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Finally, our polls are back after a long hiatus. We took them down due to being too busy over the holidays - - then after that, we upgraded our blogging platform and the polls application that we were using wasn’t compatible and it’s taken me THIS long to upgrade and fix it!
So.. onto the polling….
The question for this week’s poll:
Do you believe the U.S. should have approved the UAE port deal?
Your choices are simple:
Yes
No
You can participate in the poll in the upper left of the site. This post is open for discussion on the topic.
View previous poll results.
Related in the news:
US welcomes UAE port deal delay to brief Congress - Reuters: “he White House welcomed on Friday the temporary delay in a deal allowing a state-owned Arab company to run U.S. port terminals, but senators called for a law to put the deal on hold pending a security review.”
Can Bush save U.A.E. port deal - MSNBC: Republicans fear Democrats could gain ground on security issues.
US state of New Jersey sues to block UAE port deal - Forbes: The US state of New Jersey has sued to halt a deal giving a United Arab Emirates-owned company, Dubai Ports World, control over operations at six US ports, adding to opposition on grounds of national security.
Q&A: The UAE purchase of American port facilities - NYTimes: ubai Ports World (DP World), a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-owned company, recently bought the British-owned Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O). Effective March 2, the purchase gives Dubai Ports World control over facilities in six U.S. ports: New York, Miami, Newark-Port Elizabeth, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Baltimore. Politicians in affected states and cities have raised alarms in the media over vital infrastructure “falling into Arab hands.” Others in Washington are questioning the Bush administration’s quick approval of the sale and are working with local officials to block the takeover through legal and legislative channels.
Port Problems Said To Dwarf New Fears - WaPo: For people who have grown anxious about U.S. port security because a Dubai company may soon manage operations at six container terminals on the East Coast, Kim Petersen suggests that the real grounds for concern lie elsewhere — such as the fence he saw at a West African port a few months ago.
U.S. Has Quiet Relationship With Ally, UAE - WaPo: The United States considers the United Arab Emirates an ally in the war against terrorism, and maintains an important yet politically sensitive relationship with the Persian Gulf country.
Related in blogs (for and against):
The UAE Port Deal: What Are the Facts? - PowerLine: I’ve observed the blowup over the contract to give a company headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, DP World, certain contracts relating to American ports. From the headlines and occasional blog posts I’ve seen, it’s been hard to tell what the facts are.
Republican Pre-9/11 Mindset Wrong for Port Security - UAPA: Today, with more information coming out about the Bush administration’s decision to allow the sale of control over our nation’s ports to a company from the United Arab Emirates, the more it becomes clear that this is just the latest worrisome wrong-headed priority from Republicans.
Krauthammer on The UAE Port Deal - Blogs For Bush: Charles Krauthammer has some interesting things to say about the UAE Port deal…
HOW THE PORT SELLOUT WAS FINANCED - Michelle Malkin: “If demanding that our government put American security interests above foreign business interests makes me an “Islamophobe,” and if wanting to know the full details of the who, what, when, where, and why of this UAE government deal, secretly approved by the Treasury Dept.-led Committee on Foreign Investments in the US, makes me an “Islamophobe,” I plead guilty.”
BACKLASH AGAINST THE BACKLASH - Right Wing NutHouse: The backlash against the incompetent and cavalier manner in which the Bush Administration has handled the DPW port sale imbroglio has spawned its very own hysterical opposition – much of it from those who should know better….I don’t like waking up in the morning and discovering that I’m an “Islamaphobe” or “Un-American” for calling the Administration a bunch of rabbit heads for the way they’ve managed the unveiling of this idiocy.
The Politically Correct vs. the Politically Ridiculous - Andrew McCarthy: “With the approval of the Bush administration, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates is poised to take over commercial management of shipping and stevedoring operations at six major American ports, located on the eastern seaboard and in New Orleans. When attention was suddenly drawn to this development last week, the urge toward public-safety questions was understandable. Not panic, but legitimate questions.”
February 24, 2006 - 09:56 PM on February 24th, 2006
Personally, I think that Dubai Ports World taking over management of some of the ports would be a good thing. Most of our ports are woefully outdated. A huge injection of capital to modernize them would be great. Seeing as the day to day staffing isn’t really going to change, it seems like a win - win situation for the US. We get a large well financed company to manage and modernize a few ports.(Think about all of the Katrina damage at the port of New Orleans being paid for by someone else) We promote our image of being a multicultural country overseas. We give the UAE a HUGE incentive to insure that nothing does happen or it will look very bad for them. We would also have a very good opportunity to implement much more stringent security measures at those ports. Seeing as the State Department would have to vet anyone wanting to enter the country to work at the facility before giving them a Visa, security really won’t be an issue. It’s already far too easy to sneak in through the ports now. This would just give us an excuse to ramp up security at the ports.
February 25, 2006 - 11:54 AM on February 25th, 2006
Only a real evil nut would have anything to did with the UAE, It’s osama bin laden’s home port! “look people”, the Muslims will tell you anything to make friends with you in order to kill you, See Howard Bloom and read dodging the nuclear 9-11. read Charlie smith and understand what is coming, read Jerome corsi and see with open eyes.
don’t fall in line for your beheading.
February 25, 2006 - 02:08 PM on February 25th, 2006
To frmrartyoffcr you are wrong, the fact is the money will be going out not coming in, and its 22 ports not 3 or 6 or 8, the fact is some people will make billions on this deal and the jobs will go to the third world and we will get bin laden’s here by the millions. death anyone because that is what this is all about.
February 25, 2006 - 07:33 PM on February 25th, 2006
I think you should have a third choice - “I don’t know.” ‘Cause I don’t know.
February 25, 2006 - 08:05 PM on February 25th, 2006
I fear Bush is putting the fox in charge of the henhouse with this
You listen to the news and the first story is about our current Administration is fully in support and encouring the UAE to be in charge of our ports and then the second story is about how our Home Land Security Dept. is stopping at nothing to keep this country safe — the duality is uncomfortable.
February 25, 2006 - 08:15 PM on February 25th, 2006
I’m with Monika. I didn’t vote in the poll. Although I have now graduated from maritime commerce and free trade 101 and know a lot more about UAE as a result of researching the facts on this matter, I don’t believe I know enough to second guess this decision. I also don’t believe I am prepared to tell anyone that they are wrong about any concern. All I know is that I give those for whom I voted the benefit of any doubt and don’t start from a position that they couldn’t possibly do anything right. I pay attention and have my own gripes, but I think this is just the Bush bash of the week. I am more concerned about UAE being turned away unfairly. Part of the charter of CFIUS was to protect foreign countries from discrimination. Near as I can tell, UAE status with the State department et al is A-OK. Perhaps that status needs to be examined if everyone concerned here believes they know so much about UAE’s intentions.
February 25, 2006 - 08:28 PM on February 25th, 2006
You guys are all lining up for a mass beheading, sad world but the USA is dead anyway you look at it, this deal means that the one world is winning the fight and why do you all hate the USA? one word “money” just like bush and business, sad,sad,sad, but normal in the third world one world ideals.
February 25, 2006 - 08:44 PM on February 25th, 2006
The one thing that obviously has driven this all along is that somebody, in the U.K., the U.S. or both is going to make a lot of money on this deal. You can imagine the payolas, the backroom dealing, the arm-twisting, the favors called in that must have gone on to get this deal through the process and approved, a done deal before word got out and the public knew about it.
It is scary, but follow the money. I guess that’s more important than our national security.
February 25, 2006 - 08:58 PM on February 25th, 2006
Theoretically, the US has an OK relationship with the Sauds, too.
Maybe we could put them in charge of our nuclear power plants?
February 25, 2006 - 10:01 PM on February 25th, 2006
Actually, no other country but the US can control our Power Plants. For whatever reason, they had the forethought to make that the law, but somehow the ports escaped them!