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View Full Version : Independent: Republicans turn on Bush to end plans for Dubai firm's ports deal



Greek soldier
03-10-2006, 08:51 AM
By Rupert Cornwell in Washington

Published: 10 March 2006

In a stinging reverse to President George Bush, an Arab-owned company has bowed to overwhelming opposition in Congress and dropped its plan, previously strongly backed by the White House, to run six major US ports.

The announcement by Dubai Ports World (DPW) came hours after top Congressional Republican leaders told Mr Bush yesterday that the deal was heading for certain defeat in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The private meeting took place almost at the very moment that the White House spokesman Scott McClellan was reiterating that the President would veto any bill that barred the take-over - where management of the ports would pass from Britain's P&0 into the hands of DPW, controlled by the government of the United Arab Emirates.

Continues... (http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article350373.ece)

"Daddy, what is called that?"
"Protectionism, my boy. Something that Americans accuse Europe for..."

Thor
03-10-2006, 09:35 AM
Has nothing to do with protectionism. It wasn't a problem when the brits was supposed to run it.

Macs.
03-10-2006, 09:42 AM
Good, don't support Saudi Arabia.

toad
03-10-2006, 09:46 AM
I think Halliburton got the contract now...

2Sheds_Jackson
03-10-2006, 06:26 PM
Looks to be politics as usual. The Prez is not exactly riding a wave of popularity right now, and it allows Republicans to oppose him while riding a populist opinion (most people oppose the deal). My concern is that Dubai jumped through every hoop we asked them to, and we still said no. What kind of message does that send the next country who's contemplating more cooperation with us?

Greek soldier
03-10-2006, 06:31 PM
Looks to be politics as usual. The Prez is not exactly riding a wave of popularity right now, and it allows Republicans to oppose him while riding a populist opinion (most people oppose the deal). My concern is that Dubai jumped through every hoop we asked them to, and we still said no. What kind of message does that send the next country who's contemplating more cooperation with us?

1) It's not politics, it's a poplarism-protectionism combo. ;)

2) The message will bethat, according to them, cooperation has its limits. Hope it won't happen with Great Britain and the F-35 Project.

BTW, I can understand protectionism, but I would like the US Administrations, either Republican or Democrat, admit that it is not only Europe that afraids the "laissez-faire, laissez-passe" principle but also USA.

ViktorNavorski
03-10-2006, 06:36 PM
Has nothing to do with protectionism. It wasn't a problem when the brits was supposed to run it.
Like the Greek man said, it's a combination of good old protectionism and popularism/xenophobia...Imagine how many sound bites these politicians are going to get to stir up some votes, "Rarr...rarr...I care about U.S. security too..."

Greek soldier
03-10-2006, 06:40 PM
The same like the Chinese oil company (Chinese National Offshore Oil Company) that wanted to buy Unocal, COSCO etc.

But when Lenovo bought the PC branch of IBM, nothing happened.