Posted on 02/22/2006 6:19:30 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement
Feb 22 9:03 PM US/Eastern
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By TED BRIDIS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
1d08c5bfc6d0@news.ap.org The Bush administration secretly required a company in the United Arab Emirates to cooperate with future U.S. investigations before approving its takeover of operations at six American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It chose not to impose other, routine restrictions.
As part of the $6.8 billion purchase, state-owned Dubai Ports World agreed to reveal records on demand about "foreign operational direction" of its business at U.S. ports, the documents said. Those records broadly include details about the design, maintenance or operation of ports and equipment.
The administration did not require Dubai Ports to keep copies of business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to court orders. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate U.S. government requests. Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of foreign sales in other industries.
"They're not lax but they're not draconian," said James Lewis, a former U.S. official who worked on such agreements. If officials had predicted the firestorm of criticism over the deal, Lewis said, "they might have made them sound harder."
The conditions involving the sale of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. were detailed in U.S. documents marked "confidential." Such records are regularly guarded as trade secrets, and it is highly unusual for them to be made public.
The concessions _ described previously by the Homeland Security Department as unprecedented among maritime companies _ reflect the close relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
The revelations about the negotiated conditions came as the White House acknowledged President Bush was unaware of the pending sale until the deal had already been approved by his administration.
Bush on Tuesday brushed aside objections by leaders in the Senate and House. He pledged to veto any bill Congress might approve to block the agreement, but some lawmakers said they still were determined to capsize it.
Dubai Port's top American executive, chief operating officer Edward H. Bilkey, said the company will do whatever the Bush administration asks to enhance shipping security and ensure the sale goes through. Bilkey said Wednesday he will work in Washington to persuade skeptical lawmakers they should endorse the deal; Senate oversight hearings already are scheduled.
"We're disappointed," Bikley told the AP in an interview. "We're going to do our best to persuade them that they jumped the gun. The UAE is a very solid friend, as President Bush has said."
Under the deal, the government asked Dubai Ports to operate American seaports with existing U.S. managers "to the extent possible." It promised to take "all reasonable steps" to assist the Homeland Security Department, and it pledged to continue participating in security programs to stop smuggling and detect illegal shipments of nuclear materials.
The administration required Dubai Ports to designate an executive to handle requests from the U.S. government, but it did not specify this person's citizenship.
It said Dubai Ports must retain paperwork "in the normal course of business" but did not specify a time period or require corporate records to be housed in the United States. Outside experts familiar with such agreements said such provisions are routine in other cases.
Probably better than their usual "food good, Republicans bad" schtick.
When does Haliburton factor in?
You said it. TWICE. You have the responsibility to stand behind your statement. You even shouted at me. Either prove you're right or don't repeat the incorrect info.
You may be picking nits based on sloppy reporting. Where "review" is the reporter's synonym for "investigation".
IDK, I'm thinking that Bush should have figured that this would cause a stir when "sprung" upon the American public and the rest of government as it has been. And why all the seeming "backroom secrecy" if it's a shrewd move and all on the up and up.
Something's not making sense here.
I certainly haven't found that anywhere. If you have, please post it.
I was dealing with the issue of when Bush was informed. You were the one who switched gears to what constitutes an "investigation".
Now if that image was Tom Ridge's I'd "feel" a little more comfortable.
I would not accuse Bush of being a traitor, but c'mon, this deal is a politically nightmare for Bush and the Repubs, I think this deal needs to die. I don't care if the UAE company is the most upstanding and secure company to do business with ever. The American people, as a whole, think that this thing stinks to high heaven and Bush has undermined his own credibility in the War on Terror.
No. It was reported that it was considered for 20 to 25 days. CFIUS says 30 days is a review and 45 days is an investigation.
We won't have to phone ahead to let them know. Dubai will have every detail of what military equipment is being shipped, when it's arriving and where it's going. It's called telegraphing your punches. It will also be an advantage for the Dubai/terrorists to have access to said equipment, and do their dirty work and saboutage.
The press (as usual) is also making more this than there is: the ports were already managed by a foreign company. That British company and their employees are not going away o be replaced by Arabs, the main company is simply being acquired by the emirates.
Since Britain is also infested with Islamonazis (who can more easily hide and travel under British passports than UAE citizens), it's not clear to me that the situation is actually getting any worse.
The real issue is how we could allow any foreign company to control our ports after 9/11?
True...the fact remains that if US companies did not have such heavy burdens they would be better able to compete.
Yes, but, it's scheduled to go through on March 2, 2006 unless there's an intervention, which only allows, let's see, three, four business days to "examine" it, as conditions at present are.
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