Posted on 03/04/2006 5:59:46 PM PST by rambo316
In Dubai, everyone refers to their ruler, Emir Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, as "MBR." Just to give you an idea of how he is into tourism not terrorism, here's a quick story.
He has closed circuit television in his private office. And what are the cameras trained on? Immigration/passport control lines at the airport. If MBR sees the lines are getting too long, he picks up the phone and orders more personnel to reduce the lines. Again, his focus is tourism not terrorism.
The US Navy docks its ships at Dubai more often than at any other non-US port in the world. 25,000 Americans (and 100,000 Brits) live and work in the Emirates now.
The realization that Dubai and the UAE is the most pro-American Arab country on earth is sinking in to fevered Congressional brains as their spasm of knee-jerk xenophobia dissipates.
It was also an embarrassment for them to learn that the NATIONAL SHIPPING COMPANY OF SAUDI ARABIA (NSCSA - owned by the Saudi government and Saudi individuals) has operated terminals for years at the ports of Baltimore, New Orleans, Houston, Savannah, Newark, and Brooklyn. A terminals list is on the nscsaamerica.com website.
Why hasn't Little Chuckie Schumer and Over The Hillary Clinton screamed about this? Brooklyn is in New York, right?
You know they're scraping the bottom of the demagogue barrel when they trot out the canard that the UAE is a signatory to the Arab boycott of Israel. Yes, and there are laws against prostitution in Vegas - which means there must be no hookers in Sin City, yes? Dubai does business with Israel hand over fist. The Dubai intel and Mossad guys know each other well. After all, their common enemy, Iran, is only 50 miles away from the UAE across the Strait of Hormuz.
The shame in this is that Conservative Republicans in Congress, by allowing themselves to get suckered into Bush-bashing Democrat xenophobia, blew their chance to make a deal with GW.
While they fulminated and rabble-roused right along with Schumer, GW stayed calm and obdurate, fanned out his folks around the country to explain the ports deal, and had the satisfaction of seeing Tommy Friedman in the New York Times and Richard Cohen in the Washington Post praise him and condemn Schumer.
If they had kept their wits about them, the Republican Conservative Caucus in the House could have gone to Bush in the heat of the frenzy and offered to back him on the ports deal if he would back them on real border protection and illegal immigration control.
Along with allowing runaway government spending, the most maddening thing about the Bush 43 presidency to conservatives is GW's inexplicable unwillingness to put a stop to illegal immigration across the Mexican border. Here at last was a chance to turn Bush around.
Maybe they'll still try. Tancredo is about to give it a shot. But it looks like the moment of opportunity has passed. The "45 day waiting period" has given angry Congresscritters an easy exit from their opposition. Bill Frist has announced he's abandoning any effort at blocking-legislation. Duncan Hunter's threat of a bill to kill the deal is a dead letter.
This deal is set. Bush has won and the conservatives' temper tantrum has cost them dearly.
Thanks to Dr. Jack Wheeler for his brilliance in bringing this to light. God Bless him.
yeah? If we do then why hasn't anybody been talking about the little fact that Saudi Arabia is operating terminals in American ports? hannity is such an idiot. he has been spouting off since this deal was announced about how he is against it, yadda, yadda, yadda..
Don't you know, hannity and weiner(savage) kill more terrorists from behind their microphones, than the Commander-in-Chief, President Bush.
The deal is dead in the water, and even support on FR is dropping rapidly (see the sidebar poll numbers).
It's insane that anyone supported this in the first place. Turn six ports over to an Arab country? Yeah, right.
In 1991, NSCSA (America) Inc., was established to serve as the General Agent in North America for the Liner Service between U.S., Canada and the Middle East/India Subcontinent/East Mediterranean regions.
Damn! We missed our chance to sell out Port Security for Border Security!!! LMAO!!!!
Uh it ain't six ports, DPWorld legitmately bought six terminals from P&O.
Oh BTW, the poll results have reversed since the deal was first announced in the news, and when people find out the truth(i.e DPWorld is not taking over the ports) minds are changed, but you go ahead and spread your schumer lies.
Didn't you read the article? There are ports being run by Saudi's now and they have been for a while. Didn't you read that fact? I even put it in bold. And by the way, the deal is not dead. After the 45 day waiting period, these idiot Rats and Pubies will see the light.
You would have to studiously NOT READ FR to not know the fact of Saudi involvement in our ports.
Gad!!!!!
If the Brooklyn terminal is Red Hook as claimed on the link you provided, then there is another company, ASI claiming operations at that port.
This is probably just a glitch but it needs clarification.
The polls have reversed? Wow, so now 70% of Americans are for this deal instead of against it?
Where's the link?
We have Coast Guard national headquarter just down the road, and no one is changing any signs there, and they still wear uniforms issued by the US government?
I'm simply not seeing the security thing ~ detailed explanations would be nice, eh?!
Excellent editorial.
Thanks for posting it.
Here is another one, which goes into a lot of detail about why rejecting it can harm our strategic plans in the Middle East. With excellent additional comments by Tarnsman.
The downside of rejecting the DWP port deal
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1589419/posts
I was talking about the FR poll.
BTW, 2/3rds of Americans were against Clinton's impeachment, I guess Henry Hyde shouldn't have persevered according to your "logic".
This is about 9 such "terminals" at 6 "ports".
No doubt there are several companies operating different "terminals" at the same "port".
Always good to understand the terms.
You're arguing for giving over six of our terminals to an Arab country that does NOT share our values. Good luck with that.
The sane among us will continue to oppose the deal.
The sane among us will continue to oppose the deal.
Actually I'll take the opinion of the sane Gen. Tommy Franks, rather than that of the insane weiner(savage).
United Arab Emirates actively participated in the following events:
1995-2001: Persian Gulf Elite Go Hunting with bin Laden in Afghanistan Complete 911 Timeline
After the Taliban takes control of the area around Kandahar, Afghanistan, in September 1994, prominent Persian Gulf state officials and businessmen, including high-ranking United Arab Emirates and Saudi government ministers, such as Saudi intelligence minister Prince Turki al-Faisal, frequently secretly fly into Kandahar on state and private jets for hunting expeditions. [Los Angeles Times, 11/18/01] General Wayne Downing, Bush's former national director for combating terrorism, says: “They would go out and see Osama, spend some time with him, talk with him, you know, live out in the tents, eat the simple food, engage in falconing, some other pursuits, ride horses. One noted visitor is Sheik Mohammed ibn Rashid al Maktum, United Arab Emirates Defense Minister and Crown Prince for the emirate of Dubai.” [MSNBC, 9/5/03] While there, some develop ties to the Taliban and al-Qaeda and give them money. Both bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar sometimes participate in these hunting trips. Former US and Afghan officials suspect that the dignitaries' outbound jets may also have smuggled out al-Qaeda and Taliban personnel. [Los Angeles Times, 11/18/01] On one occasion, the US will decide not to attack bin Laden with a missile because he's falconing with important members of the United Arab Emirates' royal family (see February 1999).
But he thinks that he is on Rush's level and he isn't. He is an idiot and he is wrong on the Dubai deal.
How convienent that you leave out the help the UAE has given after 9/11 and for the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns and the WOT.
I understand the terms and I went to the source provided.
The port terminal is Red Hook. ASI claims operations there.
Can you prove this is a Saudi op? Or can you show me exactly which port it is that Saudi operates in Brooklyn as claimed in this article?
If you can't I understand. If you can, then it might be believable.
Use your imagination. That's what your enemy would do.
I want this deal looked into very carefully by Congress. I'm pretty sure that is what we are going to get, and we should.
I'll let one of our Congress Critters answer your question, for now. The same Congress Critter that believed (as I do) that it would be stupid to turn over too much influence in our own ports to one Communist China, which our old buddy Bill Clinton favored.
One might find more than one operating company at a single termnal.
I did a search of treminals in Manhattan Island the other night. Many operators have the same address.
You will have to be more specific here ~ is a non-Saudi company claiming exclusive rights at a terminal which is otherwise under contract with a Saudi company?
I can't think of any issue that has ever sparked more interest in your opinion and why you are a friggin nutcase for holding it. If I didn't know better I would have thought this was a presidential election issue.
So, how many times did you vote Dane? LMAO!
btw. I haven't voted yet. I'm waiting for facts beyond what I have now.
Remember, with UAE being the major point in the Middle East from which we deploy our military, kicking around their investor/owner class is probably not all that wise and may well endanger the safety of our troops in Iraq.
Once.
Well Gee that seal it for me I feel safer already…Sigh!
The US Navy docks its ships at Dubai more often than at any other non-US port in the world. 25,000 Americans (and 100,000 Brits) live and work in the Emirates now.
The only reason for this is so Iran doesn’t decide to annex the UAE when it ha a couple of hours to kill. They need us more then we need them
The realization that Dubai and the UAE is the most pro-American Arab country on earth is sinking in to fevered Congressional brains as their spasm of knee-jerk xenophobia dissipates.
Yeah so pro American that they Hunt with Bin laden still recognize the Taliban as the rightful leaders of Afghanistan, would not let us run down Bin Ladens Banks accounts in their country after 911, do not recognize Israel, not to mention two of the 911 hijacker came form the UAE etc. etc. Yep they are our good friends
It was also an embarrassment for them to learn that the NATIONAL SHIPPING COMPANY OF SAUDI ARABIA (NSCSA - owned by the Saudi government and Saudi individuals) has operated terminals for years at the ports of Baltimore, New Orleans, Houston, Savannah, Newark, and Brooklyn. A terminals list is on the nscsaamerica.com website.
It’s An embarrassment for us to learn of this also and really challenges the credibility of the war on terror and national security as a priority.
You know they're scraping the bottom of the demagogue barrel when they trot out the canard that the UAE is a signatory to the Arab boycott of Israel. Yes, and there are laws against prostitution in Vegas - which means there must be no hookers in Sin City, yes? Dubai does business with Israel hand over fist. The Dubai intel and Mossad guys know each other well. After all, their common enemy, Iran, is only 50 miles away from the UAE across the Strait of Hormuz.
Oh yeah the fact they do not practice what they preach certainly makes me feel much safer…Sigh
The shame in this is that Conservative Republicans in Congress, by allowing themselves to get suckered into Bush-bashing Democrat xenophobia, blew their chance to make a deal with GW.
Yeah well trying to falsely characterize and label concerned conservatives for not towing the party line and asking legitimate questions and voicing legitimate objections is always a good way to avoid addressing the facts…Big Sigh!
While they fulminated and rabble-roused right along with Schumer, GW stayed calm and obdurate, fanned out his folks around the country to explain the ports deal, and had the satisfaction of seeing Tommy Friedman in the New York Times and Richard Cohen in the Washington Post praise him and condemn Schumer.
Yeah The President certainly exuded credibility when he first proclaimed he would veto any bill then told us after that he didn’t even know about the deal. So why would he claim to veto something he hadn’t even known about without checking it out?
If they had kept their wits about them, the Republican Conservative Caucus in the House could have gone to Bush in the heat of the frenzy and offered to back him on the ports deal if he would back them on real border protection and illegal immigration control.
Amazing the ports are part of the borders for crying out loud! They are our sea borders they go hand in hand. The fact is having Arabs in the port is a bad idea and the excuses and apologist are getting pretty ridiculous. If they had kept their wits about them they wouldn’t have caved to UAE Bob Viagra Dole and Madeline Haflbright lobbyist.
Along with allowing runaway government spending, the most maddening thing about the Bush 43 presidency to conservatives is GW's inexplicable unwillingness to put a stop to illegal immigration across the Mexican border. Here at last was a chance to turn Bush around.
But it’s ok to allow are sea port borders to have Arabs with known ties to terrorist operating those ports Sigh!
Maybe they'll still try. Tancredo is about to give it a shot. But it looks like the moment of opportunity has passed. The "45 day waiting period" has given angry Congresscritters an easy exit from their opposition. Bill Frist has announced he's abandoning any effort at blocking-legislation. Duncan Hunter's threat of a bill to kill the deal is a dead letter.
This deal is set. Bush has won and the conservatives' temper tantrum has cost them dearly.
Probably, just business as usual for these pond scum we call politicians. You mean Bush and Congress has cost them dearly by this blunder and probably handed the 2008 election to Hillary and the midterm election to the dems because they caved. 70% percent to American oppose this deal if the republicans think they can just do a dog and pony show and gloss this over they are wrong. But hey the good news is the UAE is our friends…Huge Sigh!
You did know that's the issue, right?
Scale is important to comprehension of the factoids and opinions.
I'll bet the UAE leaders share more of my values than cretins like Hillary and Chuckie.
This is a BUSINESS deal. You guys who are turning it into some kind of moral statement are hilarious.
Let me just put it bluntly: 95% of Americans don't know where Dubai is.
You talk as if you are in the know about all of this stuff. you are just a "joe Scmoe" posting your opinion on a Patriot forum.
Let me just put it bluntly: 95% of Americans don't know where Dubai is.
You talk as if you are in the know about all of this stuff. you are just a "joe Scmoe" posting your opinion on a Patriot forum.
I always get a good laugh at moonbats who don't even try to addres the issues raised but simply try to make ridiculous personal attacks. Which is of course all you can do when you have nothing else as it is a good way to avoid having to address legitimate issues.
Maybe, but he has past experience and past success on this type of issue.
I'm not going to discount the man. I do understand that there might be strategic points to this deal which might be favorable, but I want them carefully weighed against strategic points which might not be favorable as well.
That's not asking to much I don't think. The decision is ultimatly not mine to make, but I'd like to see it hashed out a bit more. I think a lot of people wouldn't mind that. If nothing else I'll feel like we thought this out more carefully, whichever way it goes.
"You will have to be more specific "
I'm claiming this article a hoax until it can be proven Saudis operates terminals. From the source provided there is no proof of such claim.
If there is such proof source, then it needs to be provided
to be credible.
Yeah, me too. I kept emailing and telling him he needed to keep his mouth shut till all the facts were in.....
Much the same as his foolishness over the "runaway bride".
He is wrong yet again.
Well gee, Iran can get that from their newest buddies the chicomms(COSCO).
You just don't want to admit that the UAE has been ally on the WOT.
i did not mean that as a insult. i am a Joe Shmoe poster on Free Republic and I was not sidestepping the issue. i just look at it from the standpoint that I don't know of one Freeper who has access to the intelligence that our president and his people have to fight this war on terror. To act as if you do is your choice and it is your right to express it on a forum like this. God Bless you and have a good weekend.
This thread does not need to cross reference old business.
This is not addressing the issues with facts, this is babble.
For what it is worth, while only two were UAE residents, over half of them came from the UAE to the United States on their final flight to the United States.
Next thing you know they are working as ground guides and handling other support questions for a couple of teams on board airplanes flown out of Dulles airport to attack the Pentagon and other points in Washington DC.
Why is it you want to focus on gantry cranes and not those townhouses where these guys lived? Certainly they played a part as did the 5 mosques within walking distance of this location.
Hannity is right about this, and believe me, I am not a Hannity fan, but when he is right he is right.
Be for real, the deal is dead, has been for quite a while. And the fact that Saudi's operate ports here already doesn't make this deal any less wrong; it just means that we need to break off their contracts as well.
would not let us run down Bin Ladens Banks accounts in their country after 911,
do not recognize Israel,
You got this one right. Jordan and Egypt are the only nations in the area that recognize Israel. Note that reconstituted Iraq is not on this list either.
not to mention two of the 911 hijacker came form the UAE
A grand total of two out of 19. Al Zarqawi is Jordanian. What's that make Jordan?
Yep they are our good friends
As far as Arab nations go, they're pretty cool.
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