No explanation necessary.
Posted on 02/16/2006 1:40:18 PM PST by Stellar Dendrite
The Bush administration on Thursday rebuffed criticism about potential security risks of a $6.8 billion sale that gives a company in the United Arab Emirates control over significant operations at six major American ports.
Lawmakers asked the White House to reconsider its earlier approval of the deal.
The sale to state-owned Dubai Ports World was "rigorously reviewed" by a U.S. committee that considers security threats when foreign companies seek to buy or invest in American industry, National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones said.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, run by the Treasury Department, reviewed an assessment from U.S. intelligence agencies. The committee's 12 members agreed unanimously the sale did not present any problems, the department said.
"We wanted to look at this one quite closely because it relates to ports," Stewart Baker, an assistant secretary in the Homeland Security Department, told The Associated Press. "It is important to focus on this partner as opposed to just what part of the world they come from. We came to the conclusion that the transaction should not be halted."
The unusual defense of the secretive committee, which reviews hundreds of such deals each year, came in response to criticism about the purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co.
The world's fourth-largest ports company runs commercial operations at shipping terminals in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.
Four senators and three House members asked the administration Thursday to reconsider its approval. The lawmakers contended the UAE is not consistent in its support of U.S. terrorism-fighting efforts.
"The potential threat to our country is not imagined, it is real," Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., said in a House speech.
The Homeland Security Department said it was legally impossible under the committee's rules to reconsider its approval without evidence DP World gave false information or withheld vital details from U.S. officials. The 30-day window for the committee to voice objections has ended.
DP World said it had received all regulatory approvals.
"We intend to maintain and, where appropriate, enhance current security arrangements," the company said in a statement. "It is very much business as usual for the P&O terminals" in the United States.
In Dubai, the UAE's foreign minister described his country as an important U.S. ally but declined to respond directly to the concerns expressed in Washington.
"We have worked very closely with the United States on a number of issues relating to the combat of terrorism, prior to and post Sept. 11," Sheik Abdullah Bin Zayed al-Nahyan told The Associated Press.
U.S. lawmakers said the UAE was an important transfer point for shipments of smuggled nuclear components sent to Iran, North Korea and Libya by a Pakistani scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan. They also said the UAE was one of only three countries to recognize the now-toppled Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government.
The State Department describes the UAE as a vital partner in the fight against terrorism. Dubai's own ports have participated since last year in U.S. efforts to detect illegal shipments of nuclear materials.
Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., urged congressional hearings on the deal.
"At a time when America is leading the world in the war on terrorism and spending billions of dollars to secure our homeland, we cannot cede control of strategic assets to foreign nations with spotty records on terrorism," Fossella said.
Critics also have cited the UAE's history as an operational and financial base for the hijackers who carried out the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"Outsourcing the operations of our largest ports to a country with a dubious record on terrorism is a homeland security and commerce accident waiting to happen," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "The administration needs to take another look at this deal."
Separately, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Thursday it will conduct its own review of the deal and urged the government to defend its decision.
In a letter to the Treasury Department, Port Authority chairman Anthony Coscia said the independent review by his agency was necessary "to protect its interests."
The lawmakers pressing the White House to reconsider included Sens. Schumer, Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Reps. Foley, Fossella and Chris Shays, R-Conn.
It's pretty pathetic when I find myself agreeing with RATS. THAT'S how far the GOP has drifted to the left. I honestly think it's time we have another tea party, only this time we need to throw the DC traitors in the water!! Next, they will give a blanket amnesty disguised as a "guest worker" program. I'm so angry I have to go off line for a while before I say what I REALLY want to say!!!!
ROFLMAO!
I don't envison that, more of a 2 year old kid that's having a "chernobyl" meltdown of a temper tantrum
Explain all the American-owned hotels, fast food restaurants, etc. in muslim countries.
Ah, your earlier post implied that it was just all Muslims in general you would never trust. Now you imply will allow an ally which takes to the street to demonstrate. You know what. I really don't know if they have taken to the streets. The media would never report it.
I remember months ago hearing that there was an anti-terror demonstration in Morocco and it was quickly removed from the wire. The media will not allow stories to get out about Muslims opposing terror because those stories would weaken Bush's enemies.
I myself don't care if they take to the streets or not. I do appreciate, however, statements made against terror and I have seen some; not enough, but some.
However, the port business was purchased by a company, not Dubai itself. If they pass stringent muster and, as I said, are overseen by American authorities I don't have a problem necessarily just because they are Muslim.
However, the stories I have seen don't give details about who would be overseeing what. As I said earlier, I suspect that the goal of the stories and Schumer is to split conservatives; it's easy to stir conservatives up into opinions against Bush without knowing all the facts. They are masters of it and many conservatives fall for it over and over again.
your cover as an islamofacist has been blown.
And your cover as an idiot was seen all along.
Chuckie's on board with the WOT. About time.
We need to call our reps.
BY ALEC MAGNET - Staff Reporter of the Sun
February 16, 2006
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/27690
Members of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's board of commissioners will meet next Wednesday to discuss the proposed deal that would grant control of significant operations at one of their ports to a company owned by the Dubai government in the United Arab Emirates, a country with ties to terrorism.
----snip----
Yesterday, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter King urged the Bush administration to reconsider federal approval of deal for reasons of national security.
"The White House can stop this deal ultimately, and I've asked them to go very slow and look at it very carefully." Mr. King, a Republican of New York, told the Associated Press. "The thing to do is find out if any of our departments have security concerns."
The Associated Press quoted Mr. Foley yesterday as saying, "If our ports are the most vulnerable targets for terrorism and if we are at war, as the president says, we should be overly critical of handing over the management of our ports to any foreign countries, post 9/11."
Read the rest at above link.
==> Since the offices are now closed, I thought I would start the ball rolling, by leaving a message on my reps' answering machine. I said that the Arabs will be controlling security of six of our ports, including the Port of New Orleans, and I hope he will do everything in his power to reverse this.
Yes, the Port Authority would be in charge of the ports, however, apparently, P&O now, is also responsible for security. Foxnews.com has a good article on this story. There is also an link for the letter from lawmakers written today to Sect Snow (Excellent letter!). Read this article it tells alot. Keep in mind that the UAE government owns DPW.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185107,00.html
I sent a letter to Homeland security last week. I think I'll send a letter to my congressman tomorrow.
Good grief, of course we were upset about it. We would REALLY like to see that the same sort of thing doesn't happen again!!!
Even if that's true, it doesn't make it any more wise to turn our six largest/busiest ports over to a company owned by a terror supporting country!! (Two wrongs, or more, NEVER make a right.)
No explanation necessary.
WELL SAID!
I believe that's in Pakistan, not to excuse the nuts in Pakistan, but we had some American left wing nuts in Seattle that trashed McDonald's and Starbucks a few years back.
Those are from Michelle Malkin's site. Apparently, she's received death threats lately!
Yep, gotta love those peaceful Muslims. I wonder what Chertoff thinks of this port deal.
Did you notice that they didn't put Earth First in charge of the ports?
There is strong economic incentive to be sure these worries never materialize."
Do these "economic incentive's" protect our ports if the muslims running "our" ports decide that the cult figure allah needs to punish the infidel's?
Is ther a strong economic incentive to be sure that Wahabbist ideology isn't sprayed all over the planet from Saudi Arabia?
Apparently not strong enough...
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