Is this a great idea or what?

[Edan]

Originally posted by MrFun



The UAE companies that seek to manage these port operations -- are those companies privately owned in UAE or does the UAE government own those companies?

If they're government owned, I would think that that would increase our security risk even more.

It is state-owned (AFAIK< there's only one)

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Edan


It is state-owned (AFAIK< there's only one)

Great -- one would have to be somewhat naive to think that all would be rosy and secured with some of our major ports being tied to the government of UAE.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The UAE is considered to be an ally on the WoT, however.

[DaShi]

Bush is a uniter!

[Ramo]

This is dumb.

It's sad that of all the things that the Dems could latch onto with regards to Dear Leader's shenanigans, this is it. Absolutely pathetic.

Democrats.

Dubai Ports World isn't directly state-run. It merely recieves funding from the UAE gov't. They run ports all over the world. And the UAE is hardly in bed with al-Qaeda. While it did recognize the Taleban gov't, that's largely due to the number of Afghan workers in the UAE.

There's no real reason to think that security would be comprimised. And besides, the ports will still be ultimately be overseen by our own authorities. So this is not a big deal.

Incidentally, a PRC-owned corporation already manages some of our ports.

[DaShi]

It's not just the Dems. Top level Republicans are against this as well. In fact, they're some of the most vocal against it.

[KrazyHorse]

Yeah, the guy I heard *****ing about it was Bill Frist...

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
The UAE is considered to be an ally on the WoT, however.

– The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

– The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.

– According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.

– After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden’s bank accounts.

- Courtesy Think Progress

[Ramo]

It's not just the Dems. Top level Republicans are against this as well. In fact, they're some of the most vocal against it.

Yeah, but they're supposed to be irrational xenophobes. I'd like to think that the Dems are a little bit better than that. Or at least better than Bush about that.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Winston
Learn how to read. The administration is not opposing a foreign takeover.

Yes they are, they are just using the flimsiest excuse available...

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Ramo

Dubai Ports World isn't directly state-run. While it did recognize the Taleban gov't, that's largely due to the number of Afghan workers in the UAE.

Originally posted by Ramo
There's no real reason to think that security would be comprimised.

Right -- supporters of the former Taliban government will be a perfect partner for our own national security.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Ramo


Yeah, but they're supposed to be irrational xenophobes. I'd like to think that the Dems are a little bit better than that. Or at least better than Bush about that.

Go ahead and label me a hypocritical, liberal racist/xeneophobe, but that is totally unwarranted and uncalled for.

My concern is that the Bush administration has shown with this situation, and in the past with other situations, that Bush and his cronies are not consistent in ensuring our national security at best, and blantantly cynically hypocritical about national security at worst.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous


– The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

– The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.

– According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.

– After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden’s bank accounts.

- Courtesy Think Progress

cold-hard facts

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Yes they are, they are just using the flimsiest excuse available...

Just stop digging your hole any deeper, PH.

[q=MrFun]supporters of the former Taliban government will be a perfect partner for our own national security. [/q]

Um... it recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. How that equates to 'support' is your own fantasy. Frankly, the Taliban controled over 90% of the country and set down its own laws and government for a number of years. If 9/11 hadn't happened, sooner or later, we'd be recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, since they controlled it.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


Um... it recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. How that equates to 'support' is your own fantasy. Frankly, the Taliban controled over 90% of the country and set down its own laws and government for a number of years. If 9/11 hadn't happened, sooner or later, we'd be recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, since they controlled it.

And it would have been wrong for our own country to have recognized the Taliban as well.


And explain to me the REAL difference between support and recognition of a government. By recognizing a government, you're declaring that you believe that government to be legitimate in spite of any crimes against humanity it may have committed, in spite of its barbaric anti-intellectualism, in spite of any serious corruption, and so on . . . . .

If there really is a difference between recognition and support, and that you're not actually splitting hairs here, I still stand on the premise that even just recognition of a government is wrong on priinciple.