Originally Posted By ecdc <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/19/port.security.ap/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITI CS/02/19/port.security.ap/index.html</a> A company owned out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is set to take over security at the six largest U.S. ports. Congressmen and women on both sides of the aisle are questioning the sense of this move. Dubai has even had ties (unlike Iraq) to 9/11 and some of the funding came from there. I'm sure some will label me and those opposed to this as bigots, but I don't want Muslims in charge of our port security. I naturally don't see every Muslim as a terrorist; but we've seen the irrationality they are capable of over the cartoon issue. Until the Muslim world can demonstrate that they are not extremists, by having the moderates actually take a stand for a change and getting the nutcases under control, they have no business being part of America's security.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan This is going to be a very big story this week -- it has politicians and pundits on BOTH sides of the aisle seething mad.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I had heard the same group from Dubai also operate several major ports in Europe.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I had heard the same group from Dubai also operate several major ports in Europe.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy This is another " scandal " where people are calling this move sheer idocy without knowing all the facts of what we are doing here. You think Bush is going to do something that hurts the security of the country while Muslims are burning down half the planet? Surrrrre he is...... in the mind of a liberal trying to once again score polital points against Bush instead of coming up with any ideas of their own. Get the facts striaght, THEN start the hysteria.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Bush has yet to secure our borders. Why would I think he is overly concerned with making our ports secure?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I had dinner two nights ago with my friend that is second in command of Georgia Homeland Security. I mentioned to her this move and she was concerned.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Get the facts striaght, THEN start the hysteria.<< Careful before you get too far out there on this one, Beau. Your talk radio buddies are fuming about this, too.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy It SOUNDS wrong to me also. But Condi Rice said the program was looked at by many , many people and their is no security threat here. The Bush administration has national security as it's number one focus, so I doubt they are going to turn our ports over to a bunch of Bin Laden style, cartoon hatin maniacs. Damn, where's Rush for my talking points. LOL Going to Disneyland in the morning!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Beau, Isn't this about where you'd usually throw in a few comments about Islam, Religion of Peace (ROP)?? You're falling down my man... don't you know that ALL Muslims want to convert us or kill us? It says so right in the Koran... and it doesn't exempt people working in ports.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom One of the 9/11 highjackers was a citizen of UAE. Who had an active bank account in the UAE and received money ( finacing ) from the government of the UAE. If President Bush and Condi Rice beleive this deal is good then let them "Out Source" the Secret Service to the UAE.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj OK . . . OK. Once again, I read the sensational headline here on the boards, but when I go to read the real article it is a totally different story. Based on the headline and discussion here, you would have thought that GWB himself sought out an Arab owned company to run domestic port security. But when I read the article in depth I find out that the security operations of the port in question have been run by a British owned company for some time. The Dubai-owned business bought out the British company, resulting in their ownership of the security operations as well. In a free economy, deals like this are bound to happen. I can see where our government should intervene to make sure adequate safeguards are in place to prevent security breaches, but I don't think it is a good precedent to simply deny a company from doing business because it is Arab owned and operated. We live in a free and open society, and a capitalist one to boot. There will always be security consequences in this sort of environment. Before we decide to build an economic Great Wall of China to shut out the rest of the world, how about we take a step back and weigh the actual security risks and not just the sensational headline grabbing jabs? FWIW, on my last trip to UAE I encountered some of the friendliest and most welcoming people that I have found on any of my excursions to the Middle East. They were very much pro-American and gracious hosts. They were so kind to take us on a tour of one of their grand mosques, and I felt extremely secure during all of my travels there. My only complaint about UAE -- too doggone hot in August, at least 110 degrees in the shade!
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom One of the 9/11 highjackers was a UAE citizen and sponcered by the UAE government. The UAE is composed of several Arab states. Their friendliness towards to American's vary. Americans are still not safe in the UAE. Sure they are probably safe in Dubai as long as your spending money. But its no Orlando.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj Have you ever been to Dubai? It is very much like Orlando! Water parks, resorts, amusement parks! The atmosphere is very western-like in terms of their approach to leisure. For the most part, I have always felt very safe during my travels to the Middle East. In all likelihood, my life is probably at greater risk on my morning commute to work here in the U.S. than while I am overseas on the Arabian peninsula.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I have serious concerns when our government is going to turn over major port authority responcibilities to a foreign government despite any secret promises and assurances that foreign government has made to any US administration.
Originally Posted By bboisvert Wasn't one of Bush's bumper sticker taglines from the debates something like, "We will not outsource our nation's security"? <<insert cheering fanbase here>>
Originally Posted By bboisvert Oh, I found one from Zell Miller... "...I want Bush to decide. John Kerry, who says he doesn't like outsourcing, wants to outsource our national security. That's the most dangerous outsourcing of all. This politician (Kerry) wants to be leader of the free world." Zell Miller, 9/1/04, Republican National Convention