, poster "Seattle Conservative" makes a large number of points worth considering:
Thought I’d share the following w you. My head was about to explode by Wednesday over the Port deal. It got to the point where I could barely listen to or read any more on this issue. So when I came home I sat down and just typed out what I felt I knew and my thoughts on the deal (this often helps me collect my thoughts and see pros and cons on issues). I think we discussed some of these last week. I’m definitely leaning for this deal and, while my mind can be changed, to date I haven’t seen 1 legitimate argument against the deal. My reference to Dims below includes some RINOs.
1. UAE is run by an Emir – he would not allow anything to happen on American soil due to the fact that they are trying to build a westernized culture (large cities, investments, tourists, women’s rights) and he knows that they’d have hell to pay. I think if anything, they’ll be extra careful. Why would UAE cause harm to the US via shipping when the finger would be pointed right back to them - -it makes no sense. If they wanted to harm the US, it would be easier and they could keep a lower profile to send someone over the Canadian or Mexican border.
2. OBL, Iran and the Islamo-facists would like nothing better than a Arab company kicked out of the US or not allowed in the US – great propaganda for them.
3. UAE, Jordan, Kuwait are our main allies in the ME. If we tick off UAE it’ll will tick off the rest (let’s call it ‘Muslim brotherhood’), like a slap in the face to all Arab nations and we’d loose some valuable allies on the WOT and in the region. Could also have a turning point on our efforts in Iraq.
4. Plans for a new Grand Port in Iraq. IMHO this deal is strategic to have a relationship w UAE from a shipping perspective and also any potential issues w Iran (see proximity on map to both - I'll post on another post).
5. UAE was one of first to put in new security measures at their ports (Container Security Initiative) and we have our folks there working with them.
6. A lot of people went off half-*censored*ed and didn’t learn about everything involved and/or based their comments on feelings and mis-information and/or limited information (e.g., original comments were selling our ports and/or selling security at our ports, rather than leasing the container terminal operations at our ports).
7. Dims – security a big issue for them as the Americans have trusted Pubbies w security more than the Dems. To win elections, they need to take over the security issue and they see the ports as an avenue to do that, especially when they lie about what the deal really entails.
8. Blame Bush for using ‘warrantless wiretaps’ and ‘eavesdropping on Americans’ one week (when he is trying to protect us through the NAS), then they jump on the port bandwagon the next week saying Bush doesn’t care about our security. More bash-Bush and showing what a bunch of hypocrites they are.
9. Peter King was on Tony’s radio show and mentioned something to the effect that they weren’t aware of the deal until the NY Port authority made them aware of it. Light bulb went off for me – Chuckie is the one that came out loudest and first on this and his wife works for the NY Port authority – coinky dinky, I don’t think so.
10. The Dims holler about the treatment of the terrorist Arabs in Gitmo then say we can’t trust the Arabs in the UAE. They’re racists and bigots, but won’t admit it, and are demagogues on this whole issue.
11. One of the main issues is that the Dims are probably getting pressure from the unions, primarily longshoremen, who give HUGH donations to the Dims.
12. Not selling the Ports – the deal is the sale of one company in the UK to another in the UAE and involves the management of the operations of the ports, not the ports themselves and not the security (nothing will change on what Customs, US Coast Guard, Homeland Security are currently doing).
13. I think it was Feinstein that said let government take over. Just what we need, another huge bureaucracy, increasing the size of the government, huge $’s to taxpayers, who will train these folks, goal to get these folks unionized, too?
14. Contrary to some Dims hollering about having an American company do this, no American company currently performs this type of work, only a few countries in the world w this company’s capabilities. US currently has port ops run by other countries, including China.
15. Canada – one of largest trading partners, cells there, easy to get in (don’t need a passport if claim ‘refugee’ status), easy to cross border to US, but apparently Dims think the UAE could hurt us more by handling shipping ops.
16. That some of the 9/11 bomber terrorists were from UAE, doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The shoe bomber was from London. The bombers in London weren’t from UAE.
17. Mansoor Ijiz on Tony Snow –
a. Amount of cargo that comes here from there so small, they could search every one (CAT scan or otherwise).
b. UAE changed in how they viewed terror after 9/11. In 2000 they offered Clinton to put OBL in their jail.
c. They take an active front line against defense – the royal family is one of the main targets of OBL.
18. Tommy Franks on Tony Snow, mentioned the following:
a. Camp Rhino maps, coordinates, etc provided to Franks by UAE
b. UAE first ones to give us unlimited over-flight
c. Port in Dubai probably best run port complex he’s ever been in, hosts more navy shipping than any other port in the world outside the US. Franks knows these people, and absolutely trusts them.
d. We’re not talking about giving security to a foreign country - we’ll continue to provide sec.
e. Tommy said this is just a red herring and they’re chasing down an alley during an election year.
f. UAE has had military forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq. UAE has been at front end of help in ME.
g. UAE offered $100M to help Katrina (1st to do so).
h. Excellent intelligence gathering and have been sharing since before 9/11 – were ‘best source of intelligence on Taliban’ we had.
i. We sold them F-16 and apache helicopters they’re flying now (during Clinton’s admin). Have been vetted before.
j. Will look like ‘no good deed remains unpunished’.
k. We have 1500- a few thousand troops there - - when was the last time you heard of sec incident in UAE – take great care of our ‘sons and daughters posted there’.
l. Worldwide economy that if we permit lawmakers to bring to a halt every potential deal that involves US ports and foreign companies, we’ll bring shipping to its knees’
m. We don’t profile in this country, yet looking at lawmakers who seek to look at everything from ME is bad.
n. People in our country our smarter than politicians give them credit for – we need to be able to differentiate ally from enemy and UAE has been mis-characterized at this point.
19. Wabaahism isn’t allowed in UAE.
20. Bush’s problem in this issue and other issues is American people’s perception of reality rather than reality. He needs to communicate and be honest w public about this and other issues and get on the offense rather than continually having to play catch up defense.
21. The Dubai company is operating ports around the world now and the US is getting shipments from those ports –if they wanted to do harm to us, they could have sent something in long before now.
22. Employees of the company at the US ports are and will be US citizens and unions (though it appears the unions feel somewhat threatened by this).
23. 1st reported in press in Oct by Bloomberg. P&O and UAE announced in Nov. - came to light recently w company in FL filing lawsuit - -seems like they want to take over whole operation, and, by doing so, increase the number of union folks doing work there.
24. The Dims gripe about this deal being ‘secretive’ (there’s that word again), but, I don’t believe they have any evidence that the Admin hasn't done due diligence - - it has been reviewed and approved by the CIFUS, which includes members from the departments of Defense, HS, and Treas.
25. The Dims conveniently forget that they helped pass CIFUS – this is another issue (like the terrorist surveillance one) where Dims are screaming ‘Congressional oversight’ – due to CIFUS, they don’t need to provide oversight – however, of course they feel the need to do so as they want to tie Bush’s hands some more, have another issue to run to the cameras and bash Bush on, and give more importance to themselves (they hate that Bush is sometimes characterized as ‘the most powerful leader in the free world’ and forget about what is supposed to be 3 equal branches of government, they want to give more power to themselves and take some away from the Prez).
26. I trust Pres Bush – believe he and his admin have done every thing they can to protect us and don’t think they would allow any deal to go through that would cause potential harm to the US.