United Arab Emerates

[Quietfire]

[url="http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060211/ports_security.html?.v=2"]UAE Co. poised to oversee 6 US Ports[/url]

In a post September 11th world, this is such a huge and hotly debated issue in New York right now and many lawmakers are calling for the President to withdraw approval of this deal. He has until the end of February to make a final decision, although sources close to the White House stated that its a "done deal".

Republican Senator Peter King stated last night on the news that the investigation concerning this company has only gone through 'middle managment' at Homeland Security and that is not good enough for the safety of the citizens of this country.l


AP:

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist called Tuesday for the Bush administration to stop a deal permitting a United Arab Emirates company to take over six major U.S. seaports, upping the ante on a fight that several congressmen, governors and mayors are waging with the White House.

"The decision to finalize this deal should be put on hold until the administration conducts a more extensive review of this matter," said Frist. "If the administration cannot delay this process, I plan on introducing legislation to ensure that the deal is placed on hold until this decision gets a more thorough review."

In the uneasy climate after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration decision to allow the transaction is threatening to develop a major political headache for the White House.

"I'm not against foreign ownership," said Frist, "but my main concern is national security." He was speaking to reporters in Long Beach, Calif., where Frist was doing a fact-finding tour on port security and immigration issues.


Frist, R-Tenn., spoke as other lawmakers, including Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said they would offer emergency legislation next week to block the deal ahead of a planned March 2 takeover.

Frist's move comes a day after two Republican governors, New York's George Pataki and Maryland's Robert Ehrlich, voiced doubts about the acquisition of a British company that has been running six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World, a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates.

The British company, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., runs major commercial operations at ports in Baltimore, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia.

Both governors indicated they may try to cancel lease arrangements at ports in their states because of the DP World takeover.

"Ensuring the security of New York's port operations is paramount and I am very concerned with the purchase of Peninsular & Oriental Steam by Dubai Ports World," Pataki said in a statement. "I have directed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore all legal options that may be available to them."

Ehrlich, concerned about security at the Port of Baltimore, said Monday he was "very troubled" that Maryland officials got no advance notice before the Bush administration approved the Arab company's takeover of the operations at the six ports.

"We needed to know before this was a done deal, given the state of where we are concerning security," Ehrlich told reporters in the State House rotunda in Annapolis.

The arrangement brought protests from both political parties in Congress and a lawsuit in Florida from a company affected by the takeover.

Public fears that the nation's ports are not properly protected, combined with the news of an Arab country's takeover of six major ports, proved a combustible mix.

Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina said on Fox News Sunday that the administration approval was "unbelievably tone deaf politically." GOP Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia said on ABC's "This Week," "It's a tough one to explain, but we're in a global economy. ... I think we need to take a very close look at it."

Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey said Monday that he and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., will introduce legislation prohibiting the sale of port operations to foreign governments.

At least one Senate oversight hearing was planned for later this month.

Critics have noted that some of the 9/11 hijackers used the UAE as an operational and financial base. In addition, they contend the UAE was an important transfer point for shipments of smuggled nuclear components sent to Iran, North Korea and Libya by a Pakistani scientist.

The Bush administration got support Monday from former President Carter, a Democrat and frequent critic of the administration.

"My presumption is, and my belief is, that the president and his secretary of state and the Defense Department and others have adequately cleared the Dubai government organization to manage these ports," Carter told CNN. "I don't think there's any particular threat to our security."

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made the rounds on the talk shows Sunday, asserting that the administration made certain the company agreed to certain conditions to ensure national security. H said details of those agreements were secret.

During a stop Monday in Birmingham, Ala., Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the administration had a "very extensive process" for reviewing such transactions that "takes into account matters of national security, takes into account concerns about port security."

[jezic]

i am hoping that this doesn't happen,

though one note is that the press is making it sound like the country will oversee the ports when i think it is just a company based in that country.

[Quietfire]

Its a company based, I think, out of the UK. But it is UAE run and that is where it originates. But here in NY, the workers at least would be union Americans. But that wouldnt necessarily mean that Americans would actually know what is being loaded and unloaded outside of a manifest or bill of laden.

And dont get me going about customs and all. Lord knows that if you want to get something into this country bad enough, Customs wont be able to stop it. But in this context, its like leaving an open door IMHO.

Idk, the whole thing stinks to me. There's something there that I just cant put my finger on. It makes me uneasy.
Plus the fact that nothing was said until now and now the White House is like, "it's no big deal. Its good business." All the while screaming that we need to strengthen our Homeland Security.

This, to me, is a step in the direction of weakening Homeland Security. Especially when one Republican Senator emphatically claims that there has not been enough screening on this company and that it never went any higher than 'middle management' .

[scardella]

I just hope they don't bring all the cute cats in from Abu Dhabi...

I know, I know... Sorry...

[Fidei Defensor]

All I can say is.. wtfreak? Why cant we just handle it? Giving the business to an over seas business is just asking for weaknesses to be exploited, and leaves too much room for problems.

[ironmonk]

I agree with Bush.

Just because they are Arab does not mean that we shouldn't let them. We have let other countries do it, so why not the UAE?

These people complaining about this are racial profiling... and I would venture to guess that they supported anti-racial profiling stuff when it was a big issue a few years back. It is ignorant to think that it will open us up to terrorism just because they are Arab.

I'm no fan of the muslim religion, but we are to respect them... also, just because they are Arab does not mean that they are muslim... they could be secular Arabs running it. If they were to try to do any terrorism through it we would be all over them. The FBI & CIA will watch them like hawks.

[Norseman82]

We're outsourcing too much stuff. If it affects national security, what are people thinking? Or for that matter, smoking?

And does anyone realize that the Panama Canal is now run by a company that is controlled by the Communist Chinese government?

[ironmonk]

It is our own fault that we are outsourcing outside of the USA.

We should have listened back in the 80's when so many people kept saying "Buy American". We have only ourselves to blame.

The only way to fix it is to buy things made in America, and when you will not buy a certain product because it is from another country, send an email to the company telling them why. If enough people would do that, then outsourcing would be cut down. The problem is that too many people do not care... all they care about is getting a cheaper product.

Anyone who buys foreign goods when a more expensive American good is avaiable has no logical or moral right to complain about outsourcing.

I would be the people in the public view screaming loudest about this are the most guilty.

The answer to fixing the problem is not laws, it is people caring and buying American.


God Bless,
ironmonk

[toledo_jesus]

the only way I'll buy American is if it gets cheaper. Sorry, but we need to pay our workers less and they need to shut up about it. Simple economics.

We'll all be speaking conversational Chinese in 50 years, mark my words.

[ironmonk]

The problem is that it will not get cheaper as long as people are not buying American and we have people in unions who should be fired but because they are union they get away with not doing anything.

If someone will not buy American when available, they have no right to complain about outsourcing overseas.


God Bless,
ironmonk

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='toledo_jesus' date='Feb 22 2006, 08:52 PM']the only way I'll buy American is if it gets cheaper.  Sorry, but we need to pay our workers less and they need to shut up about it.  Simple economics.

We'll all be speaking conversational Chinese in 50 years, mark my words.
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Actually we as a nation should lower taxes on bussiness' and pay our workers MORE, and get rid of unions for the most part and get rid of employment health care, Health Care is what is KILLING ford and GM.

[ironmonk]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' date='Feb 23 2006, 12:15 AM']Actually we as a nation should lower taxes on bussiness' and pay our workers MORE, and get rid of unions for the most part and get rid of employment health care, Health Care is what is KILLING ford and GM.
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[/quote]


Ford and GM have been held hostage by unjust compensation by their unions forcing huge pension plans that they cannot keep going.

Employement provided healthcare is fine. My company spends about $150/month for me... Ford and GM is not dying from healthcare, they'rd dying because of lazy union workers and pensions.

Just tour the corvette factory and look in the boxes that union works can sleep as long as they want in... and when you ask "What are these for", the tour guide will tell you "We don't talk about that".

[Norseman82]

[quote name='toledo_jesus' date='Feb 22 2006, 08:52 PM']Sorry, but we need to pay our workers less and they need to shut up about it.  Simple economics.

[right][snapback]895241[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

What kind of work do you do? Do you have a family to support? Or are you supported by parents?

Do you honestly expect Americans to survive on two to three dollars a day like the sweatshop laborers who make the Air Jordans? Because that is what "competitveness" is turning into.

Not all American workers are overpaid workers who rely on seniority to get by.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' date='Feb 22 2006, 10:15 PM'] and get rid of employment health care, [right][snapback]895344[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

I know health care costs have been exploding, but isn't that a bit heartless? What happens when a family member is hit with a major illness or accident?

I think what also needs to be looked at are the slave labor wages being paid overseas. Have minimum wage standards overseas as well.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Feb 22 2006, 07:59 AM']It is our own fault that we are outsourcing outside of the USA.

We should have listened back in the 80's when so many people kept saying "Buy American". We have only ourselves to blame.

The only way to fix it is to buy things made in America, and when you will not buy a certain product because it is from another country, send an email to the company telling them why. If enough people would do that, then outsourcing would be cut down. The problem is that too many people do not care... all they care about is getting a cheaper product.

Anyone who buys foreign goods when a more expensive American good is avaiable has no logical or moral right to complain about outsourcing.

I would be the people in the public view screaming loudest about this are the most guilty.

The answer to fixing the problem is not laws, it is people caring and buying American.
God Bless,
ironmonk
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That's part of it. But it's gone beyond that now that we are more of a service-oriented society. We are having overseas companies do more of our services (think of all the IT outsourcing to India and the overseas call centers). Anything can be outsourced to a foreign country that is cheaper due to slave labor wages so that a greedy CEO can get a few million more stock options.

But my beef with the outsourcing of port administration is a potential loss of control over the ports.

And you are correct - we all need to look out for American jobs - from the consumer buying patterns to the corporate policies. Call it the "New Patriotism". (Although I will cut some slack for a low-income person who may not be able to afford a higher priced product, provided the product is a necessity).