UAE Gave $100 Million for Katrina Relief

[sabra]

http://www.chippewa.com/articles/2006/02/23/ap/headlines/d8fv4skg5.txt

UAE Gave $100 Million for Katrina Relief


WASHINGTON - Weeks before one of its companies sought U.S. approval for its ports deal, the United Arab Emirates contributed $100 million to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, officials confirmed Thursday.

The Bush administration said the money it received from the United Arab Emirates was nearly four times as much as it received from all other countries combined. Other countries, including some in the Middle East, also pledged large contributions but have not yet sent the money.
The White House said the $100 million for storm victims demonstrates the close relationship between the two governments now caught in a firestorm over the potential security risks of state-owned Dubai Ports World running operations at six major U.S. ports.

The money from the United Arab Emirates was previously described by the State Department only as a "very large" contribution. The White House said so far it has received $126 million in international donations, including the UAE money.

The administration said there was no connection between the request for U.S. approval of the $6.8 billion ports deal and the UAE contribution. It disclosed details about the donation to support President Bush's description of the nations as important allies.

[KingFlorez]

1. Hmmmmm......

[MSgt213]

2. Okay. Where is it?

[MichiganVote]

9. First thing I thought to ask too....

[MSgt213]

14. Yes! Show me the money baby! Any of it.

[MichiganVote]

15. Or...what's left of it!

[wordpix2]

32. I agree, hey Bu$hCo, let's see an account of where that $$$ went

[MichiganVote]

33. I think there are some mighty big mattresses somewhere

[Tight_rope]

40. That's the first thing that came to my mind too!

[tex-wyo-dem]

51. Probably sitting in some off-shore accounts or....

in Halliburton's coffers.

[arealliberal]

63. Or paying for hotel rooms...

and lap dances.

[DeltaLady]

79. You have struck a nerve with this

you have NO IDEA how difficult life has been for the LARGE MAJORITY of us. Many of us lost EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, can you really fathom that? House, clothes, furniture, books, artwork, a lifetime of mementos and pictures, cars, our community, our medical networks, and in some cases, relatives, neighbors and friends. Our support systems, friends and families completely vanished as we were dispersed. I lost my home (in Gentilly, New Orleans), my daughter lost hers (Mid-City New Orleans)and my 80 year old father lost his (Waveland, MS)

I am 57, female, and spent 700. on my credit card the day after evacuation and well before help of any kind arrived. Every penny of my personal money was used to buy food and basic clothing (read underwear, socks, etc.) for an extended family numbering 15. (My son-in-laws brothers and their wives and children and his mother as well).

We are STILL waiting for FeMansions (10 X 20 feet) as the little available housing has more than doubled in cost, and is way beyond the limits FEMA is willing to pay. My income has been spent to continue paying on a mortgage for a house which I still don't know if I can ever rebuild because although the governor has told us to receive grants we must comply with the new FEMA height elevations, FEMA hasn't told us what they are yet!!! WE WERE ALL INSURED, yet, with the jackals that have come to feast on the carcasses of our lives, building costs have more than doubled as well, so none of us can be made half-way close to whole without those grants. If FEMA tells me I have to raise my house over more than 8' (it is already four feet off the ground) it will have to be bulldozed. My nerves are at the breaking point; in point of fact, I have a real problem with anyone who says a word to me about tattoos or lap dances.

The live-for-today-damn-tomorrow crowd may have spent monies foolishly, but the VAST MAJORITY of us are still in GREAT NEED. I have been, by grace, staying with someone who I barely knew before Katrina hit. Although he is a wonderful man, I cannot stay here indefinately...and then what and where? I had health problems before, and this has exacerbated them greatly. To say that the health, both mental and physical, of the bulk of us is in a sorry state is to make a great understatement. I am a very strong person and this is breaking me.

So next time to want to be snarky, pick on someone other than the victims of this holocaust. We who have survived are standing....barely.

[arealliberal]

83. I apologize if I “struck a nerve.”

However, this thread is about the UAE donating 100 million to the relief fund and I was responding to the “what happened to the money?” line of thought. And the fact remains that this disaster was mismanaged on all levels and billions of $ have been wasted.

I hope that aid comes your way ASAP, but I believe the best help comes from within one's community as opposed to nameless bureaucrats.

[Carni]

54. Dick Cheney's wallet probably eom

[Wordie]

56. The article says the money was transfered on Sept. 21 to State Dept. acct.

The United Arab Emirates sent its $100 million Katrina donation on Sept. 21 using an electronic transfer to an account at the State Department, the White House said. Two-thirds of the money was given to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help coordinate aid to 100,000 families. The rest was sent to the Education Department to help rebuild storm-damaged schools and universities near New Orleans.

The article that I read shows a date of today, so maybe it's been updated with additional info.

[Wordie]

76. Clarification: I excerpted a WaPo article...

It was not the article cited in the OP. Apologies for any confusion. Here's the link to the article I cited:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/24/AR2006022400247.html

[burrowowl]

74. As you say!

Where is it?
In Haliburton's hands?

[rfranklin]

3. Absolutely no connection to the port deal! How can you be so...

suspicious? Have we ever lied to you before?

[PassingFair]

52. This type of thing goes on all the time....

It's just politics...

Don't worry our pretty little heads....

:puke:

[Betsy Ross]

4. Just asking, how was the money spent to help Katrina victims? n/t

[frankly_fedup2]

24. It's probably been mismanaged like the $9 billion they lost in Iraq. Well

it's just ours, the majority of the middle class's money anyway, and they have more and more of that coming in everyday.

You noticed major programs get cut and yet, they get raises, they are guaranteed retirement checks, their medical and dental care for themselves and their families, as well.

I do not think we should have career politicians. Two-term senators and two-term representatives. At least the first terms they will work for the people.

[w4rma]

36. career politicians

I disagree. I believe it is too hard to get good, non-corrupt, qualified folks into politics already, without forcing away the good ones who finally get some power.

I think term limitations will make it easier for big buisness to get a queue of corrupt lackies into power.

Besides, the "Contract With America" sweep was partially based on a promise of term limitations. We see how that promise wasn't kept.

[frankly_fedup2]

47. Yeah, they got right to work on those term limits didn't they? Liars . .

in crime. What gets me about lifelong politicians is that after so long, they get corrupted in one way or another.

I mean Tom DeLay is in court regarding misused campaign funds with other Republicans, yet he sits at the head of the Appropriations Committee. That is a very "coveted" seat (since he cannot be speaker). As soon as that SOB resigned, they awarded him.

It's just BS all the time.

What gets me is when they call programs that our tax money pays for "entitlement programs" and act like that is welfare and that people take advantage of it. Well, yeah, some do unfortunately, but I believe that to be the minority.

My Social Security Retirement is not an "entitlement program." Neither will my Medicare be because we pay for it up until we retire, then we continue to pay for it out of our retirement checks. So that so-called "Entitlement Program" BS from Limpballs is flashbacks from his redneck heroine.

Sorry.:rant:

[Tight_rope]

42. "It's probably been mismanaged"...more like they stole it!

[arealliberal]

64. Mismanaged...? You got that right.

But then, what else would you expect?

[arealliberal]

65. I agree--term limits are the way to go.

Too bad it will never happen.

[tatertop]

5. Did that money ever make it to New Orleans?

[arealliberal]

66. I don't know, but some of it definitely made it to some of the

go-go bars in Houston.

[Name removed]

80. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Puglover]

81. And YOU should take the time to aquaint yourself

with DU rules. You cannot call a fellow member of DU a troll whether you think they are or not. Period.

[KamaAina]

6. How ironic. One of the six ports in question is... New Orleans.

Pretty good ROI (return on investment), if you ask me.

Then again, after foreign dignitaries toured the devastated neighborhoods of the city, Mayor Nagin joked about selling the Lower Ninth Ward to Jordan's King Abdullah. It looks like he may only have been off by a few hundred miles...

[stepnw1f]

22. Bingo!!!!! (nt)

[sundancekid]

44. and many more ports in that area too - see link below

http://portal.pohub.com/portal/page?_pageid=169,1,169_82863&_dad=pogprtl&_schema=POGPRTL

[catmother]

7. many countries gave money for katrina relief. i remember

reading a list. even some of the poor countries tried to help.:shrug:

[RoyGBiv]

8. The spin is in ...

I actually watched the evening news tonight -- network and local -- and when the subject of the ports came up, every bit of it was focused on cheerleading the UAE. Oh, sure, to remain "fair and balanced" they did in fact note that some "renegade" Republicans were against the deal and the Democrats were opposing Bush as usual.

I try not to be pessimistic about everything, but with all the expectation surrounding the possible fallout of this, I have to say I give it one to two weeks before the story has gone away except in footnotes.

[dubya_dubya_III]

35. Guess Rove bought the 70 virgins thing

[PassingFair]

53. Bush will drop it before...

any major investigation gets underway.

The fact that KNOW ONE claims to KNOW ANYTHING about it shows how fast
they are willing to pedal away from this.

Keep pressing the media.

We want to know the quid pro quo.

Where do Carlyle, Halliburton, Middle Eastern Royal Families and the U.S. Government collide?

[hopeisaplace]

10. Must be the deposit on the FEMA TRAILERS sitting in a field

300 million wasted on unused trailers? (so what's a mere 100 million
lost in space) :sarcasm:


Trailers sitting there while families suffer is unforgivable.

[arealliberal]

67. Exactly...

[Inland]

11. The UAE is in the business of knowing USG officials and trading favors.

Why, one might ask, isn't the UAE investing in bubble gum or software or desalination?

For the same reason that all the old pols end up with Carlylse or Halliburton.

The UAE makes it's money by getting government contracts. It leverages favors. Letting teh navy tie up for Bush's idiot wars, a favor. Charity, a favor. Chasing terrorists, a favor. Huge transactions with CSX and investments in teh Carlyle Group, a favor.

Bush returns the favor by shortcircuiting a process and getting it a big ass contract, paid for by US taxpayers and businesses. Maybe it was an express quid pro quo, maybe implied. But that's what it is.

It's crony capitalism.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MGKrebs]

17. I'm going to challenge that.

I ain't no Neocon supporter or even a centrist, but posting the followup to the initial story seems to me to be Sabra's milieu, and that is a good thing for well-informed people.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MGKrebs]

18. Self delete.

Don't know why that double posted.

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. Funny, I didn't see that as a rah-rah.

It looked more like "Hey, look at the big-assed bribe the UAE paid for their ports contract!"

[MGKrebs]

13. I don't know if the UAE is a risk or not.

But the story here, for me, is the incompetence, AGAIN, of the administration not handling this properly.

If the UAE really is a risk, this is very bad.
If the UAE is not a risk, how could all those high priced advisers not have anticipated that the relevant Governors and Senators would be pissed at not being given a heads up?
And haven't they learned by now that when you do everything secretly, people will speculate as to what is really going on? The "trust me" shtick is wearing thin.

[aden_nak]

16. Even if the UAE is not a risk, its individual members could be.

That's the real danger. Thinking of the UAE as one large, collective body (like an opposing superpower) is a very "pre-9/11" way to view them, even by Bush's logic. Simply put, UAE presence at our ports creates a dangerous and easily exploitable situation for terrorist activity. If we wouldn't contract out our airports to the UAE, we shouldn't contract out our seaports, either.

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. I think the UAE IS a risk. Wasn't it the UAE royals who owned

70% of BCCI? They are up to their necks in terrorist money, and therefore, in terrorist contacts.

Then again, so is Saudi Arabia. I'm half surprised we didn't sell the ports to them.

[0007]

25. Tight is tight.....not even Tony Blair gets to hold junior's hand

Even when Tony becomes a member of the Carlyle Group board, he'll never inherit this status.


junior's college days of secret societies payed off, 'eh?

[northzax]

69. huh, that looks an awful lot like a Saud

am I right?

you know those are two completely different countries, right?

[dubya_dubya_III]

37. IMHO Pakistan would have been a safer choice

[aden_nak]

46. Personally, I think the UAE is a risk. I'm just raising an argument.

Which is to say, even if people are convinced, somehow, that the UAE is comprised of only "good folk" or whatever absurd coloquialism Bush applies to them. Putting the UAE in charge of these opperations makes it quite a bit easier for an al Queda operative to gain access, because while the UAE proper may really be our ally now, I find it hard to believe that 100% of its members had a sudden change of heart after 9/11.

[frankly_fedup2]

20. Well big whippity do-da-day. We give the Palestinian Authority

$200 million a year and yet the Palestinian people still live in squalor (Average $2 a day). Hate us but take our money. They, also, hate us because we help the Jews. They hate the Jews because they claim they stole their land, yet they take money from them monthly in taxes, and the Jews (Who have been paying the Palestinian Authority $55 million a month in taxes. Where the heck is that money going you may ask?

Well, $2 million a week or a month is going to Suha Arafat. Yep, Yasser's wife. When Arafat was taken to a French Hospital to be closer to his family remember when his wife came out in all the Arab and American press stating that the Palestinian authority was trying to kill and/or poison her husband? Then it was reported that the Palestinian Leadership met with Suha and came to an agreement as far as her and their daughter and, I believe, adopted sons. I believe it was either $2 million a week or a month that she demanded to take care of her family and herself for the rest of her and their natural lives. (Can you say shamelessly G-R-E-E-D-Y?) I remember seeing the Palestinian Authority on the news but they really didn't announce this to the Palestinian people. I'll find it if I can.

THEN, it wasn't long until Arafat died. Suddenly, Suha demanded all of his medical records. I don't know how that works in France; however, in the U.S., you can get copies of all of the medical records; however, you cannot walk out of a hospital anywhere with the original documents. They are the property of the hospital.

There were rumors that Arafat died from poisoning Arafat OR he died from complications of the AID's virus as he was a homosexual. Then, there is no more news about it.

One of Arafat's nephews tried to get copies of his medical records; however, he was refused any access to them. Hmmmmmm. Of course, legally in this country, he would not have access to them unless he was the only living survivor.

[wordpix2]

31. thanks, Frankly. I knew there was a brouhaha over Mrs. Arafat's greed but

didn't know all the numbers you've put out here. Maybe some Palestinians will read this and stop blaming Israel for all their troubles.

[frankly_fedup2]

50. That would be a miracle in itself. Also, Israel and the U.S. are

not recognizing Hammas so they may stop sending the money for AID (What frigging Aid? They use it for the few that will fight their wars for them and weaponry).

The reasoning they are using is that Hammas, which has 74 members in the Palestinian Authority and, therefore, majority vote and rule, are terrorists and they will not even admit they exist.

Well whippidy again. What the HELL was Arafat and his PLO? Terrorists! However, they got the money. Remember black Sunday when all the Israeli athletes were kidnapped in Germany during the Olympics by Arab Terrorists? That was Arafat and his PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization). Long story unfortunately short, but all of the athletes and their kidnappers ended up dead when their apartments were stormed. It was so sad to see, don't know if you were old enough to remember it.

Yassar Arafat, also, tried to kill the King of Jordan and was "banished" for lack of a better word from Jordan. King Hussein survived (thank goodness); however, even after trying to be assassinated by his own people, the Jordanians always would side with their brother Arabs against Israel.

Also, learned today that the UAE will not allow anyone into their country who has ever been to Israel. If on your passport, no matter if you are from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, man, woman, child, etc., if you have a stamp for Israel, you are not admitted into their country. Yeah, these are good friends to the U.S. alright Mr. Bush. Also, two of the 9/11 terrorists came from there and ALL of the 9/11 money funded through banks there. Bank transfers throughout August and September, 2001, were transferred all over the world to several of the terrorists that ended up on planes, flying planes, or part of the planning of 9/11/01.

To me, that is enough reason not to allow them to purchase anything from our biggest ports. Also, the Bushes have been in business with them.

Bush wouldn't allow China to buy Unocal when they wanted to sell out and that was a private transaction. There is so much information out there and so little time to get everything together to where it makes sense. I wish I understood some of it better than I do.

[dubya_dubya_III]

38. More like the Arab world owes them vast reparations

For rejecting UN Resolution 181, and maliciously spawning this whole mess by military aggression in the first place. Certainly Israel deserves some blame and ourselves as well, but it's hard to create and promote Liberty anywhere when you are helping Britain manufacture something basically intended to be a Religious Fascist State (like Anglican fascism still is) from the outset.

Britain and the whole world owes them vast reparations, regardless of looney Arafat's wifes pay stubs.

Hitler arose out of Christian Fascism and Japans Shinto Fascism was a natural mate for it.

What on earth were those people thinking?


"As the union between spiritual freedom and political liberty seems nearly inseparable, it is our duty to defend both. And defence in the FIRST INSTANCE is best." Thomas Paine, Thoughts on Defensive War - 1775

"Today Christians rule Germany! I pledge that I never will tie myself to parties who want to destroy Christianity .. We want to fill our culture again with the Christian spirit ... We want to burn out all the recent immoral developments in literature, in the theater, and in the press - in short, we want to burn out the poison of immorality which has entered into our whole life and culture as a result of liberal excess..." - *The Speeches of Adolph Hitler, 1922-1939,

[StrafingMoose]

23. Breaking: "UAE Gave $100 Million for PR spin"

:eyes:

[cosmicdot]

26. how much has UAE given Carlyle via its state-owned businesses?

how much did they give Neil Bu$h for his (front) organization Ignite!?

I feel as we are being run by a crime syndicate.


do we have adequate accounting of our Treasury's monies, debits, credits, etc.?

are the Freepers down with us dealing with 'state-owned' businesses like Dubai World Port?

could we use some new regulations (transparency), i.e. SEC filings, on private equity firms like The Carlyle Group? this mal-administration is a big distraction while the Carlyle Group, Poppy's Boys and the BFEE buy up the world and control over it ... private equity was the way to go (the Carlyle Group, the Blackstone Group) to keep-out an honest eye on Poppy, James Baker, Carlucci, Peterson, et al.

ports ... rail ... trucks ... CSX ... Dubai ... at what point do anti-trust laws apply?

never understood with all the homeland security emphasis, that little is done to regulate (transparency) off-shore monetary affairs ... seems that would be as big of a concern as ports to prevent 'terra' ...


snip from "Doing Business With The Enemy", dated Aug. 29, 2004

In a letter to New York City Comptroller Thompson, Halliburton says its Cayman Island subsidiary is actually run out of Dubai. 60 Minutes went there and learned that it shares office space, phone and fax lines with a division of its U.S.-based parent company -- which raises more legal questions about its independence from Houston. But once again, our inquiries went unanswered.

In its letter to Thompson, Halliburton insists it is complying with all U.S. laws. But he and legal experts we consulted believe they are dancing right along the edge of legality.

seems there needs to be some serious tweaking to our laws ... the loopholes are showing

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/22/60minutes/main595214.shtml

[dubya_dubya_III]

34. U bet! - Destroying the world is good bu$ine$$

Any nation that does not even, as a bare minimum, support the right of the existence of Israel is not in any manner, way, shape or form our "friend". UAE, thus, is a major contributor and enabler to the ever-escalating growth of fanatical religious socialist intransigence and terrorism in the Arab world. This country is a dictatorship run by a pack of tribal mafia warlords, with no transparency whatsoever, and only a hollow sham of liberal democracy.

The lukewarm 'cooperation' it pretends towards us is a clearly duplicitous sham. To Poppy's boys it must be a favorite location since, traditionally UAE is a major drug transshipment point and money laundering center for traffickers due to its proximity to Southwest Asian drug producing countries.

In fact, in the post Sept 11 world, the US should not trade with any nation that refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, period. Otherwise just what the hell are we fighting for?

[Seen the light]

27. Iran also gave aid

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/04/katrina.world.aid/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4218986.stm

[spotbird]

29. Ad one or two 0's to that

and I'll think they care about more than PR.

[Clarkie1]

30. UAE GDP: $104.2 billion; UAE population 2,563,212

2,563,212 includes an estimated 1,606,079 non-nationals.

Do the math.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ae.html

[arealliberal]

68. It calculates like a very well run country.

[Synnical]

39. Kick n/t

[Seabiscuit]

41. "Port contracts for sale! Get 'yer red hot port contracts heeaah!"

[Mithras61]

43. So what? They also gave $1,000,000 to the Bush Library...

I'm sure that didn't influence W_rong in the least...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3681451.html

UAE gave $1 million to Bush library

By WENDY BENJAMINSON
Associated Press

A sheik from the United Arab Emirates contributed at least $1 million to the Bush Library Foundation, which established the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University in College Station.

[kineneb]

45. I'm thinking quid pro quo here...

looks just a little suspicious- "donations" for Bush library, Katrina relief...more like traditional baksheesh (=combo of kickback, bribery, etc.) greasing the skids...follow the money...

[autorank]

48. ...so they get to blow up our ports. Quite a deal.

This deal is a betrayal of our safety and of simple decision making. The decision was hatched in secret, probably has *co financial finger prints all over it, and violates even the common norms of reasoning. Rep. Murtha cited a poll of some time ago that was recently done again. The poll found that 50% of Iraqis supported suicide attacks against American troops. We've tortured thousands in Iraq and the pictures are all over the ME. That alone (but there's more) is enough to engender fanatical hatred for us. Dubai is not exactly a tight ship when it comes to keeping things in check. Take a look at article about how they are a haven for organized crime in the Middle East.

Katrina survivors deserve every dime they get. With regard to this deal, the 21 ports they will control, it doesn't matter.

IMPEACH BUSH FOR THIS BETRAYAL OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

[Joanne98]

49. Where did it go?

[newspeak]

55. maybe the money went

to fix the ports that the UAE wants to buy? Just a thought.

[VegasWolf]

57. The money disappeared into the Republican controlled American Red

Cross and somehow ended up in Cheney's bank account.

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Canuckistanian]

58. Gee, I don't see any connection here

I think it was lovely for those nice folks down in the UAE to show their love for the American people.

And they must love Americans. Otherwise, why would they send money for no reason?

[Wordie]

59. The UAE appears to be very generous throughout the world, not just Katrina

I can't really say if there is a ulterior motive. But this is interesting:

For Immediate Release

November 3, 2005

Release # 134-05

US Navy Transports UAE Donation to Earthquake Victims in Pakistan

By Journalist 2nd Class Cassandra Thompson

FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates – A Navy C-130 from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 64 (VR-64) of Willow Grove, Pa., delivered more than 12,000 pounds of blankets and toys donated by the United Arab Emirates to Islamabad, Pakistan Nov. 2. VR-64 is currently deployed to Bahrain in support of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) humanitarian aid mission.

Cmdr. Chris Thomson, who arrived in Bahrain Oct. 31 to serve as officer in charge of Commander, Task Force 53 VR Detachment, said with winter approaching in Pakistan, his crew was asked to make a special trip to Fujairah to pick up the cargo. “Yesterday, we were talking to some logistics folks and they said there was a lot of cargo here going to Islamabad,” Thomson, from Boston, Mass. said.

“They asked us if we could work it time-wise.” The Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) in Islamabad, Pakistan has offloaded nearly four million US Navy Transports UAE Donation to Earthquake Victims in Pakistan pounds of humanitarian aid since the 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the region on Oct. 8. NAVCENT has used ships, helicopters and cargo planes deployed to the region in support of maritime security operations to deliver the approximately 207 tons of donated food, supplies and machinery from international aid agencies and coalition countries to earthquake victims in Pakistan.

Nearly 50 of these deliveries have been courtesy of Navy C-130s. Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Adamson, an aircraft commander and VR-64's operations officer, said in recent weeks his squadron has offloaded blankets, mattresses and generic supplies. “It's a great mission,” Adamson, from Riverside, Calif. said. “This is where you actually feel like you're being involved in a lot of good stuff.” The most recent delivery of blankets comes as the winter months threaten the survival of Pakistan's earthquake victims due to lack of shelter, food and water.

“Temperatures are already dipping below freezing in some areas of Pakistan's mountainous north, and the weather is expected to worsen in coming weeks, cutting off remote valleys where some 800,000 are believed to lack any shelter,” reports the Pakistani daily Frontier Post. Loadmaster Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class Antonio Smith said Americans should understand the importance of helping disaster victims after having been struck by hurricanes Rita and Katrina. “We know what it's like to have a city destroyed,” Smith, from Rochester, N.Y. said.

http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/Release%20pages/Printer%20Friendly/134-05.htm

It might also be important to note that the Islamic religion has a strong tradition of charitable giving.

[northzax]

70. shh, stop with the details already-

it's not important that the donation was in September, and that Dubai World Ports didn't bit on P&O until January, or was even on sale until November, don't bother to mention that they gave $5 to help rebuild Afghanistan last spring, and sponsor 5000 orphans in Iraq, and over $10 million to the Red Crescent for Tsunami relief.

sometimes Charity is just charity, you know? Wealthy people giving to improve their image and help others?

They are either the most devious, long term thinkers ever, or maybe give for some other reasons?

It's amazing how cynical everything has made us, someone donates large amounts of money to help our fellow countrymen and women, and we immediatly suspect something's up. sad.

[Psephos]

71. Lots of bigots and xenophobes on this thread don't want to hear that

Funny how we were all (rightly, I might add) in high dudgeon over the mere possibility of racial profiling for security in *air* ports, but now it's "my oh my let's keep those filthy A-Rabs out of our *sea* ports. Why, who knows, they might be TERRA-ISTS!"

How progressive... :sarcasm:

Wordie, thanks for bringing a few actual facts into this thread. The *real* anti-terror position is avoid humiliating the countries of the Middle East who serve as outposts of moderation and the rule of law. Who knows, we might even consider *rewarding* them a little, now and then.

Peace.

[FredScuttle]

73. Bullshit

That's right....bull. shit.

So opposing the UAE ports deal makes me a "bigot" and a "xenophobe"? Thanks for the generalization...I'm opposed to a foreign government having access to our ports, including security details, such as Coast Guard response plans in case of attack, thank you very much.

And, the UAE is an "outpost of moderation"? Are you fucking kidding me?

Bullshit.

[Wordie]

75. Yes...

The UAE responded in good faith to a request for bids on a project for which it was qualified, and it won (the only other company to bid was also foreign, btw). And look what's happened! As far as I've seen so far, the UAE hasn't done anything wrong in all this.

Have you seen Will Pitt's latest thread on what he thinks is at the bottom of all this? It's quite good (not exactly what we are discussing here, but a good take on the situation). Here's the link:
"This flap over the ports is pretty simple to understand."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x504839

[Puglover]

82. Bullshit again....

http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2006/02/26_men_imprison.html


Yeah, real fucking beacons of moderation. Get a clue.

[Psephos]

84. Moderate by Middle East standards, not American

But then you sound rather Amerocentric anyway, so I'll cut you some slack on thinking globally.

Peace.

[progressivebydesign]

60. Show me the money! Where did that fabulous contribution GO???

It went into what? the US coffers??? Why are people living in tents in Mississippi if that kind of money was donated? No quid pro quo there.. eh?

[file83]

61. 404 error - I clicked your link but got this:

404 - File Not Found!

The requested document, http://www.chippewa.com/articles/2006/02/23/ap/headlines/d8fv4skg5.txt, could not be found! Please browse our list of sites by state on our TownNews Member Page or, contact the webmaster at [e-mail].

[OKNancy]

62. here is a link from another source

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1151AP_Ports_Security_Katrina.html

[file83]

78. thanks!

[High Plains]

72. Those bastards! Who does the UAE think they are?

providing assistance to the US hurricane relief effort. All the more reason to mistrust them.

[Psephos]

77. Why, it's absolutely Rovian! :)

If you give a hungry man something to eat and a hungry dog something to eat, the difference is the dog will not bite you.
- Mark Twain


Peace.

[Tellurian]

85. With the expectation...

Bush would have won out over the Governor by seizing FED control of
power over LA and MISS!

Isn't that why there was no help from FEMA or deployment of troops in the first place?

Just think how things would have turned out differently IF the Gov would have relinquished
the state's power to the FEDS!!!

[IndianaGreen]

86. How much money did Israel give for Katrina relief?

What's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander!

Cuba offered doctors and medicines, but Bush turned the Cubans down.

[Spinoza]

87. Good point.

I bet the Mossad did it.