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http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/international-affairs/exon-florio/ Introduction. The United States has traditionally welcomed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and provided foreign investors fair, equitable and nondiscriminatory treatment with few limited exceptions designed to protect national security. The Exon-Florio provision is implemented within the context of this open investment policy. The intent of Exon-Florio is not to discourage FDI generally, but to provide a mechanism to review and, if the President finds necessary, to restrict FDI that threatens the national security. The Exon-Florio provision is implemented by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS"), an inter-agency committee chaired by the Secretary of Treasury. CFIUS seeks to serve U.S. investment policy through thorough reviews that protect national security while maintaining the credibility of our open investment policy and preserving the confidence of foreign investors here and of U.S. investors abroad that they will not be subject to retaliatory discrimination. EXCERPT

Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS")is an organization that appears to be more financial, commerce, export and even dare I say political aspects of sales opposed to national security (homeland or otherwise) aspects.

It is chaired by the SECTREAS and he/she has an intelligence unit but I can not see them truly investigating security and intelligence matters or possibilities. That would better be handled by FBI or some Intel/Counter-Intel group with in-depth and through research of all parties and aspects. After all this group was also the one that passed on the IBM Lenovo deal as well as others.

Congress (House and Senate) are now saying they have oversight. How I don't know as it is not a treaty. Also they do not review any other "sales" made by the Executive branch. I think now (though maybe and hopefully I am wrong) that it is a done deal. The Panama Canal sale was voted on in Congress but I didn't see that here.

Another stinky deal we will end up paying for for years to come.

Questions: Why don't American firms want to do business with the Federal Government? Were there no American companies at all bidding for this project? What companies presently run our state side ports? Are foreign companies only running the state side ports too? Are there any American companies with the knowledge and wherewithal to manage this size of a project, a large port operation? Manage any size port operation project, large or small?

I just don't know the answers.