Posted on 02/20/2006 3:14:17 PM PST by Stellar Dendrite
The federal bureaucracy has made a strategic mistake that threatens to cost the President dearly. The question is not whether the ill-advised decision taken last week by the secretive Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (known by its acronym, CFIUS, pronounced syphius) will be undone. Rather, the question is: By whom -- and at what political cost to Mr. Bush?
In the latest of a series of approvals of questionable foreign takeovers of American interests, CFIUS has given the green light to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to acquire contracts to manage port facilities in New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami and New Orleans. The company, Dubai Ports World, would do so by purchasing a British concern, Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (“P and O”).
Experts have long identified America’s sea ports as weak links in the chain of our homeland security. With their proximity to major U.S. population centers, expensive infrastructure vital to the regional and, in many cases, national economy and their throughput of large quantities of poorly monitored cargo, they are prime targets for terror.
As a result, a case can be made that it is a mistake to have foreign entities responsible for any aspect of such ports, including the management of their docks, stevedore operations and terminals. After all, that duty affords abundant opportunities to insinuate personnel and/or shipping containers that can pose a threat to this country. Even though the company in question may not be directly responsible for port security, at least some of their employees have to be read in on the relevant plans, potentially compromising the latter irreparably.
At least the previous foreign contractors were from Britain, a country that was on our side before September 11, 2001. The same cannot be said of the United Arab Emirates, whose territory was used for most of the planning and financing of the 9/11 attacks. While the UAE’s government is currently depicted as a friend and ally in the so-called war on terror, its country remains awash with Islamofascist recruiters and adherents – people all too willing to exploit any new opportunity to do us harm.
Since a column raising an alarm about CFIUS’ decision appeared in this space last week, three new factors have come to light that compound the strategic folly of the UAE deal:
O First, in addition to the six affected ports mentioned above, two others would also have part of their operations managed by DP World – on behalf of none other than the U.S. Army. Under a newly extended contract, the owner of P and O will manage the movement of heavy armor, helicopters and other military materiel through the Texas seaports of Beaumont and Corpus Christie. How much would our enemies like to be able to sabotage such shipments?
O Second, while advocates of the stealthy CFIUS decision-making process point to the involvement of the Defense Department in its DP World decision, it is unclear at what level this bizarre proposition was reviewed in the Pentagon. Many top jobs remain unfilled by presidential appointees. Past experience suggests the job may have fallen to lower-level career bureaucrats who give priority to maintaining good relations with their foreign “clients,” like the UAE.
O Then, there is the matter of financing the DP World takeover of Peninsula and Oriental. The UAE evidently intends to raise nearly all of the $6.8 billion price for P and O on international capital markets. It must be asked: Who will the foreign investors be, and might they have malign intentions towards the U.S.? If American sources of capital are being sought, will the possible danger this transaction may create for this country be properly disclosed? For that matter, will the underwriters, Barclays and Deutchebank, reveal to prospective funders the real risk that the deal will ultimately fall through?
In fact, that seems virtually certain now that talk radio, the blogosphere and the public have become aware of – and white hot about – this transaction. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and of Capitol Hill have made known their determination to prevent the transfer of control of U.S. ports to the UAE. In particular, Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer have been quick to seize on this issue as an opportunity to burnish their national security credentials at the expense of President Bush and his party.
So, the question recurs: How long will it take before Mr. Bush cuts his losses? This could be accomplished in one of three ways: He could reverse the decision himself (perhaps by directing CFIUS to reconsider its initial recommendation). He could encourage and sign into law legislation barring foreign ownership or management of U.S. port facilities (akin to the rules governing other critical infrastructure). Or he could quietly encourage the UAE to do as Communist China did last year with respect to the Unocal purchase – withdraw the offer itself, sparing the country in question (and its friends here) the embarrassment of having its behavior carefully scrutinized and its offer spurned in a high-profile way.
Call it a Harriet Meirs moment. Politics being the art of the possible, it is time to recognize that the Dubai Ports World deal is neither strategically sensible nor politically doable. It is time to pull the plug, and to reform the secretive interagency CFIUS process that allowed this fiasco in the first place.
The saudi's and Dubai governmnets are completely different. The saudis are stuck in the grips of regressive wahabbists, while the UAE is the most pro-western of the Gulf states.
Rush Limbaugh has visited there and Tiger Woods plays a golf tournamnet their every year. Isn't time for you to call them traitors.
Are you kidding?
He had to scotch tape the economy back together after Carter almost destroyed it, and did a heluva job.
And he regained America's confidence in itself and pride.
True, his SC justice were poor, but he was advised wrongly, and admitted it.
His only OTHER mistake was in choosing RINO globalist GH Bush as VP.
Yep.
Citizenship amnesty for illegals, tax increases, campaign finance laws, two not-so-good SC judges and budgets at about 22% of GDP.
That's all Reagan. He sure got a lot done.
Visiting a country is the same as supporting its foreign policy?
How old are you? Like, over 12 and all?
FROBL = Free Republic Open Border Lobbyist.
Oh, the UAE are evil or is that your attempt at humor?
Dane, the president has not yet signed off on this and no matter if this UAE entity is given a 100% security pass, it's a political TIN EAR decision and convincing Americans won't be easy.
Senator Tom Coburn wants more information and so do I.
Nobody is stronger on terrorism than POTUS. I have faith in him, but again, he has NOT signed off on this.
Thanks.
Got it. You won't answer. Why am I not surprised?
its not "were", he still IS.
Well, if Reagan is your idea of a "bad" president, I tremble in anticipation to the revelation of your idea of a "good" president.
Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova are playing there in a tennis match that started today.
Isn't it wonderful (for you...lol) that we're basically on the same side in this? *smoocheroo to you*
Yes more info on this is good.
But I'd like to see more info on all security meassures taken, from the time the container is loaded to the time the container is unloaded.
Evil traitors according to some on FR.
At first it's a Movement. It then becomes a Business. It ends as a Racket.
The best way is to keep them out of the ports.
That's all Reagan. He sure got a lot done."
The man was unquestionably a giant. AND Statesman who got things done.
Considering Carter ruined BOTH the economy AND a military that both had to be reignited and rebuilt from scratch, it was pretty amazing to watch the turnabout which was...DRAMATIC.
Then he bluffed the Soviets out of the Cold War.
Reagan's amnesty numbers were NOTHING compared to Bush...AND pre-9/11.
Cobalt you really seem to be having trouble acting like a normal person.
I never said that Reagan was a "bad" president. I simply gave a factual list of bad things that happened during Reagan.
You get?
"Isn't it wonderful (for you...lol) that we're basically on the same side in this?"
now THAT is a surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.