Posted on 02/21/2006 11:08:07 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush said he has faith in his brother's administration over its decision to allow an Arab-owned company to operate major U.S. ports, including in Miami.
Dubai Ports World, a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates, is expected to take over a British company that has been running six U.S. ports.
Several South Florida Congress members and politicians believe the deal should be closely examined.
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said she has no specific concerns about the company, although the fact that UAE was where a number of the Sept. 11 hijackers were being harbored warrants further examination.
However, a former security director said there is little cause for concern.
"Being regulated by the federal government and by the state government puts a very high threshold of security standard for any operator at the Port of Miami," Nelson Oramas said.
Florida's governor, who attended a breakfast meeting at the Biltmore Hotel on Tuesday promoting the Central American Free Trade Agreement, said he thinks criticism by some Congress members is unwarranted because his brother, President George W. Bush, could press for more details by the time the sale is supposed to go through on March 2.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has said that the company went through a "very extensive" review process.
Nevertheless, the Republican governors of New York and Maryland said they might try to cancel lease arrangements at ports in their states.
Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Robert Menendez are planning to introduce legislation that would prevent the sale of port operations to foreign governments.
Well, like I said, that would be the first time the US will have disciminated on the basis of religion.
I don't mind barring countries who are on an official terror list, but just because they practice a different religion? Quite against the spirit of freedom of religion which is a huge tenet of our Constitution.
And a terrible example for other countries who are setting up democracies and who look to the US for as a model of running things in a spirit of freedoms including that of religion.
Seems the more research I do on this question, the less *in control* we are, over our own ports. Scary, considering 9-11 and what *could* happen, M.
When I heard about this (yes I did wait for the facts to come out) I felt like I was kicked in the gut. We are in the midst of WW IV. I was hoping that the Administration's references to Islam as TROP was merely lip service. Apparently they believe it. That is indefensible.
If a relatively well informed, Bush/Cheney supporter such as myself remains outraged, how do you think this is playing with the rank and file who catch maybe 5-10 minutes of news a day but are knee jerk Republicans.
I think I speak for a majority of them-we do not want a muslim govt' have anything to do with our ports.
Sorry. I mistook you for someone perhaps interested in wading through the smoke to see that there's no fire.
We'll have to agree to disagree. I waded through the smoke and found fire IMHO. Believe me, it pains me greatly to be on the same side as Jimmy Carter, et.al.
Actually, Jimmy Carter is on MY side. That's the only thing about this deal that truly bothers me, is I'm in agreement with that anti-American nutjob.
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