State Dept. trashes UAE rights record

[kpete]

(Kpete - I Posted this yesterday, Its making the MSM today...)

State Dept. trashes UAE rights record

BY RICHARD SISK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - The State Department's human rights report ripping the United Arab Emirates landed with near-perfect bad timing for the White House yesterday in the middle of the ports sale debate.
Opponents of the deal quickly seized on the report as yet another strike against the sale of terminals at six major U.S. ports to a firm owned by the government of Dubai, one of the seven emirates.

Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.), who raised the initial alarms that have now been taken up by the GOP House leadership, said the report knocked down the White House's argument that the UAE was a reform-minded nation.

"This shows that they're a very regressive, very oppressive, nondemocratic regime," King said.

"This is another reason that we shouldn't allow Dubai to own our ports," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

The section on the UAE in the State Department's annual survey of human rights worldwide cited UAE abuses ranging from the flogging of prisoners to international trafficking in prostitutes and in young boys used as jockeys in camel races. The report also charged, "There are no democratically elected institutions or political parties. There are no general elections."

http://www.nydailynews.com/03-09-2006/news/wn_report/story/398065p-337325c.html

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61701.htm

[AzDar]

1. This is getting to be so 'comic-book'..what with the alleged threats by

Dubai, and now this report..IS this just a 'disengagement' strategy for the Repukes for the upcoming elections?
I know this Administration is goddamned STUPID, but this is REALLY beyond the pale...

[spanone]

2. God, I hope Bush* keeps insisting this deal go through. Fuckinidiot.

[mdmc]

3. thanks kpete and pete king

go get 'em bush! Them our kind of terraist!

[NYC]

4. Timely.

Bush still defends the Dubai purchase.

[oneold1-4u]

7. Yup!

He defends Delay, cheney, rove, gannon, iraq war, SS Rx plan, and much more, so why wouldn't he defend a nation that sells children into slavery?
Every single islamic nation sells women and children, so what?
We do really need them in industry and monetary power in the US!!!

It isn't enough that he has already destroyed 89.9% of the US economy!

[NYC]

11. He's working on destroying the remaining 10.1%.

He won't be satisfied until the job is complete.

Dubai threat to hit back:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2155142&mesg_id=2155142

Was it Greenspan who said deficits are not a bad thing? Bush certainly likes them. When you owe people money, they get to threaten you.

Alexander Hamilton once said:

A power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will.

You can substitute the word country for man.

[sutz12]

5. If Dubai pulls our basing rights.....

this will undermine their planned attack on Iran, too.

In fact, it would screw up much of our ME strategy if we lose our UAE bases. That would probably be a good thing.

[thereismore]

10. Yup! I am also hoping they will kick us out of Dubai. Maybe

then we would have more hands at home to deal with stuff like Katrina.

[central scrutinizer]

6. Bwah hah hah hah

hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah

[thereismore]

8. Randi was saying all this (except the jockey boys on camels -

what's up with that? is that bad?) for a long time. Now it's official. How, oh, how, can the bush* go on another day is beyond me.

[catmandu57]

9. It's about time someone grew a damn spine

I don't care if they are repigs right now, this is so damn wrong any way one looks at it.

[shantipriya]

12. Dubai

I say : So what? Not that I am in favor of the deal BUT hasn't US supported and/or sponsored other authoratarian and murderous regimes in the past? For example, Saudi Arabia,Kazakhstan,etc.

[CheshireCat]

18. It's about privatization, not Dubai

IMO, privatization of our infrastructure is the true issue here. I don't care if it is Great Britain or the UAE, the operations of our ports should not be privatized.

The push toward privatization started during the Reagan administration. There was never a national debate about it. The American public did not understand that we were selling off our ports, highways, airports, etc. for profit. This is the first time the MSM has ever really covered both sides of the issue.

[shantipriya]

19. Dubai

I agree with you but I was just responding to the news item which implied that we shouldn't be doing a deal with UAE because it has a horrendous human rights record.

[oneold1-4u]

24. Saudi Arabia-

is among the worst nations for horrendous human rights and it would be a happy day when we never buy another drop of oil from them or have one military base in their country! They would quickly go back to pre WWII recognition in the world along with all the bin ladins.

[Higans]

22. Don't forget Sudamn Husein. N/T

[AndyA]

13. But...but...but...Bush says they're our friend

And an ally in the war on terra! And we know Bush would never lie to the American people, right? That would be an impeachable offense! Just ask Tricky Dick Nixon!

[Kber]

14. Rights abuses

"The section on the UAE in the State Department's annual survey of human rights worldwide cited UAE abuses ranging from the flogging of prisoners to international trafficking in prostitutes and in young boys used as jockeys in camel races. The report also charged, "There are no democratically elected institutions or political parties. There are no general elections."


Bush is trying to see what the problem might be - sounds OK him.

[VP505]

15. Wait just a minute Senator,

"This shows that they're a very regressive, very oppressive, nondemocratic regime," King said."
that's no way to talk about the Bu$h administration, oops sorry Senator I forgot your talking about the UAE.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. I don't see the problem.

"There are no democratically elected institutions or political parties. There are no general elections."

Isn't this pretty much the system we're evolving in the US? It should assure stability of leadership, with fewer unanticipated changes.

[savemefromdumbya]

17. Bush wants to be like his UAE friends

female circumcision and all that?:evilgrin:

[Higans]

20. and 15 smaller ports.

They never talk about that. just like they never talk about this:

[dogday]

21. What does this say about this White House, Homeland Security?

That they are for shit, absolutely for shit........

[0007]

23. bttft