Dubai Ports: Shame on the Democrats!

Blueflame, are you an American?

What reality do you live in oralloy?

I just get a kick out of the claims the Dems did it. The GOP controls the Congress oralloy. The House committee voted 62-2. Only the GOP can allow something to even come to a vote. You can't blame the Dems on this one in any reality and make it stick.

Times Online March 10, 2006


Second Dubai link to American ports
By Miles Costello



President Bush's respite from the raging controversy over American ports ownership appeared short-lived today after it emerged that a second Dubai-owned shipping company already provides services to the United States.


Just a day after a storm of political opposition forced Dubai Ports World to agree to grant control of its American P&O assets to a domestic operator, it has been established that the Dubai royal family are the ultimate new owners of Inchcape Shipping Services.

London based ISS, which serves a range of customers including the US Navy, has been owned since January by Istithmar, an investment firm which bought the shipping company for $285 million.

And in an extraordinary twist, the chief executive of Istithmar, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, is also at the helm of DP World, whose takeover of P&O sparked the original controversy.

The revelation comes amid huge hostility among both Republican and Democratic politicians to DP World's takeover of British ports operator P&O, which manages six ports in America, including at Baltimore, Miami and New York.

President Bush has been vocal in his defence of the deal, which threatened to bring about the largest Congressional rebellion of his tenure, with politicians of every hue complaining that it posed a threat to national security.

Last night, a face-saving deal was struck that will see DP World transfer the ownership of its US assets to an American company.

But according to The Washington Post, which today published a story detailing the extensive presence of "foreign" firms in nearly every American port, Inchape serves more than two dozen ports in the United States and serves a total of 200 worldwide.

According to Time magazine, in June last year the US Navy signed a $50 million contract to make ISS its "husbanding agent" for vessels at ports in most of Southwest Asia, including the Middle East.

The magazine said this meant ISS arranges fuel and spare parts for the ships, but is also responsible for erecting concrete security barriers if necessary. On top of that, it is aware of shipping schedules weeks in advance, something that is bound to fuel further concerns among America's protectionist political elite.

In a statement, ISS said all of its port staff are fully vetted and undergo a background check. "As a company, ISS has undergone rigorous external security checks, as well as having comprehensive internal policies on security," it said.

In its report, The Washington Post adds that, as a result of the vocal opposition to DP World's takeover, the American public has learned that the bulk of terminals at US ports are managed by companies from other countries, including Singapore, Taiwan, Denmark and South Korea.

parados wrote:

What reality do you live in oralloy?

The one where truth matters.

parados wrote:

I just get a kick out of the claims the Dems did it. The GOP controls the Congress oralloy. The House committee voted 62-2. Only the GOP can allow something to even come to a vote. You can't blame the Dems on this one in any reality and make it stick.

The GOP is not responsible for the Democrats spewing McCarthyist demagoguery and inflaming the public against the UAE.

The Democrats are responsible for their own McCarthyism.

The kneejerking is being done out there in the red states. It started with Peter King (R) of New York's Long Island but quickly spread to Kansas.

Note: George Bush approval rating is at 37 per cent today.

Joe wrote:

Note: George Bush approval rating is at 37 per cent today.

Hey, it's gone up.

Ticomaya wrote:

Joe wrote:

Note: George Bush approval rating is at 37 per cent today.

Hey, it's gone up.

cjhsa wrote:

Blueflame, are you an American?

Thanks cj for reminding us that if you ain't with Bush then you must be a terrorist.

The Republicans may have led the way in voting against the deal, but it was the Democrats who led the way in inciting the people with demagogy until the Republicans had no choice.

am I the only liberal/radical/anarchist/antichrist that supports having the UAE operating US ports?

Oralloy wrote:

Quote:

The Republicans may have led the way in voting against the deal, but it was the Democrats who led the way in inciting the people with demagogy until the Republicans had no choice.

Since truth matters so much, please post here what you consider the three most inflammatory remarks by any Democrat on this issue, no, check that, any Democratic officeholder. Andy Rooney doesn't count.


Joe(waiting right here)Nation

You're both liberal/radical/anarchist/antichrists? Didn't know that.