Posted on 02/21/2006 8:15:32 AM PST by presidio9
The Dubai firm that won Bush administration backing to run six U.S. ports has at least two ties to the White House. One is Treasury Secretary John Snow, whose agency heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of an English company to government-owned Dubai Ports World - giving it control of Manhattan's cruise ship terminal and Newark's container port.
Snow was chairman of the CSX rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004, the year after Snow left for President Bush's cabinet.
The other connection is David Sanborn, who runs DP World's European and Latin American operations and was tapped by Bush last month to head the U.S. Maritime Administration.
The ties raised more concerns about the decision to give port control to a company owned by a nation linked to the 9/11 hijackers.
"The more you look at this deal, the more the deal is called into question," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who said the deal was rubber-stamped in advance - even before DP World formally agreed to buy London's P&O port company.
Besides operations in New York and Jersey, Dubai would also run port facilities in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Baltimore and Miami.
The political fallout over the deal only grows.
"It's particularly troubling that the United States would turn over its port security not only to a foreign company, but a state-owned one," said western New York's Rep. Tom Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee. Reynolds is responsible for helping Republicans keep their majority in the House.
Snow's Treasury Department runs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which includes 11 other agencies.
"It always raises flags" when administration officials have ties to a firm, Rep. Vito Fossella (R-S.I.) said, but insisted that stopping the deal was more important.
The Daily News has learned that lawmakers also want to know if a detailed 45-day probe should have been conducted instead of one that lasted no more than 25 days.
According to a 1993 congressional measure, the longer review is mandated when the company is owned by a foreign government and the purchase "could result in control of a person engaged in interstate commerce in the U.S. that could affect the national security of the U.S."
Congressional sources said the President has until March 2 to trigger that harder look.
"The most important thing is for someone to explain how this is consistent with our national security," Fossella said.
W is so wrong on this - I don't know what those guys are thinking sometimes. Reminds me of the Harriet Meyers nomination...
I don't like this at all.
It boggles the mind how such an intelligent man can allow such flaming idiots to surround him.
There has got to be alot more to this story.
The Dubai firm that won Bush administration backing to run six U.S. ports has at least two ties to the White House.
Wow. Just... mind boggling.
Okay, people, that does it. Bombard Congress and the White House today with calls, letters, email, telegrams, Pony Express. This is unbelievable.
Its scary how close it is. The reaction by bots is no different either.
This is Michael Moore's dream come true.
The political stench in this pile on is overwhelming.
There are legitimate questions about letting a foreign government controlled company manage our ports. P&O , a foreign publically controlled company has managed our ports for years.
Question, if you block the deal, who takes over port management?
"One is Treasury Secretary John Snow"
Amazing how they skipped the adjective "former" there.
Even more amazing is how many FReepers don't even bother to notice.
I'd like to see the BBots defend this one.
This deal would actually increase port security because of the increased scrutiny.
I just don't get what going on here with this and the immigration non sense. The solutions are so simple, but yet Bush and whomever else seem to want to complicate things.
With this Port deal he could just read a statement to the press that the deal is off and be done with it. Maybe Rove should leave because if he is behind not killing this deal and the immigration nonsense, the GOP will be in big trouble come November.
When faced with a steaming pile, you tend not to notice the dust in the corner.
Snow is the current Treasury Secretary.
"Snow was chairman of the CSX rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004, the year after Snow left for President Bush's cabinet.
The other connection is David Sanborn, who runs DP World's European and Latin American operations and was tapped by Bush last month to head the U.S. Maritime Administration. "
If increased scrutiny is what we want, why don't we hand the ports over to Bin Laden?
I'd rather we do what is smart here, not what makes business sense.
such flaming idiots
they're more dangerous than that......
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