Arabs take control of 6 American ports
February 14, 2006 8:14 PM   Subscribe

Arabs take control of 6 major American ports. Dubai Ports World's purchase of P&O has not drawn opposition from world regulators or U.S. Homeland Security officials, who have labeled ports as potential terrorist targets. Anyone know who's supposed to be running this so-called anti-terror show?
posted by rodney stewart (53 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: fantheflamesfilter



 
Because in your eyes an arab is a terrorist?
posted by wilful at 8:16 PM on February 14, 2006


Because Dubai is the enemy? What the hell are you thinking?

flagged...
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 8:18 PM on February 14, 2006


not actually my eyes. these belong to Chuck Schumer:

"If a terrorist organization decided to infiltrate this company ... what would stop them?" asked Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
posted by rodney stewart at 8:19 PM on February 14, 2006


Arabs have also taken control of a number of countries!
posted by billysumday at 8:22 PM on February 14, 2006


What an awful article. I didn't realize people were this stupid.
posted by mulligan at 8:32 PM on February 14, 2006




mulligan - the article is awful?

This is a relatively major event in the shipping industry - this makes DPW the third biggest shipping corp in the world. They're an aggressive business and this is their latest expansion, so it's natural that there's an article about it. Furthermore, said article pre-empts idiocy like this post by detailing how the deal was approved by both the selling shareholders and a special committee to investigate just this kind of deal in just these circumstances. The article isn't the issue here. The post is the issue.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 8:39 PM on February 14, 2006


Agreed. Post = terrible.
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 8:40 PM on February 14, 2006


When the ports are already a major risk, then yes, selling them off to a greedy oil-rich monarchy in bed with the neocons is fucking alarming.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 8:41 PM on February 14, 2006


What rankles me more is that this is actually an interesting thing happening (having read the articles all the way through), and if it had been linked to without the racist, paranoid overtones it would have been a chin-stroker instead of a forehead-wrinkler.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 8:43 PM on February 14, 2006


Schumer poses a good question. For that matter, what's to stop terrorists from infiltrating McDonald's and secretly feeding shit to millions of Americans everyday? Looks like we better dismantle the global corporate economy, just to be on the safe side.
posted by aaronetc at 8:44 PM on February 14, 2006


Arabs are in your cheese! They're in your cheeseburgers!
posted by ook at 8:46 PM on February 14, 2006


"If a terrorist organization decided to infiltrate this company ... what would stop them?" asked Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Common Sense? If I was a terrist and wanted to buy/infiltrate/subvert a company involved in shipping, why would I be dumb enough to buy an Arab one?
posted by dangerousdan at 8:46 PM on February 14, 2006


I'd buy a Hyundai.
posted by TwelveTwo at 8:49 PM on February 14, 2006


You know, I once worked for a company that was taken over by an American behemoth... and yet none of my coworkers became instantly fat and stupid.
posted by pompomtom at 8:51 PM on February 14, 2006


Yeah. Good way to involve Arabs in the global economy in order to maintain stability and wealth in the middle east once their oil inevitably runs out. Complain whenever they diversify and invest in things. Nice one, chaps.
posted by Jimbob at 8:54 PM on February 14, 2006


it would have been a chin-stroker instead of a forehead-wrinkler.

That made me LOL.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 8:57 PM on February 14, 2006


Idiotic, racist post.
posted by poorlydrawnplato at 8:57 PM on February 14, 2006



Bush holds hands with Saudi princes.
posted by bukharin at 8:58 PM on February 14, 2006


Arabs have taken control of my heart.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:02 PM on February 14, 2006


That made me LOL.

Unfortunately, all these... moments... will be lost in time. Like tears in the rain... when this post is deleted.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 9:02 PM on February 14, 2006


We'll have our memories.
posted by TwelveTwo at 9:04 PM on February 14, 2006


if it had been linked to without the racist, paranoid overtones it would have been a chin-stroker instead of a forehead-wrinkler.

Agreed.
posted by homunculus at 9:07 PM on February 14, 2006


it was a shite post and very badly presented. sincerest apologies for this.

i was trying to make this post about an under-reported and controversial high-stakes security policy that appears to be primarily based on economic reasoning. thought that provided reasonable grounds for paranoia but should have left out the commentary etc.
posted by rodney stewart at 9:11 PM on February 14, 2006


I believe making the assertion that all Arabs are terrorists is generally considered a pretty racist sentiment. And one that should be kept to yourself.

I have no doubt that the sale will not result in the abolition of security measures, regardless of who owns the underlying company.
posted by fenriq at 9:14 PM on February 14, 2006


fenriq, so by your mesure isn't chuck schumer a racist too?
posted by rodney stewart at 9:27 PM on February 14, 2006


i meant measure
posted by rodney stewart at 9:28 PM on February 14, 2006


O REALLY DID YOU I WQULD NEVER HAVE GESSED
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 9:30 PM on February 14, 2006


The ignorance of this post would be shocking if it weren't so pathetic.
posted by AspectRatio at 9:30 PM on February 14, 2006


rodney, if Schumer said that all Arabs are terrorists then yes, he would a racist as well. But, from that quote above, he was pointing out that terrorists might infiltrate these shipping companies, not that those terrorists are Arab and would have an easier time because of the sale.

Still blurry?
posted by fenriq at 9:30 PM on February 14, 2006


yes. it's because i didn't say that all Arabs are terrorists either. according to your standard we both implied it. we're both racists in your book.
posted by rodney stewart at 9:36 PM on February 14, 2006


Mine, too.
posted by ook at 9:42 PM on February 14, 2006


Schumer's dog-whistling. He's just used more finesse than this post.
posted by pompomtom at 9:45 PM on February 14, 2006


YOUR POST SUCKS. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCKY POST.

flagged.
posted by shmegegge at 9:52 PM on February 14, 2006


it would have been a chin-stroker instead of a forehead-wrinkler.

That made me LOL.


Yeah, that was good. But I can't help but wonder if it could be improved somehow (because in addition to scowling (down), foreheads wrinkle in amazement too (up).)

Brow furrower?
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:55 PM on February 14, 2006


There's a company named Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co.? Do they make these?
posted by afu at 9:58 PM on February 14, 2006 [1 favorite]


pompomtom actually gets it right, Schumer's implication is substantially weaker and less direct than yours, rodney, but it does exist nonetheless.

But by your wording and the links you highlight, you make a much stronger implication at Arab = terrorist and that is wrong and racist.
posted by fenriq at 10:06 PM on February 14, 2006


pompomtom actually gets it right

No need to sound quite so amazed.
posted by pompomtom at 10:14 PM on February 14, 2006


Sorry, pompomtom.
posted by fenriq at 10:35 PM on February 14, 2006


i didn't say that all Arabs are terrorists either.

No, but the very first word in your post is "Arabs" and the very first tag you used is "terror"
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:44 PM on February 14, 2006



posted by 517 at 11:10 PM on February 14, 2006


That wasn't supposed to happen.
posted by 517 at 11:10 PM on February 14, 2006


I smile.
posted by scarabic at 11:29 PM on February 14, 2006


For that matter, what's to stop terrorists from infiltrating McDonald's and secretly feeding shit to millions of Americans everyday?

Huh.

That does explain it all rather nicely, doesn't it?
posted by five fresh fish at 11:31 PM on February 14, 2006


Isn't McDonalds already feeding shit to millions of Americans every day?
posted by scarabic at 11:41 PM on February 14, 2006


Peninsular & Oriental are, of course, a venerable 19th century transportation behemoth with fingers in all sorts of waterborne pies. (The "peninsula" is Spain; "oriental" was added when they began service to Alexandria.) For instance, they owned Princess Cruises since 1974 until spinning off the whole cruise subsidiary under the Carnival name.

What's really interesting is that DPW is owned by the government of Dubai. In any case, P&O is only owned by them, not being merged at this time.

This is all reminiscent of the hackles raised by the right over the very idea that the "Chicoms" should control "the Panama Canal" (they don't, but a company based in Hong Kong operates the canal ports). How owning a port translates into a strategic threat is never practically explained.

In this case, the ports certainly don't control security, which is under DHS, or Customs. I'm not sure how owning the company -- a company which derives billions in profits from its secure location in the United States -- translates into a willingness to abuse that access, let alone an effective means to do so.
posted by dhartung at 11:41 PM on February 14, 2006


I smile.

arabs has infiltrated MetaFilter!!!1 Who is running this website??
posted by tweak at 11:48 PM on February 14, 2006



posted by tweak at 12:09 AM on February 15, 2006


rodney stewart might also like to try shit stirring by by drawing attention to Hutchison, the worlds largest Port operator owned by the Chinese and with Ports including Panama and "gasp" Ensenada" only 80 miles from CA.
Terrah, Terrah. Grow up. Shitty Post flagged.
posted by adamvasco at 12:22 AM on February 15, 2006


The Arabs are coming!
posted by chaz at 12:47 AM on February 15, 2006


FWIW:

Company's sale raises concerns of port security

(final paragraph, page two) Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI has said the money for the strikes was transferred to the hijackers primarily through the UAE's banking system, and much of the operational planning for the attacks took place inside the UAE.
posted by Davenhill at 1:05 AM on February 15, 2006


Dubai has become one of the White House's close allies in the war on terror, but many of the 9/11 hijackers passed through the country and had cash wired from there.

Well at least the ports are no longer in English hands, what with Richard Reid's links to London....
posted by brettski at 1:25 AM on February 15, 2006


You know, I once worked for a company that was taken over by an American behemoth... and yet none of my coworkers became instantly fat and stupid.
posted by pompomtom


So - how long did it take?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 2:28 AM on February 15, 2006


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