Abu Dhabi as “a very good friend” of the US. “I hope our friends in Abu Dhabi would not be offended by the fact that in our democracy we debate these things.”

‖Rice leaves today to visit several Middle East states, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.~~

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/world.aspx?ID=BD4A157784

It's like she's lobbying for this sale.

[GoldenOldie]

31. While the uniformed worry about illegal Mexicans entering the US??

looking for work to feed and cloth their families, the unelected officials of our Nation are selling off our sea ports of entry.....that way our enemies can enter the country first class.

UAE was setup by the Arab Nations to bring together the cash and expertise of the very same rich fat greedy power brokers that the individual Arab/muslim countries claim to despise and wage war against.......much like this Bush administration now. While America sleeps, our Nation has been sold out from under us. While Americans think that their elected representatives are working hard and doing their jobs of defending our Constitution and our borders, those very same elected officials are no better than the ME terrorists. The individual ME terrorist is loud, bloody and in your face while the UAE and the Rumsfeld, Rice, Chertoff, Bush gang do their dirty work quietly behind closed doors. We never know we have been stabbed in the back until we actually feel the knife and the pain......Medicare drug prescriptions, pension plans, bankruptcy bill, Iraq war, Gulf Coast Katrina.

Why are all the CON lemmings so quiet on the sale of our ports to "the ragheads?" Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Chris Mathews should be slobbering all over themselves depicting "the ragheads," new ownership of the US. Where is the outcry from the Swiftboat liars who spent millions defaming Kerry as a traitor for his service while this administration has sold us out from within?

[merbex]

75. That one quote alone is enough to make me

:puke:

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

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

[annabanana]

33. BINGO!! We Have A Winner!!

That didn't take us long to uncover, did it?
(They're not even trying anymore, are they)

updated: (wish it wasn't rense, though.. is there another source?)

[mzteris]

37. Truthout has it, too

http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/12.20D.carlyle.csx.htm

Or themselves . . . http://www.thecarlylegroup.com/eng/news/l5-news706.html


I remembered the connection because I thought at the time the buyout was part of the Alaska deal they keep pushing . . .

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

38. excellent job! n/t

[Emit]

66. More on Carlyle

in a different context:

...What Barrett missed was the link to a $10 million plus tax break for the CSX Corporation in a bill signed by Pataki in January 2003. The tax break was ostensibly to encourage CSX to build a high speed rail between Buffalo and Albany. CSX, however, has never indicated any interest in the project before or after the bill was signed.

At the same time, in December 2002, the Carlyle Group announced its purchase of CSX's container business. Tens of millions of tax dollars being spent in Staten Island by NYS on the Howland Hook Marine Terminal and the restoration of a rail link that will benefit CSX and the Carlyle Group.

So is there a problem with Libby Pataki investing in Florida real estate while serving as first lady of NYS? Should Dana Rohrabacher disclose donors to his nanny fund?

~snip~

I forgot to mention that Bush nominated John Snow, chairman of CSX, to be Treasury Secretary in December 2003, the same month that Carlyle bought the majority stake in CSX's constiner business.

So the price for CSX's container business paid by the Carlyle Group was $240 million in cash, $60 million in securities (what securities, I don't know), $10 milllion plus in NYS tax breaks and the treasury position for Snow. New York taxpayers would have been better of buying the farm for the Patakis.

How do I account for the several million dollars paid by Florida taxpayers for the property owned by Libby Pataki and Richard Hayden? Hayden, btw, also pays $285K anually to Mrs. Pataki for "consulting" work.

What no one ever seems to bring up is that Jeb and George Bush will be among the heirs of the estate of George H. W. and Barbara Bush. The elder Bushes are just that - elderly and there's a reasonable chance that they will die within the next decade. As such, Jeb and George W. have a financial interest in the Carlyle Group and other Bush investments.

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:t88BgFFqm1kJ:www.tpmcafe.com/story/2006/1/25/24256/9957+The+Carlyle+Group+John+Snow&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

[Clara T]

30. Well Done

Rec'd

[WinkyDink]

34. I completely disagree with taking the high road here.

British, Schmitish.
RW-ers would be screaming, "Traitors!" if any Dems had come up with this gig. I say, turn their mindless "terrorist" propaganda against them for a change (and you know, it just might BE dangerous to allow any foreign nation, let alone one with ties to BinLaden and the Carlyle Group---pick your conspiracy theory---to control 6 major ports. And didn't someone notice they are in Blue states?).

[Avalux]

35. It's a tradeoff!!!! Read this:

In 2003, Dubai Ports World (the company to run our ports) was given a contract to expand and modernize their port facility to "meet the damand of the Iraqi market". This new facility is now complete:

Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) is on course to complete the new Jebel Ali port expansion master plan on schedule and will be ready to meet the expected demand from the Iraqi market, according to a senior official.

Last year the DPA announced its master development plan for Jebel Ali Terminal, which when completed will offer an extra three major terminals and a total of 82 berths equipped with 125 quayside cranes enabling DPA to handle over 21 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units).
DPA has already completed the development phase of berths 11 and 12, berths 22 and 23, the new container empty strip, general cargo berths 37-39 and berth 4. The reshaped quay 4, berth 10/10A, while berths 24 and 25 are currently under construction and to be completed early next year, said a Khaleej Times report. ‘By then Jebel Ali will have excess capacity for this trade,’ he said. To date this year DPA handled 5.2 million TEUs, while the total throughput for the year is expected to touch 6.1 million TEUs.

Meanwhile, Jamal Majid bin Thaniah, chief executive officer DPA, said the general cargo volumes loaded to Iraq through DPA in the last eight months have grown tremendously. It is expected to double, exceeding last year’s volumes by the end of this year, he said.
“Ro-ro units exported through DPA to Iraq have shown same upward trend as January-June figures this year are higher than last full year figures. We have accelerated the investment programme for this and next years to meet such an increase in trade between the UAE and Iraq.”

GE was one of the first companies to benefit from this new facility:

GE Energy has opened a new regional Center Of Excellence (COE) at the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ), which was today inaugurated by Jamal Majid bin Thaniah, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Ports Authority.

GE Energy's rental business is the temporary and portable power unit of GE Energy, a US$19 billion global business specializing in power generation and energy delivery technology.

GE Energy's rental business will now carry out its regional operations from its new 200,000-square foot COE, a specialized facility designed to serve the business's smaller regional hubs. Its expanded capabilities will enable GE Energy to meet the increased energy demands of the region which have contributed to the business's growth. The short-term power solutions provider, which has been serving the Africa, India and the Middle East (AIM) region since 2001 from its previous centre, also located at JAFZ, continues to grow and expand its business.

http://www.ameinfo.com/40386.html

The Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority in Dubai allows foreign companies to establish branch operations without any requirements of local sponsorship.

Dubai, which has far less oil wealth than Abu-Dhabi, has undertaken a major promotion campaign to attract more foreign investment and tourism. Its vast Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone now houses more than 950 international operations, most of which engage in the distribution or light to medium manufacturing of products for domestic consumption and export. The Zone is built around the Dubai Port Authority's Jebel Ali Terminal and enables customers to take full advantage of the port's ISO-certified container and general cargo operations. A Free Zone Authority is assisting in administrative proceedings.

http://www.infoprod.co.il/country/uae2f.htm

If it isn't apparent what's going on here, it should be. Our government and corporations have traded our ports for better access to the ME. It fits in perfectly with PNAC's plan and it's all about money. All major US companies in the energy and construction business are profiting tremendously. Of course Snow has stock - so does every other Bush family crony alive.

[librechik]

36. makes sense in the way that greed and covering up incompetence

is a more compelling motivation by far than doing the right thing for the public good. For BushCo, at least.

Did they sign the deal at Alexander's Ranch and seal it by sacrificing a few dozen animals?

This tight little gang must be busted up somehow.

:banghead:

[Well_Seasoned]

39. Careful folks … we are walking on thin ice here.

First, the initial “outsourcing” happened in 1999/2000 under Clinton’s administration … to P&O, Great Britain. The issue here is a transfer of something already “outsourced” from a GB company (P&O) to a UAE company (). That requires US approval. I personally thin “outsourcing” is a misnomer anyway since the service is being performed by people in the US … but be that as it may.

Second, the rallying cry against the transfer from P&O is essentially that the UAE is “Arab”. That resonates of racial profiling at the nation level … Since we strongly oppose profiling at the individual level, how do we avoid charges of hypocrisy when we advocate it at the nation level?

Third, immigration, illegal aliens, and security of our (southern) border is about to go orbital in the Senate. How do we play hardball on port security while playing softball on the much more immediate problem of dealing with 10 to 20 million illegals in our country and locking down our borders?

Now, I have doubts about the wisdom of approving the transfer of the P&O port management functions to (the UAE company). That is the issue that should be argued and it should be argued with facts, not erroneous emotional accusations. Further, if we are going to take the high ground on rigorous port security under the rubric of “security”, we’ve got to be prepared to do likewise when securing our land borders and dealing with illegal aliens comes to the floor. Consistency of message is everything.

[Oilwellian]

40. It has nothing to do with racism

Per Acebass' post:

Some facts to keep in mind : 1) the UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan; 2) the UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia; 3) according to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system; 4) after 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden's bank accounts.

Republicans and Democrats will unite on this issue...I don't see the other side pointing fingers at us, crying racism, and defending the sale of our port operations to the UAE.

[redqueen]

41. No, the rallying cry is not that the UAE is "Arab".

That's 100% incorrect.

[Acebass]

54. UAE has "a sad history with terrorism."

Schumer: 'Accident waiting to happen'
Sen. Charles Schumer denounced the deal, saying the UAE has "a sad history with terrorism."

Speaking at a news conference Sunday with some families of people killed in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States, the New York Democrat said, "These families know the danger of being careless and casual about terrorism."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/20/port.security/index.html

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

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

[Well_Seasoned]

45. Wrong ... they aren't anti-Bill Clinton - but they are truth

If truth doesn't count, then guess I'm history on the board. P&O acquired its foothold in 1999/2000.

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

That's not anti-Clinton ... that's fact.

[mtnsnake]

49. Your anti-Bill Clinton. I read what you said about him in the other thread

and I also read the poster's reply to you in that thread which proved you don't know what you're talking about.

[jeffrey_X]

44. It has to do with hypocrisy...

You remember...."everything changed after 9/11"

But I guess not in this case.

[jwirr]

51. How about pointing out that * said the reason they did this

was that the Coast Guard is not capable of securing our ports? Why doesn't he upgrade the CG instead of contracting with private sources? And if Clinton was the first to contract with foreigners then he was wrong to.

[Catherine Vincent]

46. The six ports in questions are mostly on the east coast.

In blue states.

[muriel_volestrangler]

48. Most US ports are in 'blue states'

However, the majority of ports that are being bought are not in 'blue states' - they're in China, India, Thailand, Canada, UK, France, Belgium, Australia etc.

[jwirr]

52. Explanation please, Is it the UAE that is buying or the

Carlyle Group or both? World monopoly sounds like the goal.

[Avalux]

56. It's a Dubai group - Dubai Ports World

They are a privately owned company - I feel sure Buscho cronies own stock. Here's more info I dug up about them:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=471124&mesg_id=471124

[muriel_volestrangler]

61. You may feel sure, but all news stories say the Duabi royal family owns it

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/dubai-bidding-for-a-piece-of-the-british-empire/2005/10/31/1130720481707.html

[Avalux]

62. Ah - thanks for the clarification.

No stock then, just kickbacks and favors from the nice royal family.

[Riverman]

50. Dems on Top of This One -

NO NEED TO WORRY!

[Acebass]

55. This is our chance...

To once again show we are strong on defending This country!

[Acebass]

57. Hillary's taking control...

http://politicalswitchboard.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=7922&pid=46256&st=0&#entry46256

[Emit]

58. I'm gonna ask this again. Just can't get this out of my mind....

Sometimes Fox has some weird info in their reports, but from a link upthread, this sentence caught my attention. Maybe it's nothing, but, as I re-read it, it almost seems like a threat from Dubai Ports World and/or P&O.

According to documents, P&O and DPW said for the deal to go through, the committee must agree not to formally investigate the purchase or Bush must not move to block the sale for national security purposes.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,185107,00.html

What documents is Fox referring to? Anybody else think this is a weird statement that should be looked into further by those in congress wanting to investigate further? Or am I misreading this?

[Acebass]

60. It does look somewhat dicey...

and under the table sort of thing. The actual deal is to sell the British owned company to the DPW and would then give them control of the ports...
That statement would seem to be in line with how they wanted to corner the Iraqi ports and did...
This statement just specifies terms of the deal, which would seem that the US ports stay or no deal...

[muriel_volestrangler]

63. I think that would be standard when any company is bought

The takeover document for the initial bid for P&O (the Singapore government-owned PSA was also bidding for P&O, so a later higher bid was made) is here: 40 page PDF

Section 2 is conditions of the offer; they are that there are no legal objections from the US, Australian, German, UK, and Spanish governments (where they list specific ways those countries have of blocking such a purchase), and a general purpose "no government forbids this" condition. Companies often don't want to buy another if it means they're going to get bogged down in lengthy legal arguments.

[Emit]

64. TX! I think that is exactly what this is referencing.

Just the way it was worded sounded odd, IMHO. Probably just that I read more into it by the way the Fox article put it than by the way you put it.

[Acebass]

68. But this isn't your run of the mill business deal...

and that language make's it very suspect...

[ToolTex]

70. Who is in bed with the Emirates?

I don't know if anyone cares that back about 1927 the oil majors divided up the colonial world. Even places few cared about like Bahrain and Dubai and Singapore. You know, like Hunt Oil got Yemen, and Caltex, (a strange private joint venture between equal Chevron and Texaco) got the UA Emirates. At the time of the first Gulf war, Caltex's headquarters was in Irving, Texas, and their flagship tanker was named "The Carla Hills" for Caltex Board member and Bush#1 Trade Ambassador to Japan, Carla Hills. A very tough negotiator for US trade with Japan, considering that Nippon Oil, the Japanese oil company was owned in Joint venture 49%/51% by Caltex and the Japanese government. Cozy deal. Does anyone remember that the Kuwaiti Emir waited out the first Gulf war in Dubai, and was shuttled back and forth by a Caltex chartered 747.

Now we are told an UAE based company with interest of the Dubai Royal family has been vying with a Singapore ruling family company to buy American port facilities. What a sham! Would it surprise anyone to learn that in late 1999, little private company, Caltex, moved its headquarters from Irving, Texas to Singapore, and was granted a special International status by the Singapore ruling family. Would it also not surprise anyone that now Chevron and Texaco have merged and Caltex is invisible, except it still is headquartered in Singapore.

Oh, and would it surprise to learn that Caltex's flagship tanker now is "The Condoleeza Rice."

http://www.caltex.com/default.asp

It doesn't take a tin foil cap for this one, just living for a long time.

[saberjet22]

71. selling the port's security

to the UAE. This is sheer insanity. There's no other word for it. I can't believe it. It's really insane. And to have it presented as a fait accompli is too much.
Why was there no congressional debate on this? Why was there no public debate on this, or did I miss it? Is Bush selling off the country a piece at a time to the highest bidders?
Bush must be stopped, and his henchmen too. It's time to impeach the bastards!How reassuring, to have our security in the hands of the Saudis. Absolutely insane!

[myrna minx]

73. 2002 Truthout article about CSX: Carlyle Group...

http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/12.20D.carlyle.csx.htm

Editors Note | CSX was run by CEO John Snow until last week, when Snow was tapped to replace Paul O'Neill as the Treasury Secretary by the Bush administration. The Carlyle Group is an incredibly powerful multinational corporation that enjoys senior advisors like George Herbert Walker Bush and James Bazker III. Now, CSX and Carlyle have joined. The same names seem to keep popping up in all sorts of interesting places. - wrp)

A private equity group with interests in everything from soda pop to self-propelled guns has nipped off a piece of CSX.

After the bell Tuesday, transportation giant CSX announced that it would sell a majority stake in its domestic container shipping unit -- CSX Lines -- to the Carlyle Group for approximately $240 million in cash and $60 million in securities.

The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2003.

According to Michael Ward, CSX president, "completion of this transaction is consistent with our long-stated strategy of becoming a more rail-based organization, strengthens our balance sheet and provides shareholders with significant value."

CSX Lines, which moves goods between the continental United States and Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico, accounted for about 8 percent of the company's $8 billion in revenues last year.

more----

[Clara T]

76. this seems to be in need of kickage

[eridani]

79. This reminds me of the night that SCOTUS made the eminent domain decision

On that night, you couldn't have told Free Republic apart from DU except for the board formatting. This port thing is a similar kind of issue. Time to build bridges here, folks.