Posted on 02/20/2006 4:13:19 PM PST by Dane
A team from Dubai's DP World is expected to start meetings on Tuesday with groups which have expressed concerns about its takeover of P&O Ports' US operations as it seeks to head off political opposition to the deal.
The company, owned by the Emirate of Dubai's Ports, Customs and Freezones Authority, is set to meet representatives of some of the five US port authorities where P&O has operations, and national politicians who oppose the deal.
The team is thought to include some of the many US citizens who work for DP World, including Ted Bilkey, chief operating officer, who has been one of the main actors in Dubai's transformation into a major shipping hub.
They hope the meetings will erode support for efforts to reverse the approval already given for the deal by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, which approved the takeover in January. The efforts gained momentum last week when Senators Hillary Clinton and Robert Menendez introduced legislation which would prevent a company controlled by a foreign government from taking over a US port facility.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
BTW, I wonder if hillary will try to shake DPWorld down. What am i thinking of course she will, that's her way, IMO.
No, but neither are 100% of the employees American.
However when it comes to matters of national security the question on whether it is prudent to even risk this has to be asked. Especially when you consider that ports are a huge Achilles heel for the US.
Huh? DPWorld has American citizens running it's operations and on it's Board of Directors.
Here's a poll you all can FReep....will be interesting to see results of this one.
http://www.olneydailymail.com/
Very few seem to know or even care about this fact.
I know, it almost like some put their hands up to their ears and scream "lalalalalalalalalalala, I don't hear you".
There are other questions that are equally important. Like, for example, if this company doesn't do it, who will? There aren't any American companies who can, and it seems that the only other companies who could are based in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Shutting down the ports is hardly a solution.
The media sure is not helping.
And all those folks will keep their jobs, and they don't have to worry about any orders that might let something slide by, because, obviously, even though the company is run by an Arab government, the American employees will be running everything... //sarcasm
But it feels so good to go knee jerk without thinking of the consequences.
I believe the times in which we live demand that no foreign nation be given charge over any point of entry and that any person employed within the area of that port be thoroughly screened by American security officials. I know that's asking a lot, but how much are you willing to do in order to stop something very very lethal from entering through these ports?
I don't limit my objections to muzzie nations. Although they would be at the top of the banned list.
I have no illusions about the sincerity any of the Democrats complaining about this. If Bush wasn't behind it they would support it in the name of tolerance.
The company may be ok, but ya can't trust the Arabs working in it. 99.9% muslim = at least 10% sympathetic to terror groups.
And, the Republican's have handed the Rats a gift horse.
sw
and they are killing us with it. tis story is even making the news blurb at the top of the hour on music radio stations.
So they had been running fine for 200+ years by us; what happened?
LOL.
The Brits have had those contracts for years. Most ports are owned by local Port Authorities. The Port Authority has a lot of varied work (some of them are also responsible for airports). The largest ports have a lot of the routine work contracted out, and container transfer is just one of those things.
I don't know why no American co. has ever gone into that business, but the truth is that none did. Internationally, there seems to be only 3 cos. left who do it - this one, based in Dubai, and one each in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Another great idea from the unelected chasims of Washington DC!!
They must think Americans are really stooopid!!!
Open the ports to Al Queda and the borders to whoever.
Totally senseless! Idiotic! Blundering crazy! And exactly what do the Bozo"s plan on doing with all that money???
We need to make Omaha our new Capital and tell Washington DC to go get F^@#%$#&%$*^d.
Washington DC no longer represents true American values and tradition.
"Internationally, there seems to be only 3 cos. left who do it - this one, based in Dubai"
The acquisition of P & O is not yet a done deal.
Who says there aren't any American companies who can run the ports? Who's running them now??Did they ask anyone? Or was it a no bid transaction? There are too many questions and some pretty ugly revelations about the UAR and how they have supported terrorists in the past. We have to assume they continue to do so, no matter what a photo op shows.
Just because an obscure report from an obscure government spokesperson favors or supports something does not validate the truth.
Americans would not be prudent to place any trust in this transaction, no matter how or who guarantees it to be ok.
It will be on March 2nd, when a British court approves the deal.
"It will be on March 2nd, when a British court approves the deal."
Ah, yes ... the old "aura of inevitability" thing. Who else uses this tactic?
Name one Mr. know it all about shipping.
I'm just telling you a fact. A British court has assigned March 2nd as the date to approve the deal.
"A British court has assigned March 2nd as the date to approve the deal."
Which means it has not yet been approved. A lot can happen between now and March 2.
Dubai Ports has already bought the CSX Railroad Co.
If they get hold of this port, they could bring in a 100 shipping container nukes, load them on the railroad, and park them up and down the east coast. Then set 'em off, all at once.
I asked the question. You tell me.
Then you're too late because this deal isn't between a US Company and the UAE it's between a British Company and the UAE because the British company is the one who runs them now !
It's all but done. The British gov't and the stockholders all approve. The US can't do anything about it.
This is not about foreign ownership, this is more about the type of people who are going to be in charge. I am sort of skeptical when the administration says "trust us". After 911 and the cartoon riots, I am not about to trust any of these guys.
"The US can't do anything about it."
Those leases were with P & O. The deal is clearly contingent upon approval of the security apparatus of the US government, as well as the various states involved. I do wonder what the board of P & O is thinking along about now, since this firestorm has erupted. I'd imagine they're toting up the potential costs associated with losing six lucrative port contracts, myself. This would certainly change the calculus on any sale.
Americans would not be prudent to make a fuss about something they know nothing about, but that never stopped many.
The Brits have been handling the container traffic at these ports (and that's all this is about. It's not "running the ports", "port security", or any of the other buzz phrases that scare you) for years.
A little education wouldn't hurt you. It might even make you a little less anxious. Try it.
Actually the P&O board is losing nothing. DPWorld is now contracted to buy them out.
"DPWorld is now contracted to buy them out."
Pending, Dane ... pending. Not closed.
"the many U.S. citizens who work for DP World." Please see: (1) various associated articles on dhimmitude, and (2) various definitions of the initials DP.
"There aren't any American companies that can run these ports"
So who HAS been running the ports for the past umpteen years then?
I think it's clear that they are. That's why representatives of the Dubai co. are coming here. I don't know that loss of these ports would kill the deal - there's no problem in other countries, including Canada, Australia, Germany, etc. But it sure would make a difference on sale price, and that might kill it.
But still, the decision will be made on economic grounds, and US politics won't have a lot to do with it, except indirectly.
And, BTW, the Coast Guard, who are responsible for the security, don't seem to think it's a problem. It's pure politics.
Perception and conditioning are the two main problems with this.
sw
The anal exam of this company will be soooooooo disturbing and painful that the "deal" will never happen.
TT
The Brits.
CSX is a publicly-traded US company..it has no foreign ownership
Guess I could research it myself, but just in case you know---who ran the ports before the Brits?
Even if it's 100% innocent now, it's just has potential for some really bad things in the future. Bush better back away from this...now.
indeed.
if this goes through, and there is even a minor incident at one of these ports regarding "terror related" cargo, even if its just a suspicion, there will be political hell to pay.
"The Brits have been handling the container traffic at these ports (and that's all this is about. It's not "running the ports", "port security", or any of the other buzz phrases that scare you) for years."
And it stinks. This is an opportunity to change things.
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9629/
Well the only two firms that will can make a credible bid are a Singapore firm or a Hong Kong(chicomm) firm and you know hillary will push for the chicomms and the press will be silent if that were to happen.
Be careful with your wishes they may come true.
We really should be clearer about terminology. All ports are "run" by a local Port Authority. (Security is separate - it's the responsibility of the Coast Guard).
Some ports are small enough so that the Port Authority can manage all operations. The larger ports subcontract some operations - both for efficiency and cost.
Each Port Authority decided individually when to subcontract container management. There isn't just one Fed'l agency to manage all of the ports, but I think it's DoT that oversees the regs. for port operations. They don't dictate what the Port Authorities can do, they just monitor.
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