Dubai Ports Deal Done

Right Wing Nut House » DUBAI-BAI: IT’S ALL OVER BUT THE WHIMPERING

That thud you heard coming from the White House today was the sound of Karl Rove’s invincibility hitting the floor.The UAE was either asked or decided on their own to nix the ports deal thus heading off a certain veto override by Congress and embarrassing the President more than he and his Administration have already embarrassed themselves:

The United Arab Emirates company that was attempting to take over management operations at six U.S. ports announced today that it will divest itself of all American interests.

The announcement appears to head off a major confrontation that was brewing between Congress and the Bush administration over the controversial deal.

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) announced on the Senate floor shortly before 2 p.m. that Dubai Ports World would “transfer fully the operations of U.S. ports to a U.S. entity.” Warner, who had been trying to broker a compromise on the issue, said DP World would divest itself of U.S. interests “in an orderly fashion” so as not to suffer “economic loss.”

It was never about the security of the ports. It was never the fact that the UAE has a leader that has gone hunting with Bin Laden. It was never the fact that the UAE government has funded Wahabbist Madrasses all over the world to the tune of billions of dollars over the last 2 decades. It was never the fact that they don’t recognize Israel or that their banking system may be a financial way station for al Qaeda funds or that they were Muslims and I’m a bigoted fool.

It was always about the Bush Administration and their arrogant, cavalier attitude toward this deal and other aspects of homeland security including securing our borders. The committee set up to vet DPW was a bureaucratic rubber stamp made up of second and third tier assistant secretaries who didn’t even feel the need to brief the heads of their agencies about the deal. They never felt the need to brief the Joint Chiefs. The never felt the need to brief Congress.

Trackbacks & Pings

  1. Oblogatory Anecdotes on 09 Mar 2006 at 6:25 pm

    Dubai Pulls out of Ports Deal….

    The question is now why did the UAE give up so easily without a fight? Could it be they did not like the idea of the added scrutiny? Who knows what more investigations would have uncovered? The other question is which Clinton will get the blame, The …..

  2. Techography on 09 Mar 2006 at 6:27 pm

    Well, Thats Nice Dear…

    Yay. I’m happy. Can you see the smile? No? Ok fine I’m being sarcastic.So they finally did something over the whole Port deal. It’s <A HREF=”http://acepilots.com/mt/2006/03/09/dubai-ports-deal-done/”>sunk</A>.Yay.Now can we please deal…

Comments

  1. Rob Luke wrote:

    Maybe so, but the political reaction has been more about pandering to the electorate’s paranoia and xenophobia than about any outrage at the administration’s arrogance. Insisting on only American firms running security at America’s ports means insisting on the sort of security at America’s airports that allowed September 11, 2001 to happen. Brits and Gulf Arabs have a better history of dealing with terrorist threats than any American. Let’s leave security to the experts.

  2. Michael The Thumper wrote:

    Dubai Ports was not going to run security at American Ports in any case.

  3. Steve wrote:

    The question is now why did the UAE give up so easily without a fight? Could it be they did not like the idea of the added scrutiny? Who knows what more investigations would have uncovered?

    Goodness such a paranoid mind.

  4. commissar wrote:

    Michael,

    Rick was a harsher than I might have been, but he points out that the main problem with the ports deal was political, the too-familiar tin ear of the Bush admin.

    From what I’ve read, the actual security issues may have been fine.

  5. Michael The Thumper wrote:

    Commissar:

    I was actually responding to Rob Luke.

  6. The Sanity Inspector wrote:

    Now what are they going to do? Are there even any port management companies in America, or does someone have to form one?

    There’s a thought–give the contract to Halliburton, and listen to the howls.

  7. John the Marine wrote:

    It’s true that the Bush Adminastration had a tin ear for public opinion on this one, but I found something else to be note worthy and ironic. The Liberals; Chucky Shumer, Hillary Clinton, Barby Boxer and such were all up in arms about an “Arab Company” running the ports. Isn’t this the same crowd that likes to admonish us about profiling? However, since they realized that public opinion is anti-Arab they jump right on the the Xenophobe band wagon. Makes me wonder if any of the hacks in DC are not either opportunist, morons or both. Sort it out accordding to your own political persuasion.

  8. that colored fella wrote:

    The Liberals; Chucky Shumer, Hillary Clinton, Barby Boxer and such were all up in arms about an “Arab Company” running the ports.

    since they realized that public opinion is anti-Arab

    I cannot imagine the depths of denial it takes for those Bush Apologists to go on spouting these kinds of talking points! Bush is faulted only for a minor miscue, because all this was the Dems exploiting a racist opportunity to bash him.

  9. John the Marine wrote:

    that colored fella,
    You miss the point. Bush is not to be excused for putting his foot in this one (or anything else for that matter). However, what I find delisciously ironic is the anti-profiling crowd (those named above, and others) ARE PROFILING. IT IS JUST ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION OF LIBERAL HYPOCRACY. By the way “that colored guy” if the dems weren’t the; race baiting, I hate America, pink socialist and politically correct panty waist party, maybe I would have a choice come election year. (Bush ain’t no prize but thank God he’s not Kerry)
    Oh, I did say sort it out according to your own politics. So, for you that means defend Libs at all cost and refuse to acknowledge any legitimate criticism.