U.S. Businesses in U.A.E. to Invite `Oprah' to Dubai

[sabra]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=asS_kUwAmkzA&refer=us

U.S. Businesses in U.A.E. to Invite `Oprah' to Dubai (Update1)

March 12 (Bloomberg) -- A group representing U.S. companies in the United Arab Emirates said it will invite ``The Oprah Winfrey Show'' among other talk shows to the Gulf to alter American public opinion which helped block Dubai's takeover of five U.S. ports.

The American Business Group of Abu Dhabi, which has more than 500 members including Boeing Co. and Exxon Mobil Corp., wants Winfrey to host a show from the Persian Gulf sheikhdom as it seeks to convince Americans that the country isn't a threat to national security, Kevin Massengill, a board member of the group said in a phone interview yesterday from Abu Dhabi.

``We want to reach out to the average guy in the U.S. and explain why the U.A.E. is important,'' the former adviser to the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, who is among a delegation from the group that plans to visit Washington this month to discuss the blocked deal with lawmakers, said.

DP World, a ports company owned by the Maktoum family that rules Dubai, one of the seven sheikdoms in the United Arab Emirates, was forced to sell the U.S. port operations of Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. after Congressional leaders said it could open the U.S. to terrorist attack.

[LiberalHeart]

1. Wait -- Oprah is taking Karen Hughes' job???? (EOM)

[Cobalt Violet]

2. "We want to reach out to the average guy in the U.S."

Don't they know that the average woman can vote over here too?

[tanyev]

3. Maybe if Dubai Dubya hadn't been yammering about

vaguely defined "enemies" and "evil-doers" who want to obliterate us for the last 4 1/2 years, the average guy wouldn't have been so touchy about this deal.

[sui generis]

4. Go ahead Oprah, but get them to agree to let you air ALL

and ANY material you wish, without censor.

Then ask some important questions, find some human rights people (who will probably be disappeared right after the show) to interview, and insist on letting your camera crews have complete access to anyone without guidance from a "security" team telling you who you can and can't talk to.

Because if you do it and screw up you will look like the government's tool, but if you do it well you will give a better show than just another rick steves travelogue.

[sam sarrha]

7. yea.. they are the HUB of the Black children sex Slave market..

child and sex slavery is institutional there.. i dont think she is that stupid.. and she has more money than god.. i dont think she will bite that one

[sam sarrha]

5. so now they want a "Woman", a hollow soul less shell whose only purpose is

birth Male babies to serve Allah... to mediate the largest financial deal in the world..??

that is what you call REALLY F'n DESPERATE...!!!

[AX10]

6. Exactly.

.

[otohara]

8. She Did Wonders for Bush

and the UAE knows it!

[Joanne98]

11. she did wonders for Arnold too

[On the Road]

9. I Think This Would be a Good Thing

Regardless of whether they were the best choice to run US ports, the more Americans learn about Dubai and the Arab world the better. And vice versa. This is a lot bigger than our lame duck president. Xenophobia is not a good thing on either side. I never watch Oprah, but she would be a good ambassador.

Dubai has used their oil money to become the eighth wonder of the world. Seeing that is going to stimulate tourism and cultural exchange.

[otohara]

13. I Think She Would Suffer A Backlash

those suburbian white woman who love her would have a hard time understanding. Oprah is no dummy, she won't let her self to be used as a one time ambassador to boost ratings for the UAE.

[alarimer]

14. But this is a country with an appalling human rights record

They should be sanctioned for it, not rewarded with tourism. Sex slaves, young kids sold for the camel jockey trade, ties to terrorism and the Taliban. So maybe Oprah can shed some light on these conditons and force economic sanctions or make them a world pariah.

[donsu]

10. throw up! will Oprah become a bushmilhousegang tool?

is she one already?

[fob]

12. Here's my take. It may be a good idea to have a company with

people that have ties to middle east communities because it may be easier for them to detect suspicious movement since they would speak the language and more easily gain the trust of any of the "evil-doers" bush* has been scaremongering us with for the last 5 years. The problem lies in where would that company's loyalties go? To actually protect US or with what their GOVERNMENT-OWNED CORPORATE office?

THAT is a job for OUR government, yet bush* is so disinterested in doing his* job, he'd rather outsource it to ANOTHER GOVERNMENT!

If you say hello to Dubai Ports, will we say Buhbye Ports?



edt: I was looking for the nearest levi's jeans store just before checking in here and there are several in UAE. Who knew?

[Gloria]

15. Move to change US public opinion (Oprah to Gulf re: ports)

http://www.gulf-news.com/business/Shipping/10025178.html


Move to change US public opinion

Staff Report


Dubai: A group of US businessmen in the UAE said they will invite The Oprah Winfrey Show and other talk shows to the Gulf to change American public opinion which helped block Dubai's takeover of six US ports.

The American Business Group of Abu Dhabi, which has more than 500 members including Boeing Co. and ExxonMobil Corp., wants Winfrey to host a show from the UAE as it seeks to convince Americans that the country is not a threat to national security, Kevin Massengill, a board member of the group, said yesterday.

MORE

[Peggy Day]

16. Hey, maybe Oprah could buy them. nt

[sushi]

23. I don't think so

Recently Dubai's PM died, and his net worth was 22 billion US$ (no 18 on the list of world's richest). Now his brother, Sheikh Mohammed, is in charge, and I think he's worth more!

[MetaTrope]

27. At the very least, Sheikh Mohammed owns Dubai Ports World...

and enjoyed Afghanistan tourism quite a bit, with Osama Bin Laden as his tour guide.

[Booster]

17. Remember when Bush tried to get Oprah to go with Laura to

Afghanistan for a little photo-op, and when Oprah said no, they scrubbed the entire trip. This invite has Rove/Bush written all over it. Don't fall for this either, Oprah.

[IndyOp]

18. Oh, no, no, no, no -- The Shrub's political ratings rose after

he appeared on Oprah in 2000... Seriously, Gore had been well ahead. Both appeared on Oprah, and the media spun: Al was stiff. George looked sweet in the pics with his newborn twins.

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

[MODemocrat]

19. Is Oprah a Republican?

It would figure; she has loads of money, and a lot of the billionaires love Bush for their tax cuts.
Oprah's always seemed fair IMHO. :shrug:

[BillZBubb]

21. Oprah's not a Repug.

She's more of a Democrat, but you couldn't tell that by the way she let Bush snowball her in 2000, or Arnold anytime.

[MODemocrat]

25. Yeh! that's what gave me the idea she might be a republican

Maybe she gave John Kerry the same air time, I just don't remember, and she seems she has liberals on her show fairly often; of course, who wouldn't like to have George Clooney on their show, or anywhere else?:9

[Journeyman]

24. I work for one of the wealthiest people in the States. . .

and there's no stronger Democrat than this person -- gives millions every year to an array of groups and interests and fights continuously for favored causes. So wealth -- in and of itself -- is not a definitive indicator of political or social beliefs.

[MODemocrat]

26. I'm well aware of how much Oprah does for people

There are many people after becoming extremely wealthy, have changed parties. Apparently, Oprah still remembers how it is for struggling people, and a great deal of compassion for everyone alike. She's way to intelligent to be "used" by anyone. :thumbsup:

[European Socialist]

20. Why can't she do a show on Black people getting cheated out of...

their right to vote by the GOP.

[Trillo]

22. I don't know, but it seems to me that 'the corporate entity' is

a long-term threat to Americans that has existed in its present form for some 150 +/- some decades or two. There were a whole series of court decisions favorable to corporations during that whole century.

In some ways, the corporate syndicates seem hell bent on taking every possible dollar and squeezing as hard as they can.

Since when has the lowly american worker been considered a 'corporate force' in the 'incorporated' sense to be reckoned with? The American worker isn't even allowed to deduct the costs of transportation they use to get back and forth from home to work and back again, but corporations deduct their transportation costs fully.

There are so many unfairnesses in the law regarding workers versus corporate capitalists, I don't even know where to begin.


edited to add:
Now, the corporations, one beast that 'only' thinks of money, appear to have spread elsewhere. Is that U.S. citizen's fault?

[bleedingheart]

28. Let's call it the Bush Potemkin Village Tour

Let have Oprah visit all the crazy dictatorships and emirates of the world that Bush likes....and paint a pretty picture of them....

ugh...

[Megahurtz]

29. Ulgh God!

I hope she says no.

[melissinha]

30. Kick! How desperate are they?

I mean I LOVE Oprah, but this is such an odd combination!

She has shown that she has some really balls, it maybe a good forum to expose them, but of course they'll ahve none of that and could threaten her for any bad exposure... I say stay away!

[winston61]

31. neve forget,

If the paycheck is right, Oprah will be there.

[oasis]

32. The Chimp asked her to go to Afghanistan a few years ago. She said no.

:bounce: