February 23, 2006

President Bush had no idea his own White House leaked the identity of a CIA operative, vowing to fire anyone involved.

President Bush had no idea the Vice President was involved in a shooting.

President Bush had no idea his own Administration cut a secret deal with a country whose choice between being "with us or with the terrorists" required a $6.8 billion deal to control our nation's ports just to think about it.

Unaware President
President Bush was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates until the deal already had been approved by his administration, the White House said yesterday.

Defending the deal anew, the administration also said that it should have briefed Congress sooner about the transaction, which has triggered a major political backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.
[Bush unaware of port pact - Cape Cod Times - 02-23-06]

$6.8 Billion Insta-Ally
The Bush administration secretly required a company in the United Arab Emirates to cooperate with future U.S. investigations before approving its takeover of operations at six American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It chose not to impose other, routine restrictions.

As part of the $6.8 billion purchase, state-owned Dubai Ports World agreed to reveal records on demand about "foreign operational direction" of its business at U.S. ports, the documents said. Those records broadly include details about the design, maintenance or operation of ports and equipment.

The administration did not require Dubai Ports to keep copies of business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to court orders. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate U.S. government requests. Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of foreign sales in other industries.
[Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement - AP - 02-22-06]

Action speaks louder than rhetoric when it comes to national security.

America and the world will not be blackmailed. (Applause.)
[President George W. Bush - State of the Union - 01-28-03]

We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (Applause.)
[President George W. Bush - Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People - 09-20-01]