Posted on 02/22/2006 8:30:35 AM PST by notes2005
Several Bush-administration security officials expressed concerns yesterday that terrorists could infiltrate seaports through a United Arab Emirates company that is vying to manage six U.S. ports. Intelligence and security officials opposed to the deal with Dubai Ports World said ports are vulnerable to the entry of terrorists or illicit weapons because of the large number of containers that enter U.S. territory, regardless of who manages them. A Persian Gulf state such as the United Arab Emirates could provide an infrastructure for terrorists to penetrate U.S. security as part of a major terrorist operation, the officials said. One long-term worry is that al Qaeda terrorists will attempt to smuggle a nuclear device into the United States through a port via a shipping container. Allowing a Middle Eastern company to manage key ports "would be like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse," said one security official, who, like most other critics, spoke on the condition of anonymity. Another official said the problem is not the company but its location in a region rife with Islamic terrorism. "You have to be concerned about a firm from that part of the world managing the ports," this official said. "They are more vulnerable to compromise and penetration by terrorists, even if they are just managing the port." Company officials would be briefed on security procedures and countermeasures that, if compromised, could allow foreign terrorists to get through various screening procedures, the official said. The Coast Guard is responsible for port security, tracking ships, crews and cargo and search vessels based on intelligence. There is no cohesive hiring or screening process for port workers, however.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
This article deserves a bit more discussion than it is getting here.
I think the hysterical reaction to this is overblown ... but conservative Bush administration insiders expressing security concerns ... that gets my attention.
Ah yes. CAIR, the other shadow government.
C'mon folks, you cannot disagree with the Bush admin, their pom pom crowd on the net will attack you as some drooling troll or run of the mill Bush hater.
I don't hate the man, most people I know that disagree with him or find a fault or two don't hate him. We just want to be allowed to disagree without being called traitor. Hell I voted for him twice, given the same choices in '00 or '04 I'd still vote for him. This does not make him infallible.
There are no terrorists. You complainers are all... all.... xenophobes and racists and stuff.
Hey, you're stealing Karl Rove's material. Or maybe it's Grover Norquist's. Of course, they're both lifting from old Jesse Jackson and Morris Dees fundraisers, so I suppose it's free to use.
The "conservatives" regarding the matter of taxation only are for all intents and purposes nothing more than Lexus Libs. Norquist might have been a good College Republican and did some good rhetoric on tax reform. But beyond that, in this post-9/11 world, he is so 9/10. I lump him right in there with Murtha and Cindy Sheehan.
"Now what?"
The U.S. need to get real busy real quick teaching Americans to run American ports and putting the resources behind making that happen. Our borders and our ports must be under American management. Enough with the outsourcing of America!
"Now what?"
The U.S. need to get real busy real quick teaching Americans to run American ports and putting the resources behind making that happen. Our borders and our ports must be under American management. Enough with the outsourcing of America!
Well, it's too late for that. Found these facts on another thread:
Foreign companies already own or operate most of the maritime infrastructure that sustains American trade.
At the port of Los Angeles, 80 per cent of the terminals are operated by foreign companies. Chinese companies operate more than half the terminals (thanks to the Clinton years).
Go to any port in the country and you'll be lucky to see a single giant vessel with U.S.A. on its stern. Foreign-owned airplanes fly into American airports every hour too and what stops the UAE planes from crashing into our buildings? We will never be 100% safe.
Apparently, the UAE Dubai Ports World already handles port management for U.S. Navy ships from the 5th fleet for their regular port calls in the United Arab Emirates -- a pretty high measure of trustworthiness.
Given all this, and the overwhelming foreign nature of the port management, I think the answer is to demand the most rigorous and thorough screening of high risk containers in our ports. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise and they will be forced to finally address the security procedures involving the ports.
Well that alone should kill the deal ....
Right on point. Any risk, even a small one, is unacceptable.
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