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“Dubai Ports Deal Off” : CNN

By SusanUnPC on March 9, 2006 at 1:39 PM in Current Affairs

Thursday, March 9: Tune in to CNN or C-Span2 to hear Sen. John Warner speak about the Dubai ports deal. Just as CNN cut to Warner, they said the deal is off. Dubai Port World has issued a press release, sent out by Ted Bilkey, the COO (see my Feb. 22 story on Bilkey). “DP World has agreed to divest itself of all American interests.”

Predictions, anyone? Will the interests be sold to an American company? Does this save Bush from himself? Er, his typically hasty, intractable stand?

. . . Friday morning UPDATES . . .
      ”He speaks to the audience as if they’re idiots. I think the reason he does that is because that’s the way these issues were explained to him.” – Graydon Carter (editor, Vanity Fair)
      ”Bush didn’t really win on his popularity last time. He won on scaring people that Kerry might do something stupid like, I don’t know, sell the ports to the Arabs.” – Bill Maher
      - From the quotable page for Bill Maher‘s HBO show, last Friday.

      As long as I was at Bill’s HBO site, I thought I’d share the guest line-up for tonight: This Friday, Bill’s guests include feminist Gloria Steinem, actor Larry Miller and editor Ramesh Ponnuru. Plus, via satellite, baseball’s Pete Rose and reporter John Burns. When is Bill going to invite Larry and Pat Lang on?
      Speaking of Pat Lang (blog), he managed to unnerve me last night as an expert on the History Channel’s special, “Iran: The Next Iraq?” Thanks a lot, Pat. I just checked the History Channel site, and apparently it’s been out a while. I guess I missed it when it first came out, having somewhat given up on the “Hitler Channel” programming. But this is a very clear rundown on Iran’s history and threat. You can buy the DVD.

  • http://apoeticjustice.blogspot.com/ thepoetryman

    Now that just may be some good news!

    Where’s the Beauty of Iraq

  • Susan

    PoetryMan, maybe. I’m so wary of these people. It might be a shell game. Maybe — ha! — Halliburton will buy the U.S. division.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/CCK Sometime-CIA-Defender

    Apparently, the odd wording of the deal may mean they aren’t actually selling it, but doing something else. Creating an American subsidiary? Leasing out the work to a US company? It’s not clear, according to Sen. Schumer on MSNBC this evening. We’ll see.

  • Amos Anon

    If they’re smart and mendacious, they’ll do what they should have done in the first place: set up a Bermuda shell company whose stock is owned by DPW with a prominent US Front Man – like Neil Bush, who should be rested now from his Adventures in Financial Services gig – to run the thing (on paper).

    I’m not real smart, and I know how to do that.

    This is a shame, because P&O Ports is (or was) a crackerjack operation. I once worked for a P&O ship operating subsidiary, and dealt with them in NOLA, Fujairah and Dubai several times. They were always up to the mark.

  • http://drewlbucket.blogspot.com/ DrewL Bucket

    Personally, I think the Republicans in Congress came out the winners on this one, and they’ll be sure to let all of us know that leading up to the November elections. I still think the DP World deal was a red herring set up by the administration to prop up Republicans in Congress in advance of the elections. It sllowed them to “stand up” to a president whose approval ratings have been in the shitter for some time. It also allowed them to move their message to one of national security from one of ethics violations and indictments.

    Well, the thing helped Democrats, too, right? Well, not really. The Dems need to pick up seats, while the Repubs just need to retain what they have in order to retain majority status. And what the Bush administration needs more than ever is to ENSURE that Republicans retain their majority status. To lose that would open up a Pandora’s Box of problems for Bush.

  • Brenda Stewart

    I too feel that it was a fraud and that there is something behind all of this. We just didn’t see much of a fight from the White House, as normal. I think it was a set up. We are dealing with crooks here. If this was a buy off, maybe the Carlyle Gp.

    Yes, this a way for the republicans to maintain their boisterous way of being leaders and to give the public a story that they are solid for security. {not}

    This administration is so screwed up, who knows.

  • http://emrysx.wordpress.com/ EmrysX

    Yes, this will be good for Republicans who opposed this deal in November. The only folks with mud on their face is the Administration and those agencies who should have been doing their homework in the first place.

    Whether or not this was calculated by the Administration, the fact is that the instinctive opposition to this deal was borne directly from the Administration’s heavy handed wielding of “terror” since 9/11.

    You do, in fact, reap what you sow.

  • SailorSam

    Heard by grapevine this morning that DynCorp was sniffing around for this.

    Now THERE’S some guys who can crew up an anvil…

  • Amos Anon

    RE: My Previous

    For “crew” read “screw.”

  • Susan

    Amos Anon, you’ve written some really interesting posts in this thread that pique my curiosity.

    What did you like about DPW? Was the “face” of the staff and workers an international one? Primarily UK?

    Tell me more abt DynCorp.

  • Susan

    Brenda, funny you should mention Carylyle.

    Madeline Albright was hired by DPW to lobby Congress — along with Bob Dole and others (names?).

    And isn’t Mrs. Albright a member of Carlyle?

  • Susan

    I’ve updated the story with a couple items, including some jokes.

  • oldtree

    is this just a scam to set up halliburger to come in and rescue? it sure stinks all the way to the white house to do something like this to legitimize a criminal entity as “not as bad as the arabs”?

    I sure would like to know

  • Brenda Stewart

    Albright, as far as I know is owner of her own consultant gp. She is very connected to Baker III in ME exploration and such. This suprised the doo doo out of me when I found this out. As far as the CG, I would’t be one bit suprised…:o) Seems like they are into it someway or the other.

  • Brenda Stewart

    DynCorp, what little I know of them is that they are mercernary in ways and types of assignment. like blackwater and all. If they got the contract, we will still be in for a hell of a ride IMHO. They were quite active in central and south america, if my memory serves me right. They might have been the biggest gp in clintons area of his term’s war. They sure do like their sweet ladies too, no matter what age they are, I hear.

  • Susan

    Brenda, see what I added about Madeleine Albright and The Albright Group, as well as her daughter, Alice.

    I tell you.

    Then there’s Bill Clinton makin’ out like a bandit on advising the UAE on the port deal while his wife is posturing against it.

    It’s enough to make a person an independent. (Snort!)

  • PrchrLady

    GREAT job Susan. I just got back into internet to check up, and good ness you have been busy…

    I AM BOrrowinfg friend laptop,and having trouble typing on such a small key board.

    friends, keep me in your thots these next few weeks while i am on the roaD. I appreciagte the links, so I can keep up witgh all the craziness that continues on these shores.

    Protect and Defend, many of us took that oath, or one similAR to it. How many think the cabal 8in power extends farther thaqn even our worst nightmRES?????

    Peace to All in these troubled times… Marlene

  • Mr.Murder

    Bush killing loan initiatives for domestic businesses, locals should get the contracts and integrate security with it.

    Have a reltive that does this, and between that and FEMA-related times he stays pretty busy working with the gov’t to address needs.

    Still Dubai has got no business calling the shots.

    But we fire linguisitic people for lifestyle decisions within the intelligence community now.

    Too bad we need these folks to help maintain the logisitcal ground work, review, and oversights for crucial items like this.

  • http://www.skidubai.org/ Ski Dubai

    Hello All,

    Do you know where i can find more info on jobs in Dubai (available for non UAE nationals)

    Thanks,

    Amela

  • Halo
  • http://www.mixx.com/users/fridamelessad BigBan

    Oh, Thanks! Really funny. Greets.