Posted on 03/10/2006 2:21:04 PM PST by Stellar Dendrite
The U.S. House of Representatives will forge ahead with a vote on blocking an Arab-owned company from managing U.S. ports, to ensure the firm sheds its U.S. holdings as promised, a leadership spokesman said on Friday.
The Republican-run House's refusal to back away from the showdown vote was another blow to President George W. Bush, who suffered a stinging defeat on Thursday when Dubai Ports World said it intended to back out of the deal his administration had approved.
Reverberations from the political earthquake continued on Friday. The United Arab Emirates broke off talks on a free trade pact with the United States, although a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office said delays are common.
Bush said he was concerned the opposition sent a worrying message to Middle East allies.
"In order to win the war on terror, we have got to strengthen our relationships and friendships with moderate Arab countries in the Middle East," Bush told newspaper editors.
State-owned Dubai Ports World surrendered to unrelenting criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in giving up the management of some terminals at six major U.S. ports.
The UAE company said it would transfer the ports to a U.S. entity at the behest of Dubai's ruler, to allay concerns the deal posed a threat to American national security. Details of the transfer were not outlined.
The White House had hoped the announcement would resolve the unprecedented crisis between Bush and a Congress run by his own party in open revolt.
But Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, said the House vote on a provision to bar the deal would go ahead on Wednesday or Thursday anyway.
"It's a smart move to keep it (the legislation) in there, in case the Dubai thing doesn't work out," he told Reuters.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The outlook for a Senate vote was less clear. Senate Republican leaders have been trying to avoid one in the near future. Deal critic Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, wants more information from the White House.
"If things are as they appear, this is a great victory for national security. But make no mistake, we are going to scrutinize this deal with a fine-tooth comb to make sure the separation between American port operators and Dubai Ports World is complete and security is tight as a drum," he said.
Dubai Ports Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, asked if the firm would sell the U.S. port management rights, told Reuters: "All this is being worked out by our parties in the States."
But David Hamod, president of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, said it would be hard to find a U.S. company to step in.
"The advantage that the overseas company has is economies of scale. They're doing this on a global level and so it will be very difficult to find a U.S. company in this business large enough to take over the operations," Hamod said.
He also said his group was hearing calls for retribution, including keeping Americans out of Arab markets. "But it's a tiny minority of people who are arguing that," he said.
Bush, who had vowed to veto efforts to block the deal, praised the UAE as a committed ally in the war on terrorism.
"I'm concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East," Bush said.
Treasury Secretary John Snow said his department's lawyers were in contact with DP World about its intentions. He also said the political furor was an isolated case, as he tried to limit damage to the U.S. free-trade image.
Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia, said congressional Republicans are running away from Bush this election year.
"In a way, the port deal was a godsend to them," Sabato said. "It allowed them to put a lot of daylight between themselves and a very unpopular president."
A new poll Friday registered another low of 37 percent in Bush's approval rating.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro, Doug Palmer and Tim Ahmann)
They know all the hysteria is based on ignorance but they are still running with it.
This Congress is going down the sh*thole.
Isn't it about time some FR people started to put a little blame on Hastert for the lack of good legislation getting written?
That's my thinking exactly. You know that the Dims and the press are putting all kinds of pressure on Republicans to join them in an impeachment vote. Right now, I'd say it's even money they could scrape up enough votes to pass one, especially if the media provides them with a biased poll showing the majority of the public favoring impeachment. There would never be a better time.
UAE denied they were going to cancel the orders to boeing. You might want to read a bit more before you spout off. All of you guys that are whining, and whining it is, about this deal being called off have lost your way. This was necessary in order to keep the senate and house in republican hands. If you see it any other way you have simply lost touch with Americans. Sorry, but that is the way it is.
Only when the bleeding slows will the clots allow the bleeding to stop.
Oh yeah. They're born that way.
Though, if this is the Hunter bill, it would be fun to see who votes it down after all their " foreign ownership is dangerous" talk.
So much for waiting 45 days, right?
I am so burned out trying to put this together and make any sense of it all this week I don't want to even consider an impeachment but as you say anything can happen.
You are right on target. Bush doesn't make law so now that we know he's never vetoed anything it must mean he's not received anything. It's a legislative problem that keeps getting Bush in trouble.
This is pretty silly. Just put it to bed and get focused on the campaign in the fall to win vulnerable districts.
The real issue here is the terminals are to be sold to an American firm. If I were Dubai, I'd boost the price and auction them off at exorbitant profit.
When is the vote to throw hanoi kerry out on the street?
For those who "forgot" what Hanoi Kerry
did in the past read on and learn the truth.
Hanoi Kerry was still a USNR officer while he:
gave false hearsay testimony to Congress
negotiated with the enemy
helped the US lose a war
abetted in the deaths of millions
created a hostile environment for all servicemen
http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/index.php?topic=Documents
What about FUTURE orders? Airbus, there they go.
You bet. The UAE gave us a way out instead of damaging this relationship further. Now we continue to stick it to them. This is painful to watch.
I think we need to keep names of any and all Republicans that continue to throw President Bush, our troops, and possibly our national security under the bus...
Because on Foley, Lewis, and the other reps' minds is not national security but JOB SECURITY....
I think we need to make that plan backfire!!
Shut the terminals down, put the people out of work and then file a loss on the taxes.
Shut the terminals down, put the people out of work and then file a loss on the taxes.
For sure sleuth.
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