we outsource too much as it is

http://renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/060220

Recently, it's been hard for me to figure out where President Bush's head is at. With the news of US Govt. approval to hand over 6 of our major seaports to a firm in the UAE, I'm not looking at this from a conservative point of view, or through any political standpoint. I am looking at this through a common sense perspective. What are we doing as a nation?!

It's alarming to me that the White House is defending the action. President Bush should be reminded, we are at war. It is said that the UAE (United Arab Emirates) is one of the countries in which at least one of the 911 terrorist hijackers lived. The UAE has been a base for terrorist operations, and has been an easily accessible area for smuggled shipments of nuclear material to questionable countries like Libya.

Just like illegal immigration, the security of our seaports and news of this recent development has become a bipartisan issue. A bipartisan issue to oppose the transfer of control to Dubai Ports World. This is about safeguarding our country and preserving our sovereignty:

US Lawmakers Question Foreign Management of US Ports
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
February 16, 2006

(CNSNews.com) - Both Republicans and Democrats are urging the U.S. government to take a closer look at a deal that would turn over management of major U.S. ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates.

Right now, a private company in Britain manages major ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. But a UAE-owned company called Dubai Ports World is buying the London company, which will put Dubai Ports World in charge of the U.S. ports.

At a press conference on Thursday, a group of Democratic and Republican senators and representatives will ask the U.S. Treasury Department to "review the new arrangement and carefully and openly scrutinize all security issues before control is turned over."

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has warned that U.S. ports remain top terrorist targets. "Just as we would not outsource military operations or law enforcement duties, we should be very careful before we outsource such sensitive homeland security duties," the Washington Post quoted him as saying.

Schumer is among the lawmakers calling for a closer look at the UAE deal. The others include Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Reps. Vito Fosella (R-N.Y.), Chris Shays (R-Conn.) and Mark Foley (R-Fla.)

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Usually Sen. Chuck Schumer is off on one of his rants, but this time, he is making sense. We outsource enough of our jobs to other countries as it is. To outsource our seaports is insane in my opinion. We are opening the door to potential terror threats. It's a national security blunder of major proportions if we allow this to happen.

As much as I wish that our ports were under control only by American companies, in this case, a private British company has controlled much of our ports in the US for some time. But mind you, the British are our friends and brothers in the War on Terror. They have been our strong allies, and face the same struggle we do fighting terror. I would rather see an American company take our ports back if control is to be ceded to anyone other than the British.

Another disturbing find I ran upon is that the UAE is looking to do business with the Palestinians, and we all know just who won the Palestinian elections recently...Hamas, the terror organization. The President has already said that he will not work with Hamas because they are hostile to Israel (our true ally in the Middle East). So why would the US allow a foreign country such as the UAE, who will no doubt do business with Hamas, to take control over our seaports? We are inviting trouble with this deal!

The latest development is that a Florida firm is suing to block the UAE from taking over the port:

Firm Sues to Block Foreign Port Takeover
NewsMax.com Wires
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006
WASHINGTON -- A company at the Port of Miami has sued to block the takeover of shipping operations there by a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates. It is the first American courtroom effort to capsize a $6.8 billion sale already embroiled in a national debate over security risks at six major U.S. ports affected by the deal.

The Miami company, a subsidiary of Eller & Company Inc., presently is a business partner with London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., which Dubai Ports World purchased last week. In a lawsuit in Florida circuit court, the Miami subsidiary said that under the sale it will become an "involuntary partner" with Dubai's government and it may seek more than $10 million in damages.

The Miami subsidiary, Continental Stevedoring & Terminals Inc., said the sale to Dubai was prohibited under its partnership agreement with the British firm and "may endanger the national security of the United States." It asked a judge to block the takeover and said it does not believe the company, Florida or the U.S. government can ensure Dubai Ports World's compliance with American security rules.

***

I believe that the Bush Administration, and politicians in Washington are thinking in a business sense and not in the interest of our national security. No business deal should be worth risking our national security! Good for the people at the Port of Miami who are fighting back!

National security; ignored...what to do

With all the talk President Bush has done to get and keep the public focused in the fight against terror, I would think that the issue of border security and security at our nation's seaports would be of the utmost importance. But yet, nothing has been done to make sure we thoroughly secure those areas. All I've heard is talk. When will the citizens of the US see some action? There are daily skirmishes along the US/Mexico border and all the Bush Administration can do is talk about what they will do to secure the borders. Now the seaport development. It should have Americans seeing red, regardless if you are Republican or Democrat.

If you have not been politically active in the past, now is the time! We are living in extraordinary times and it calls for all of us to do our part to make sure our leaders in Washington hear us. We cannot wait until the crap hits the fan before we speak out or move to rally against what is going on. Now more than ever, it's time to speak out on what we believe.

It's time Americans from both parties stop the Democrat vs. Republican war and look at what is going on with both parties with respect to them doing their "own thing" and ignoring the rest of us. It's time to act, to clean house with the Gubernatorial and Senate elections slated for later this year. Get rid of the corruption in Washington. We still have that freedom at least.

I have always been a supporter of Republican values, I've voted for candidates who lean conservative and have the passion to do what is right for the American people. I'm thankful for what President Bush has achieved in his term with respect to the fact that he has put conservative judges on the Supreme Court, he has lowered taxes, signed into law the Partial-birth abortion ban, recognizes that marriage should stay between a man and a woman, and regularly speaks up for other conservative causes. But he is weak on the obvious. There is a huge problem within the Republican party right now. I would have expected that many issues that President Bush campaigned on would get tackled head on. But as we are heading straight for 2008, the President is still lagging behind on those promises. And the Republican party is fighting scandal with the Abramoff deal (Republicans and Dems alike were caught). This is not what the American people expected or deserve.

I suspect that President Bush is receiving bad advice and is following it. It's up to us to steer him in the right direction. It's disturbing to me that after 911, we are going to give control of our major seaports to company from a Muslim nation. Especially in NY. It's a slap in the face to all who died Sept.11, 2001.

Even if the company Dubai Ports World agrees to certain rules regarding national security, there is no guarantee that they will be followed, and that terrorist activity will be the norm at our seaports. Like the US borders, our seaports are vulnerable and to expose our waterways and shores to potential danger is a huge lapse in judgement.

I am asking and hoping that a majority of Americans would let the President know he is wrong on this. This is not a business deal, we can't treat our national security that way. To do so will eliminate our future as a free country.

We need to stop the outsourcing of our country to the highest bidder. Americans need to take back their country, and now is the time. Don't wait until it's too late!

Contact Pres. Bush: president@whitehouse.gov

To see Selling our sovereignty down the river and previous articles written by Felicia (Fee) Benamon, please visit RenewAmerica.us:

http://renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/060220

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