Do you have a problem with US port security being handled by an Arab owned company?

I was given vioxx and painkillers and the pharamcy wrote the wrong amount of vioxx down. I turned super bright red, skin felt like I was on fire, was stumbling around, sounded like I was really drunk, and couldn't think straight. Wife took me to an immediate med and they said my blood pressure had spiked to almost stroke level. They gave me something and made me stay there until I was normal again.
 
b_sinning said:
I was given vioxx and painkillers and the pharamcy wrote the wrong amount of vioxx down. I turned super bright red, skin felt like I was on fire, was stumbling around, sounded like I was really drunk, and couldn't think straight. Wife took me to an immediate med and they said my blood pressure had spiked to almost stroke level. They gave me something and made me stay there until I was normal again.

Lawsuit?
 
Sarcasmo said:
It's a fact that most of the money was funnelled through Dubai.
Or was it Saudi Arabia. Just depends on the day of the week and who we want to slander. Either way, let me restate, I doubt the government had anything to do with terrorist money laundering.
 
b_sinning said:
I was given vioxx and painkillers and the pharamcy wrote the wrong amount of vioxx down. I turned super bright red, skin felt like I was on fire, was stumbling around, sounded like I was really drunk, and couldn't think straight. Wife took me to an immediate med and they said my blood pressure had spiked to almost stroke level. They gave me something and made me stay there until I was normal again.
Hopefully you got an apology. That's incredibly dangerous.
 
KNYTE said:


Nah. No long term damage. That I know of.


It was before Vioxx was found out to increase your chance of strokes. Of course I figured that out before it became news.



You think the US did this thinking Arabs are less likely to blow up other Arabs? If so that is totally wrong. They love blowing up each other almost as much as we do.
 
fly said:
Or was it Saudi Arabia. Just depends on the day of the week and who we want to slander. Either way, let me restate, I doubt the government had anything to do with terrorist money laundering.


I never said anything about the government. I don't care if they were involved or not. The question is whether we want to give the people and the investors billions more 1s and 0s to hide behind.
 
Sarcasmo said:
I never said anything about the government. I don't care if they were involved or not. The question is whether we want to give the people and the investors billions more 1s and 0s to hide behind.
You raise a much better argument than the average American who doesn't want "some terrorist camel jockey" having anything to do with port security. However, this is a company owned by the government of the UAE and I think that part makes even your point moot.
 
elpmis said:
I do work with Dubai Ports World - they're a good company and not to be feared imo

Exactly. This is my field. I have been to several ports and I can honestly say that the owner of the port makes no difference. As is said in the article "port security will be run by U.S. customs and the U.S. Coast Guard."

I've seen customs. What they choose to pull in to search or X-ray is not affected by who owns the port. It is a seperate organization and is not influenced by them at all. Most ports are buy more mobile X-Ray machines and hiring more US Customs officials to be on terminal at all times. Most ports have Union workers present who are not lorded over by the terminal/port owners. They have their own practices and there is nothing that the port can do to affect those. Trust me. As someone who went through the West Coast POrt strike a little over 3 years ago...most ports and the government will do anything to keep that from happening again. THere is nothing to worry about with this venture.

lemon_fresh said:
The larger picture is this, since 9-11 the US has done very little to improve overall port security. According to a report I heard on the radio yesterday, less than 10% of the containers cominng into the US are really looked at anyway. We don't have enough large scanners or even radiation detection devices at the ports to cover everything as it stands.
Not to mention, that our intelligence agencies are still set up the same way they were pre 9-11, so we are still vulnerable to the same intel lapses & infighting.
Lastly, as far as ports go. Take a look at the Long Beac, CA port or the container port in Seattle, Wa. Those places are fucking huge and it's gonna take a hell of a lot of money, labor & other resources to scan, sniff, open, or other wise investigate a larger percentage of containers than we do now.

Not true. I have seen the operations before and after 9-11. Much has changed. MOst ports have purchased mobile X-ray machines. I do belive that all US ports have a staionary electorn scanning device to give a perfect picture of what is inside the port. Now form your post above it seems that you are thinking that all containers should be scanned. Is not and will never be possible. With the growing number of both imports and exports all that it would accomplish is a huge slow down of trade. Cargo is chosen randomly, based on poor documentation, based on tips, and based on repeat offenses. That percentage that you have above is purly speculation. Customs and the department of Homeland security does not release this information as it is a secuirty threat. But I can tell you when I went over to the warhouse where they open the container and scan pallets and all of that fun stuff there was a hell of a lot of containers backed up. It is a huge job, especially when you look at something like boosk being shipped from countries who don't seem to know what a pallet is..you have to take everything out and pt everything back. The way that stuff that shit in there is rediculous. But it is a job that IS being done.


Galen said:
P&O are fucking useless anyway. They hire the cheapest scum they can find.
Nothing wrong with an Arab owned company handling security, I can bet they'll do a much, much better job than P&O ever could.
Ouch...Hey I've talked to some nice guys at P&O in New Orleans...maybe we need to talk and I can get you the better hook ups.
 
JJ Lady said:
Exactly. This is my field. I have been to several ports and I can honestly say that the owner of the port makes no difference. As is said in the article "port security will be run by U.S. customs and the U.S. Coast Guard."

I've seen customs. What they choose to pull in to search or X-ray is not affected by who owns the port. It is a seperate organization and is not influenced by them at all. Most ports are buy more mobile X-Ray machines and hiring more US Customs officials to be on terminal at all times. Most ports have Union workers present who are not lorded over by the terminal/port owners. They have their own practices and there is nothing that the port can do to affect those. Trust me. As someone who went through the West Coast POrt strike a little over 3 years ago...most ports and the government will do anything to keep that from happening again. THere is nothing to worry about with this venture.



Not true. I have seen the operations before and after 9-11. Much has changed. MOst ports have purchased mobile X-ray machines. I do belive that all US ports have a staionary electorn scanning device to give a perfect picture of what is inside the port. Now form your post above it seems that you are thinking that all containers should be scanned. Is not and will never be possible. With the growing number of both imports and exports all that it would accomplish is a huge slow down of trade. Cargo is chosen randomly, based on poor documentation, based on tips, and based on repeat offenses. That percentage that you have above is purly speculation. Customs and the department of Homeland security does not release this information as it is a secuirty threat. But I can tell you when I went over to the warhouse where they open the container and scan pallets and all of that fun stuff there was a hell of a lot of containers backed up. It is a huge job, especially when you look at something like boosk being shipped from countries who don't seem to know what a pallet is..you have to take everything out and pt everything back. The way that stuff that shit in there is rediculous. But it is a job that IS being done.

Ouch...Hey I've talked to some nice guys at P&O in New Orleans...maybe we need to talk and I can get you the better hook ups.

Look at you being so smaaaart Ms. Freight Girl! :heart: :cool:
 
JJ Lady said:
Now form your post above it seems that you are thinking that all containers should be scanned. Is not and will never be possible. With the growing number of both imports and exports all that it would accomplish is a huge slow down of trade. Cargo is chosen randomly, based on poor documentation, based on tips, and based on repeat offenses.

I guess I wasn't clear enough, I've been to Long Beach, CA and I have seen the f'ing huuuuge amounts of cargo that moves through there. I know that there is no way we could could check every container coming through..

JJ Lady said:
That percentage that you have above is purly speculation. But it is a job that IS being done.

Actually, the quote was 8.5% based upon a radio interview I heard Wednesday night. I can't remember the dudes name or book or I would cite it for you.
<speculation>But my gut tells me that is a generous number even for some our larger ports. </speculation>

Evidence for an even lower percentage of containers being looked is provided by the former head of Customs and Border Protection Agency , Robert Bonner who repeatedly stated in public and before Congress that his inspectors were “inspecting 100% of the right 5% of containers.”
taken from:
http://www.feer.com/articles1/2006/0601/free/p005.html
 
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My Dad and Brother in Law are truckers and do container drop offs to the port here. They bitch how everything takes so much longer due to increased security since 9/11.
 
lemon_fresh said:
Evidence for an even lower percentage of containers being looked is provided by the former head of Customs and Border Protection Agency , Robert Bonner who repeatedly stated in public and before Congress that his inspectors were “inspecting 100% of the right 5% of containers.”
taken from:
http://www.feer.com/articles1/2006/0601/free/p005.html

The question is what do you mean by inspection? They do not need to break the seal, open every container and take everything out to "Inspect" (which is what they meant by using this word when I went to customs). There is plenty that they can do to ensure security without going that far.

b_sinning said:
My Dad and Brother in Law are truckers and do container drop offs to the port here. They bitch how everything takes so much longer due to increased security since 9/11.

Oh yeah. Every container gets an OUTSIDE inspection as it comes into the terminal. Plus they check you paperwork twice. This is usually done by Union workers who have no allegance to the port. It takes a quite a while. THen you have the increased manifest deadlines due to the increased secuirty. This is implemented by the Steamship lines to give them more time to check documents. They have moved this up to before cut off for the vessel. Which means you have to declare what cargo you are moving before you even get it into a terminal. MOst have also implemented a no Docs no load policy to keep unknown cargo from getting on board the vessel. PLus you have to have your AES number asigned and reported before the vessel leave.

I just recently had a HazMat certification class. Its amazing the restrictions that are in place. Again all through government agencies. The owner of the terminal does not affect how secure a terminal is. That is the point I am hinting at :fly:

UAE has been a huge supported of the US. It would be a slap in the face to tell them that they cannot make this purchase. Instead of making our country more secure it is just going to piss off one of our allies (who happened to contribute a large amount of money to us after hurricane Katrina BTW). I see no reason not to let them make the purchase. The only problem I can see in the long run is them selling to a non-ally country in the future. But according to the JOC today they say they will not and I;m sure there wil be some kind of legal doc to make sure that does not happen.
 
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Don't you think your title is a little misleading? ^__^

They wont be running security but rather the port. Although it is rather unsettling. I like to think that it's stranger there arent any large american corporations who are willing/able to buy.