Year: 2006

Democracy Iraqi Style – Now Butt Out

The Iraqi government was elected while a few hundred thousand or so foreign troops moved around their country shooting and blowing up anything that moved. Is that how we envision democracy at work?

Americans don’t get that our dreams of Democracy are not necessarily the Democratic ideals that Iraqi’s envision. There are underlying ideologies which lead to a sectarian division. When I say I am an American, it is not inclusive of a religious doctrine. The election was held. Now the American Ambassador issued a warning stating that we are not going to use our resources to support sectarian goals.

I would think that the continued chaos keeps most Iraqis freaked out enough stay in their houses if they can. The kidnapping of foreigners keeps other onlookers away because of fear. The Death Squads stifle meaningful opposition. The suicide and car bombings churn the civil upheaval between the Shittes and Sunni.

Speaking after talks with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who echoed the U.S. ambassador’s call for a government of national unity, the normally calm and diplomatic Jaafari, a Shi’ite Islamist, said Iraq knew its own best interests.

“When someone asks us whether we want a sectarian government the answer is ‘no we do not want a sectarian government’ — not because the U.S. ambassador says so or issues a warning,” he told a news conference.

“We do not need anybody to remind us, thank you.” Reuters

Friday, the governor of the province of Karbala in the Shiite south announced that he was suspending all dealings with American troops and barring them from government buildings for “behaving irresponsibly.” IHT

Hello, do you hear butt out . . .

Dubai Company Taking Over Operations in Major U.S. Ports Not Smart for America

My major point of contention in this deal is not that the company is UAE owned but that it is NOT USA owned.

A private company in Britain has managed major ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. Now, a UAE-owned company called Dubai Ports World is buying the London Company, which will put Dubai Ports World in charge of the U.S. ports. I wrote about the effort to repeal the Jones Act (Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 requiring that all cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in ships which are U.S.-owned, -built and -crewed) in the 90’s. What I believed then still holds true for me today. We need to stop the outsourcing of our country to the highest bidder.

We are not considering who gives us tech help, who made the shirt we wear; we are discussing a major method of transportation of goods, services, and military supplies for our country. There is an inherent danger in this decision. Call me an alarmist if you wish, but, control of our ports is essential to our economy, security, and military capabilities. Our ports are vital to our economy and to the international economy. That makes them top terrorist targets. We do not outsource military and law enforcement operations and duties. Why hand our port operations over.

As far as the UAE and Dubai go, I do not know much about their country. Dubai is the second largest emirate and commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates. The capital of UAE is Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate; the other members of the federation in addition to Abu Dhabi and Dubai are Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Known until 1971 as the Trucial States, each of which had separate treaty relationships with Britain, the seven emirates came together to establish a federal state officially entitled Dawlat al Imarat al Arabiyya al Muttahida (State of the United Arab Emirates). Each of the component emirates of the Federation already had its own existing institutions of government and to provide for the effective governing of the new state, the Rulers agreed to draw up a provisional Constitution specifying those powers which we re to be allocated to new federal institutions, all others remaining the prerogative of the individual emirates. The new federal system of government included a Supreme Council, a Cabinet or Council of Ministers, a parliamentary body, the Federal National Council and an independent judiciary, at the peak of which is the Federal Supreme Court.

Here are a couple of pictures from The Dubai International Convention Center web site. I can not come to know a people by looking at pictures and web sites but it is a start to understanding.

trade center dubai

club in dubai
If only I could recreate in such a place
Here is a flash presentation with a map from the site.

The DP World team is set to explain that the P&O business controls only the leases of container terminals at the ports. It says security at the ports is mainly the responsibility of outside bodies, including the US Coast Guard. News FT.com

All Arabs are not terrorists. All American’s are not like Timothy McVeigh. Regardless, it is not in our countries best interests, to allow our ports operations be handled by a foreign country. It is a legal failure that needs to be dealt with.

Read Your Constitution

Enough is enough. Where the heck does Bush or anybody else get off saying that the President has “Constitutional War Time Powers”. Hello? Nowhere in The Constitution does it say anything about “wartime powers” for anyone, anywhere.

Repeated and repeated, over and over again, the “wartime authority” claims are close to, if not, propaganda. The President wants his actions excused as being necessary to keep America safe, to protect us from the terrorists and terrorist attacks.

Why do some of Americans believe it? Because they have not taken the time to educate themselves and read the Constitution. Here for the lazy is Constitution 101:

To be considered “wartime” a declared state of war would have to exist.

The Constitution gives only Congress the authority to declare war.

Congress has declared no war (a resolution to use force is not a declaration of war).

No declaration – no state of war – no wartime powers.

The Supreme Court has the final authority on what is or is not Constitutional. Two times a President has taken action declaring “Constitutional wartime authority”. Both times the Supreme Court ruled the President does not. In Ex Parte Milligan the court ruled Lincoln’s suspension of Habeus Corpus under the guise of “Presidential wartime authority” was an unconstitutional act and in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co v Sawyer Truman claimed he had a Constitutional Duty to protect Americans and needed contol over the steel industry to Protect America because a strike was hurting the Korean war effort.

What matters is the powers and authority of the Executive branch are spelled out in Article II Section 2 of the Constitution. Still don’t believe me? Read the relevant section of the Constitution below and while you are reading remember the 10th amendment, you know the one where – powers not delegated to the government, which includes the President, do not exist as far as the government is concerned. Powers not delegated belong to the people and/or the states.

Article II Section 2 of the Constitution

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.