Senator Urges Bush to Consider Ramifications of Dubai Ports Deal [Schumer]

Daily News/redorbit ^ | 14 February 2006 | Michael McAuliff

[CWOJackson]

They will still not have any control over any U.S. port. They will control businesses located within U.S. ports; the control of the ports remains in the hands of the U.S. government and local port authorities.

In fact, owning those businesses won't make it any different for someone in the UAE to import a container to this country.

[TBP]

For once Schumer is right.

What can be done to stop this? If we let 6 major ports be controlled by a terrorist-sponsoring nation, we're not serious about the War on Terror.

[sasha123]

But, they did manage this one: Hillary needs to look in hr own back yard:

A Chinese/Hong Kong company is a major shareholder/owner of our NY Port
http://www.global-terminal.com/t3/index.php?id=181

see below:


Facility Information
TERMINAL DATA
Port
Port of New York/New Jersey

Port Operator:
The Port of Authority of New York and New Jersey

Terminal Operator:
Global Terminal & Container Services Inc.

Terminal Location:

302 Port Jersey Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ
07305

Owner/Major Shareholder:
Orient Overseas (International) Limited, Hong Kong

(I am becoming more disgusted by the day)

It's a family owned business. Tung Chee Hwa was a Chinese leader at one time and is now involved in a Comi party.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_Chee-hwa

[sasha123]

Thank you for the great info, it comes to show us that UAE has ties to terrorists. We cannot let our government try and convince us otherwise.

[Just mythoughts]

When liberals start squealing about US security it usually is NOT about US security, but an attempted political grandstanding free campaign advertisement.

Now where was Congress when application was made for the business, and why is there NO law already in place preventing such business deal.

[sasha123]

Congress is not involved in the Committee which authorizes foreign transactions. It is comprised of Bush Appointed leaders from various offices. There is a stink about if Congress views the requests first, it would get held up forever. The committee also states that there is confidential data involved that congress is not able to view. So, this committee reviews it, passes it (there has only been 1 reject in history) and we never have to know what is going on.

[Luke21]

Chuck Schumer is our ally in this one. It truly is the Twilight Zone. Regardless, momentum is building to stop this thing.

[BritExPatInFla]

Chuckie is a smuck! And I wish I had taken him hunting.

Yeah, and then maybe we could let Bush get on with whatever his grand plan is for the rest of our borders, airports, and sea ports. Blind ignorance, and unquestioning faith in someone that has, thus far, made his share of questionable decisions , is alarming.

[Just mythoughts]

"Congress is not involved in the Committee which authorizes foreign transactions. It is comprised of Bush Appointed leaders from various offices. There is a stink about if Congress views the requests first, it would get held up forever. The committee also states that there is confidential data involved that congress is not able to view. So, this committee reviews it, passes it (there has only been 1 reject in history) and we never have to know what is going on."

I do not buy there is anything that Congress is denied by law regarding national security to oversee. Not one nickle would be appropriated were there NOT some sort of oversight. Liberals would never allow that kind of secrecy.

[sasha123]

Maybe your right, but it sounds like the papers come through, and get signed. There is alot we don't know that goes through CFIUS. Check out the following piece from cato:

Exon-Florio establishes a screening mechanism for foreign acquisitions and provides for a review period of up to ninety days. Within thirty days of receipt of written notice of a transaction by one of the parties or a committee member, CFIUS must decide whether to investigate the transaction. A unanimous CFIUS decision not to investigate further terminates the process. It takes only one member of the committee to involve the president. If CFIUS is split, the president will decide whether to proceed after receiving a report setting forth the differing views of the members. A full investigation takes forty-five days more, and the president can take an additional fifteen days to decide whether to block the acquisition.

Because there is no legal requirement that the parties notify CFIUS of a transaction, Exon-Florio is often characterized as a ``voluntary'' reporting regime. The risk, however, is that transactions concluded without Exon-Florio notification remain subject to divestment indefinitely. Parties to commercial transactions seek certainty and, therefore, generally prefer to end their exposure under Exon-Florio by submitting to the screening process. As a result, when there is a foreign buyer, an Exon-Florio filing joins the rather significant list of compliance documents required in major transactions

http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/reg16n1d.html