Condoleezza Rice ASSURES UAE over port deal: "NO doubt about takeover"

[Bluebear]

Screw you, Teamsters. Fuck you, lawmakers. Talk to the hand, public opinion. George's buddies have received ASSURANCE.

====


ABU Dhabi: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told leaders of the United Arab Emirates that the U.S. government had no doubts about the takeover of six U.S. ports by an Emirates-owned company, a State Department spokesman said.

Rice discussed the purchase of the commercial operations in the six ports when she met the prime minister, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-Maktoum, and the crown prince, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed, shortly after arriving in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday evening, the spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

U.S. congressional opposition to the takeover has led the buyer, state-owned Dubai Ports World, to offer to delay exercising control over the ports to give President George W. Bush more time to convince lawmakers that the move poses no security risks....

The spokesman said little about Rice's talks with the U.A.E. leaders except that she praised the country as a strong U.S. ally and said the Bush administration was confident of its approval of the purchase. Later Rice met foreign ministers of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states in Abu Dhabi.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=22479

[Coexist]

1. Oh - that photo

::: shudder :::

she looks evil.

[dchill]

2. And, uhh...

dangerously stupid.

[babylonsister]

3. Gawd, I hope she's wrong. nt

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. Well, if Condi-licious said it...

...it must be true. After all, she was right about the mushroom cloud.

:silly:

[annabanana]

5. You SIGN those papers, guys.....

Just don't show up 'til next week...
(We'll provide cover)

Gawd, she gives me the creeps..

[aquart]

6. Get it all on film, darlings.

For when she runs for president.

[Bluebear]

7. Heck ,the link is from a Lebanese paper

I doubt that "Wolf" Blitzer will report it.

[Generator]

8. You know it's funny we all thought the showdown with Bush

and the Congress might be the NSA spying. The old "I can do whatever I want because we're at war" thang. But it's this. NOW Rove, Dubai, and the whole military idustrial complex and the bankers! are going to lobby lie, promise, beg, bribe, and threaten if need be to get this passed. Who blinks first? The Dems or the Republicans? OR ladies and germs-do they actually listen to the majority of the people they fucking claim to represent-the AMERICAN people whose fucking country this is.

We wait anxiously for an answer.

[Erika]

9. W & his misadministration are a world corporate cabal

They care zero about U.S. citizens. Unfortunately, the bushbots won't see reality.

[Disturbed]

10. takeover of six U.S. ports

It is 21 Ports. Ms Rice assures the UAE Kings that Congress and the American people have no say on this sale.Just as the UAE is a Dictatorship so is the USA. The Govt. only pretends that it represents the people while it represent Multi-Corps.

[babylonsister]

11. Here's your answer: longshoremen, and they aren't happy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2479596

Also, from DUer Wesdem...

-snip

What’s the significance of a foreign company operating terminals in a U.S. port?

While foreign and U.S. companies are able to lease terminals in American ports, the ports remain publicly owned. Each company is responsible for moving ships and goods in and out of their terminal, and may even hire a private security firm, but the U.S. Customs and Border Protection remains responsible for checking the cargo and the U.S. Coast Guard is charged with overseeing security. These responsibilities are mandated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. An analogous relationship may be seen in U.S. airports, where foreign airlines may lease a terminal, but the U.S. Transportation Security Administration is responsible for security.

Which nationality will the workers be at the ports in question?

The workers who load and unload cargo from ships at U.S. ports are represented by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) on the East Coast and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWA) on the West Coast. These powerful unions deal with shipping companies directly and all the union members are U.S. citizens. As ILA spokesman James A. McNamara told the New York Times, "Any movement of cargo from the bottom of the ship to the tailgate of the truck leaving the port is handled by ILA labor." While not as highly organized as the dock workers, experts say most private security personnel and shipping company staff at U.S. ports are also likely to be U.S. citizens.

-snip


http://www.cfr.org/publication/9918/uae_purchase_of_ame...

There are links throughout the summary.

[Bluebear]

14. Of course, the GOP hates American labor.

I just wish we could convince the rank and file of that and not vote for "who they want to have a beer with"!

[Ripley]

12. She is a Black Woman from Alabama.

So she gets 5 gigazillion passes by the Repubs.

[Clarkie1]

13. Condi 08'?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[tom_paine]

15. You don't have to worry about Filthy Little Nobodies when you are Totalit-

-arian Scum.

OF COURSE she has "no doubts".

Like Hitler had no doubts he was going to "get" to invade Poland.

[Swamp Rat]

16. yep