Thursday, March 09, 2006

Hmmm -- Forbes reports that the Dubai deal may not be exactly what you may think it is:

In what could be a last-ditch effort to salvage its deal to operate American East and Gulf Coast ports, DP World told Congress that it would agree to transfer control to a "U.S. entity," which could simply mean a subsidiary of the Dubai operation.

In a statement, first read on the floor of the U.S. Senate by Virginia Republican John Warner, DP World said the decision was made to "preserve the strong relationship between the U.S. and the U.A.E." But in fact, it sounded suspiciously like a device carefully crafted by DP World's huge team of lobbyists and lawyers to salvage the deal in some fashion.

The new entity is supposed to have an American board and American managers, but the ownership was still questionable, or as New York's Democratic Senator Charles Schumer observed, "the devil is in the details." ...


Meanwhile, the wingnuts have a recommendation for the ports:

"Mikey_1962" Larry Lucido at Free Republic: OK, cue Halliburton.

"Bad Dog" at Lucianne.com: Now, bring on Halliburton!

"Reader Marty M." at MichelleMalkin.com:: Please, please, please let Halliburton get the ports contract. Sure, they have no experience at running ports--I just want to see moonbat heads explode.

Ace of Spades: The issue goes away, the ports will be run by an American operation (assuming, say, Halliburton is willing to take over), and, to the extent American security was compromised, it no longer is.

Well, no surprise, really. After all, apparently somebody is buying these damn things:


****

UPDATE: Via TBogg, I see that yet another Bushist is is saying "Halliburton! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Damn, it's the right-wing "Aristocrats."

No comments: