[Kickinthegob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')rizona Republican Sen. John McCain, another possible 2008 presidential contender, said while Congress should seek answers, it should not rush to judgement before finding out the facts. "Surely his administration deserves the presumption that they would not sell our security short"

[gg3]

This is causing a s---storm across the political spectrum; even rightwingers are making a huge stink about it and cussing out loud. And a bunch of Republicans in the Senate and House are also taking a hardline stand against it.

Over the past month Bush has been saying he needed to order NSA into the domestic intercept business because "you can't be too safe." Everything including the 4th Amendment, was secondary to the War On Terror. This week we suddenly discover he isn't taking his own war seriously. Clearly something is up that is not good for us.

---

Meanwhile, here's another angle on the risks: Spying.

Presumably the UAE company would be able to bring in a few managers or other key employees from back home. This becomes an opportunity for Al Q to slip a spy into the mix and get him over here (or spies plural: why stop at one?). In fact it would surprise me if Al Q didn't already have penetrations in the company.

The goal of the spy or spies would be to scope out port security and send the info back to Al Q for planning and action; and possibly to facilitate an attack. Here's a quick rundown on what could be done...

HUMINT (human intelligence, classic spying): Develop friendly relationships with key port employees. Develop unofficial back-channel to those individuals, allegedly to "improve efficiency." Collect information via casual conversation and access to documents. A number of seemingly innocent details, when seen through the right framework of analysis, can tell the spies and Al Q an enormous amount.

The back-channel relationships could also be used to throw noise into the system during a crisis: the spy/spies could provide bad information that causes a security response to be mis-directed or thwarted, could tie up personnel with meaningless instructions, and so on.

SIGINT (signals intelligence: electronic collection): A few discretely-mounted antennae and some scanner radios feeding into a recorder: Think of what could be learned by recording all the radio traffic in the area including hand-held radios used by people on the ground. Access to the port's telephone system call accounting records can also provide an enormous amount of information: calling and called numbers are the least of it, and can also be used to spoof security and thereby facilitate an attack. Call accounting data can also be used to reconstruct a company's org chart and details of its strategic planning; this can be applied to security considerations. Needless to say, access to the LAN and VPN (computer networks) would be a goldmine, I hardly have to spell that one out in more detail.

IMINT (imagery & mapping intel): Widely-available satellite photos, carefully annotated based on the spy's on-the-ground knowledge. For example, notes about locations of security elements, difficult entry points, easy entry points, storage of critical security response materials, distances between areas of interest, etc. I'm not even that familiar with IMINT and I could figure this much out; an expert could do much better.

Need I go on...?

If you talk with anyone who has background at any of the intel agencies, major law enforcement agencies, or field-level military intel, they will tell you the same things in more detail, to the point where you'll lose sleep thinking about it.

Those who say "oh but the UAE company would have to operate under USA law" are fooling themselves. Spies are adept at circumventing laws, rules, procedures, and safeguards. That's their job; it's what they're trained to do. Laws don't stop spies any more than they stop bank robbers. Keeping spies out of the country stops spies; giving them the keys to the kingdom -or the ports- makes their job a heck of a lot easier.

A successful spying operation only requires access to one terminal, not a whole port. It could facilitate an attack via any terminal at that port, and could aid in planning attacks at other ports. Do not underestimate the risk here.

[seahorse2]

I think its interesting that this UAE deal is scheduled to close in March.
[url=[url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1647875&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312]ABC News[/url]]ABC News[/url]

Hmmm, March is such an interesting month with Iran being referred to the Security Council on March 6, the Iranian Oil Bourse supposedly to open on March 20, the Fed discontinuing M3 data on about March 26. Now, this Port deal also to close in early March, and Bush threatening his first veto ever if Congress tries to block the deal. I think Ben Laden is a silent partner on the deal, and that's why he recently put two tapes out threatening a new attack on American soil. He's waiting for this deal to close in early March

[topcat]

Yes, March is looking to potentially go into the history books Big Time. Things are very screwed up.

Ya cannot let the Iran oil bourse go online, for sake of the dollar, but another conflict would really stretch the forces thin.

Bush is fighting an uphill battle regarding the port sale, but when he wants to do something he usually gets his way. And then to suggest he finally found his veto pen!?!?

This is a time to keep your eyes open and your powder dry.

[Eli]

Just to confirm what gg3 said the Republicans are even coming out against this, here is an article from National Review, which is a stalwart conservative mag, and even they have come out against this idiocy. National Review


Also it goes to figure Bush had no idea that this deal was going through until it was already done.


Bush had no clue

That did not stop the moron from threatening a veto yesterday. I think what happens is he gets mad as hell when the Republicans in congress come out against anything that his administration does. He gets real reactionary at that point and lashes out thinking he can bully them back into line. So, that is when the White House gets really nasty, they save all the real venom for when their own party gets out of line.

This is huge dent to his administration it really serves to illustrate the level of incompetence in our government. Even people who would normally support this President think this is an extremely stupid idea, just the look of it stinks. The fact that he would get out and threaten a veto then the next day say we did not know anything about this until it was already done, but it is still a good idea screams incompetence.

Here is a good quote from the National Review



$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')ashington claims that the United Arab Emirates is a reliable friend and ally of the United States in the war on terror. To the extent that Dubai Ports World is a UAE state-owned company, this may in fact be the key question to ask. The answer is not hard to find if you start looking at the role played by the UAE as an eager financier of the huge worldwide infrastructure of radical Islam built over the past three decades by Saudi Arabia. An infrastructure that’s the main breeding ground of extremism and terrorism.
....skip

A reliable friend and ally? Perhaps, but hardly one of ours.

[Grimnir]

Bush sez..."I didn't know":

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington ... orts_x.htm

Maybe he is trying to get impeached.

[seahorse2]

I think what we are finally witnessing is that Bush is not a Republican. This latest port sale crisis shows that what is happening is a power struggle between the Executive and Legislative branches. In those struggles, it doesn't matter what party you are in. Bush isn't playing party politics, he's playing the power of the executive, which, if Congress doesn't reign him in, he effectively becomes a dictator.

This ongoing power struggle first started surfacing with the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, which showed at least VP Cheney's main main Libby was involved in a cover-up (again, Executive office). Then and now Congress is starting to wake up to the "domestic spying" which pits the power of the Executive against the power of the Legislative Branch to oversee the Executive's spying activities. Even Republicans are holding hearings on the spying issues.

Now, we have the Port sale struggle between the Executive and Congress - we see it is so tense the President is willing to front his own power and is threatening his first ever veto in six years. Maybe Congress is finally waking up. Hopefully, its not too late.

[Dreamtwister]

What gets me is that Congress obviously knew nothing about the deal before it was approved, DHS apparently knew nothing about it before it was approved, and now Bush is saying he didn't know about it before it was approved either.

So the question is, "How can the executive branch, the legislative branch and the single largest security organization ever concieved no nothing about the sale of 6 of the most sensitive infrastructure facilities in the country to a foriegn country?"

Better yet, if none of the above knew about the sale before it happened, then who approved it?

I would think this is the kind of thing where, even if I had the authority to OK these deals, I might want to pop my head into the bosses office and say "Oh by the way, I just sold 6 of our ports to a foriegn country."

But then again, these are the same guys who put a horse show judge in charge of FEMA and appointed a UN ambassador who holds the UN in utter contempt, so I guess I'm not really surprised.

[Grimnir]

Congress claims it has enough votes to override a veto:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185677,00.html

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seahorse2', 'I') think what we are finally witnessing is that Bush is not a Republican.

[Eli]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', '
')
But then again, these are the same guys who put a horse show judge in charge of FEMA and appointed a UN ambassador who holds the UN in utter contempt, so I guess I'm not really surprised.

[seahorse2]

No Roger, you're missing my point. What I'm saying is the US has three branches of government, and that we are beginning to witness a power struggle between two of them - Congress and the Executive. In these power struggles, it doesn't matter which party one belongs to - it becomes a struggle between members of Congress and the President. That's what we are starting to witness. For example, the President, now threatening to veto any Congressional action agains the UAE port contract, is acting not as a Republican, but in his role as the Executive. And, the Congressional opposition, growing more bi-partison, is acting as Congress, not as any political party. It will be interesting to see it unfold.

As for you're statement that neocons used to be liberals - where does that come from? Rummy and Cheney have always been Nixon supporting Republicans - never democrats.

But, again, these last two issues, the domestic spying and now the UAE port lease, are growing into a struggle between the Congress and Executive, not a struggle between the two parties.

[J-Rod]

No matter what stance one takes, this should end up being healthy for democracy, and the balance of powers. I don't think we should have arabs owning our sensitive ports, but that's not even the real issue. It is known that the coast guard and customs says they get maybe 1/6th of the funding needed to do proper inspections on cargo, no matter who owns the company.

What should really happen is more light gets shed on not only the sensitivity of the ports, but on the hypocrisy of the administration stance on "terror vigilance" and "homeland security". The doublespeak won't last forever.

[mattduke]

{topic merged by MQ}

It's a simple theory. The oil producers are no longer content with accepting paper in return for oil, and now they want real assets too.

[rogerhb]

Tough that US no longer honours the gold for dollars and you have to get some bricks or dirt for your money.

Just like the US is happy to freeze assets of dictators and other non-flavours of the month, they will happily sieze assets of other countries that "harbour fugitives" and "sponser terrorism" etc.

The rest of the world is hereby declared guilty of being foreigners....

[Carlhole]

The dirty little secret behind the UAE port security flap

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('David Sirota', 'T')here is no better proof that our government takes its orders from corporate interests than these kinds of moves. That's what this UAE deal is all about - the mixture of the right-wing's goal of privatizing all government services (even post 9/11 port security!) with the political Establishment's desire to make sure Tom-Friedman-style "free" trade orthodoxy supersedes everything. This is where the culture of corruption meets national security policy - and, more specifically, where the unbridled corruption of on-the-take politicians are weakening America's security.

[rogerhb]

Cui bono?
Follow the money...

[Shadizar]

I was thinking this too.

The consequences of not agreeing to the deal being that the dollar's value drops. After all they couldn't buy a "real" asset with it could they....

-Shadizar

[LadyRuby]

Help me figure this out, I'm sure there's some connection but I'm not putting the pieces together ... Help me understand why Bush, against all logic, is so hot to make this Dubai port deal go through and what the oil connection is.

Dubai Bourse Not a Rival for Iran’s Oil Bourse

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he oil bourse of Dubai is by no means a rival for Iran’s oil bourse because the nature of contracts and substances there are quite different from Iran.
Mohammad Javad Asemipour, official in charge of launching Iran’s oil bourse, took part in an exclusive interview with Petroenergy Information Network to discuss the latest developments related to oil bourse.

Q: During recent week it was revealed that Dubai is setting up an oil bourse in cooperation with New York oil bourse (NYMEX) and some media called it a threat to Iran’s oil bourse. What is your opinion?
A: This is not a new development. Dubai oil bourse was to be established as a national bourse with NYMEX as consultant. However, since NYMEX and London’s IPE bourse seek their own models and want other bourses to represent them, the plan was a failure from the outset. When Iran’s oil bourse was launched, NYMEX felt the heat and took two steps: firstly, it established a branch in Ireland to compete with IPE in North Sea, and secondly, it launched Dubai branch. Dubai branch pertains to NYMEX not Dubai. However, some Iranian media are mistaken about the whole affair.

Q: What activities will be followed at Dubai bourse?
A: Its main goal is assessment of crude varieties that are facing sales difficulties. For this reason, substances presented there cannot be a rival to Iran’s bourse. On the other hand it deals in gold and high-sulfur crude. In fact, the real name of Dubai bourse is energy and metals bourse. Its will take until 2006 to be in full swing and will focus on future deals.

Q: What substances will be presented at Iran oil bourse?
A: Iran’s bourse is a national, independent bourse and those who designed it have mixed main features of NYMEX, LME, IPE, Vienna’s bourse and Singapore’s bourse. Iranian bourse will consist of paper and physical transactions and will deal in petrochemical products, gas products, oil and its products, as well as downstream petrochemical products such as hydrocarbons and polymers.

Q: Deputy minister of economic affairs has noted that feasibility report on the oil bourse has not been sent to Bourse Council and there is no hurry for launching the bourse up to the end of Khatami’s government. Where is that report?
A: The report has been prepared in 500 pages both in Farsi and English and has been sent to minister of economic affairs and finance along with a letter. The report has been prepared by a group of former directors of IPE and NYMEX and includes every detail.
About hasting or postponing the bourse I shall say that Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance is the main architect of national economy according to articles 15 and 95 of the Third Economic Development Plan Act. So, it is for that ministry to speed up the plan. If Iran dawdles, other countries will take the upper hand; Dubai today and Qatar tomorrow. In that case we must only regret what we had done. International arena is the scene of competition.

Q: Why Ministry of Petroleum seems to be in no hurry?
A: We have been obliged by law to launch the oil bourse. We have done studies, purchased a building, signed relevant agreements, and bought needed software. The feasibility report has also been prepared. Therefore, as soon as Bourse Council gives the go-ahead, the oil bourse will start to work. That permit should be issues either under the current government or the next one; either now, or two months later. Launching an oil bourse is our sealed destiny.

Q: Minister of petroleum, however, has asserted that postponement in starting an oil bourse is due to certain conditions. When it will finally be launched?
A: If they issue the permit, we would be able to launch it before Khatami’s government is over. Market plays a competitive role. Foreign investment and foreign agents are requisites of modern market. Every government that has a better grasp of reality will be the ultimate winner.

[LadyRuby]

And another quote. Let's figure this out...

Dubai government, NYMEX to open ME exchange

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')ENAFN - 09/02/2006

(MENAFN) The New York Mercantile Exchange and Dubai's government said they plan to open the Middle East's first energy exchange during the fourth quarter, after two years of fits and starts, Bahrain Tribune reported.

The proposed Dubai Mercantile Exchange, a $50 million joint venture between Nymex and privately held Dubai Holding, will offer an electronically traded sour crude futures contract, but other commodities products may follow.

The bulk of the world's oil reserves lie in the Middle East, but the region has yet to successfully launch a crude futures contract that allows traders to hedge risk in the bustling energy market.

Nymex, the world's largest energy exchange, owns 50% of the venture. Dubai Holding, a group of companies belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, owns the balance.

Both sides have declined to discuss how they plan to split the costs of the project, but people close to Nymex have said the exchange is offering more technical expertise than cash.

Nymex will clear contracts traded at the proposed exchange, which may eventually offer refined-product futures and strategic metals such as gold and silver.