Posted on 02/19/2006 2:45:21 AM PST by madconserv
By Nicholas Johnston, Bloomberg News WASHINGTON President Bush supports acquisition -- Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Robert Menendez of New Jersey introduced legislation to prohibit companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from buying US port operations. Article Tools The measure is intended to block the $6.8 billion sale of a company that operates six US ports to a firm controlled by the United Arab Emirates. ''Our port security is too important to place in the hands of foreign governments," Clinton said in a statement yesterday. On Thursday, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers called for hearings on the purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., the UK's largest port operator, by DP World, Dubai's port company. With the acquisition, DP World would gain control over most operations at ports in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore, and New Orleans. ''Ports are the front lines of the war on terrorism," Menendez said. ''We wouldn't turn the Border Patrol or the Customs Service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either." Lawmakers have also asked the Bush administration to conduct a more thorough review of the purchase. On Thursday, 7 lawmakers sent a letter to Treasury Secretary John Snow asking a government panel, known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, to look into the purchase. Snow said yesterday that while he had not seen the congressional requests for an additional review, the committee was ''thorough, and carefully considered the issue of national security in that acquisition." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the administration continued to support the sale and would brief members of Congress on its decision. Rice described Abu Dhabi as
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Oh cripes, do I have to agree with Hillary and Menendez now? But, I think I do. Not fun thinking about three major suitcase nukes exploding, with my butt in the middle of it.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. As much as I hate to agree with Shillary on anything - on this she's right. We should not turn over the operations of our ports to a company owned by a Middle Eastern country. They may be friendly with us for the moment, but can we always be sure of that?
The arabs apparently didn't donate enough money at those White House coffees. Look for Hillary to endorse a plan where a Chicom company controls the ports instead.
I sure wish we would stop shooting ourselves in the foot!
There is absolutely no good reason to allow any foreign nation to control one damned square inch of American soil.
I think the rest of the dems held back so Smillary could be the lucky one. She's only horning in on what some repubs started.
The legislation does not leave a provision for the president to waive the ban. It was President Clinton himself, who, after meeting with Chinese officials, first proposed basing the Chinese company, a front for the People's Liberation Army and Beijing's intelligence arm, at the former naval yard.
OH CRIPES is right! Crap!
She is more interested in her own ambition than reality.
In truth the Dubai deal is not a security issue. She either knows that and is cynically manipulating the situation or she doesn't and is geopolitically ignorant.
Who woulda thought, huh?
Been there done that...COSCO at Long Beach Naval Station!
You are technically correct, but Snow also looks at it as a security issue, as do I.
Curious, what makes it truth? Is there any differences with China from a business standpoint?
Our government needs to be more concerned with national security and less concerned with political correctness and trying to appease foreign billionaires.
The truth is that Dubai is a publically declared ally of the US since the first Gulf War and they have been since.
Meanwhile the administration is ducking intelligence on WMD transfers to Syria because it implicates Russia and they need them to help with Iran(If they will).:
Ex-Official:Russia Moved Saddam's WMDs
A whole lot of chess pieces are being moved.
"Is there any differences with China from a business standpoint?"
I can't speak to your point directly, and I'm no fan of the chicoms (convict labor and all that), but the fact remains that the Chinese, commie or otherwise, are not hell bent on killing us. Can't say the same for the Muslims. You sort them out, it's becoming impossible without a program, and from what I've seen their programs has one act only: Kill the infidels. And that would be us.
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