Posted on 03/02/2006 6:26:44 PM PST by AntiGuv
WASHINGTON - One of the most prominent House Republicans on military issues said Thursday he would try to scuttle a Dubai-based company's effort to manage U.S. ports as lawmakers' complaints about the Bush administration's handling of the issue continued to spread.
"Dubai cannot be trusted," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and normally one of the administration's most trusted allies. He called the United Arab Emirates "a bazaar for terrorist nations" and asserted that the United States should not permit DP World to take over significant operations at six U.S. ports.
"I intend to do everything I can to kill the deal," Hunter said.
Across Capitol Hill, lawmakers criticized the Bush administration anew following disclosures that the United States had launched a fresh investigation Tuesday into a proposed business deal by a second Dubai-owned company. Also sparking the furor was word of a previously unconfirmed investigation into a separate transaction by a leading Israeli software firm.
The government initially approved DP World's $6.8 billion purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. But on Sunday, the administration agreed to a 45-day investigation of potential security risks to quell a political backlash.
"Too little, too late," Hunter said.
Opening a hearing on the matter, Hunter said it was "quite remarkable" that the administration did not initially undertake a full review of security implications, given that the company is owned by the United Arab Emirates — "a bazaar for terrorist nations to receive prohibited components from sources from the free world and from the non-free world."
Hunter listed instances between 1994 and 2003 in which he said the country helped move materials for weapons of mass destruction, such as heavy water and high-speed electrical switches, to Pakistan, Iran and other countries. He plans to introduce legislation that would require U.S. companies to be the sole owners of infrastructure critical to national security.
The chairman's sharp remarks underscore the political tempest the White House has run into at a time when events in Iraq and renewed interest in the administration's failures in responding to Hurricane Katrina have pushed President Bush's popularity downward.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has sided with the administration on the DP World deal. He and the White House have praised the United Arab Emirates as a key ally in the fight against terrorism.
Congressional GOP leaders want to wait for the results of the administration's new DP World investigation before considering legislation to delay or block the deal.
House Democrats tried to force a debate and vote on legislation Thursday that would require the 45-day security review and congressional approval of the takeover. That effort failed on a procedural, largely party-line vote.
Leading Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee also asked the administration for details about all pending reviews of foreign business deals and any that have been conducted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
The U.S. has conducted only 25 such investigations among 1,600 business transactions reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States since 1988. The panel, made up of 12 government representatives, judges the security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in American industry.
Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, complained that he learned about the second Dubai investigation from news reports, despite regular meetings and discussions with the administration and others on the ports issue recently.
"Maybe they still haven't gotten their act together over the last few days," said King, R-N.Y.
Senior U.S. officials told lawmakers they will try to inform Congress better in the future.
"We clearly have to do quite a bit in finding ways to provide you more promptly with the information you need," Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt told the Senate Banking Committee.
Dubai International Capital LLC confirmed Thursday it faced investigation over its plans to buy a British precision-engineering company, Doncasters Group Ltd., with plants in Georgia and Connecticut that make parts used in engines for military aircraft and tanks.
The same U.S. review panel also is investigating plans by an Israeli software company, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., to purchase a smaller U.S. rival.
Kimmitt said U.S. officials notified congressional leaders and oversight committees about the second Dubai-related investigation Monday. The company's lawyers were notified the following day.
Oh, I agree with all that. Just surprised at Duncan Hunter and didn't understand your comment.
You'd better get right over to the WH and straighten the President out!
When did he out it? The Wall Street Journal wrote about this on Oct. 31st. Is that a secret publication?
The opening act of George Bush lameduck President.
I got a 20 dollar bill that says he won't stop it....any takers?
The Krauts! There is after all some history to this in WWI.
The President says whatever he wants to say, but our military deployments say otherwise.
I have been saying all along that the deal will go though.
But I'll grant you irrelevant may be too strong a term. Optional would probably work better.
In any case, I've now reached an opinion on the whole DP World issue: I think the controversy is nonsense, but it's turned into a political debacle. From a political standpoint the answer is obvious: Put a fork in it. From a national security standpoint the answer is: Whatever. And from a PR in the Arab world standpoint the answer is: Things are 'bout to go boom!
Hunter has also been an advocate of American manufacturing.
If my info isn't out of date, we use two airstrips in the UAE, Al Dhafra and Fujairah, but they are not our primary facilities by a long stretch. Those are in Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. And we use one port of call at Jebel Ali, but our primary naval facility is at Bahrein.
Will you please stop this thinking and making sense! I've warned you before, I may have to...take action. :-)
If their people have no physical presence at the terminal facilities, nor are foreigners involved in any of the operation they might hire, e.g. our stevadores do the work, and the port security is controled by the state/city/port authorities, and the US customs and US Coast Guard are resposible for the container inspections (that is a known weak area as some have brought up, simply not sufficient tools and personel to inspect all incoming containers, a rather shabby 5% often being thrown out), it would appear DPW has little control over anything in the reality of things.
But But they'll be writing the paychecks! We can't have that!
Yeah, I guess he just says whatever pops into his mind. The same must be true of several military analysts I've heard and several FReepers who have been to the port in Dubai who all have said it is the biggest and busiest and best run US Naval port outside the US. I don't know for sure, I haven't been there. I have also heard the same about staging air operations out of the UAE. So many liars so little time.
And it should. As Sinkspur said it politics. What gets me is people like Bill Bennet, Hugh Hewitt have come out against it.
Yes, you're right - I was wrong - with regard to the naval facilities. Jebel Ali is a much bigger deal than I remembered about it. I should've looked it up first!
LOL Well so many things go boom when Arabs are involved. Oops, my Islamophobia is showing. /sarcasm
I just don't see the military or political advantage (for the Pres. or the dimwith Pubbies) in giving the Dems concessions on this. Has it ever paid off before? Whatever advantage our alliance with the UAE gives us seems to me to be worth more than cheap political points the MSM will never let a Pubbie cash in.
Noted, and thanks. I like him on border security too.
These are are our primary navy & air force facilities in the Persian Gulf region.
Navy
Manama, Bahrein
Jebel Ali, UAE
Diego Garcia
Air Force
Al Udeid, Qatar
Ahmed Al Jaber, Kuwait
Ali Al Salem, Kuwait
Masirah, Oman
Thumrait, Oman
Things like this really make me hate politics.
I don't understand their positions, just maybe they are need to know more of the facts about it about?
This is a no-big-deal deal and every Pubbie who is against it could have stood firm, stayed quiet, let it run its course and then used it against the Dems in the fall. Instead they thought it might look good to wear their own dunce caps. The public is slow but they're not stupid. By Nov. Americans will be booking vacations in Dubai because of all that they have learned about it.
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