Posted on 02/21/2006 12:56:16 PM PST by Jeremiah2911
WASHINGTON — In a rare display of his veto authority President Bush said Tuesday he will put the kibosh on any legislation that attempts to stop the purchase by a United Arab Emirates-owned firm of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., which runs six major U.S. ports.
Breaking a gaping silence during the debate of the purchase by Dubai Ports World, Bush said the deal should go forward and won't jeopardize U.S. security.
Officials from the Cabinet departments that participate in the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, which approved the sale last Monday, are appearing in a briefing Tuesday afternoon to defend the process by which CFIUS reviewed and approved the deal.
Officials from the Treasury, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security will participate.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
"That country already has some of the best security checks at it's ports around the world. Call the US Navy and ask them how they feel about visiting the port (Dubai) in UAE.
People are not looking at this rationally."
Your comment is on the money. I have been to the Dubai port with 3 MEU's. The security at this port was better than Singapore, Hongkong, and Perth Australia. From experience I have no problem with this deal. The UEA will only be running operations (load/offload, andaccounting) they will not be running security. The only problem I have is why isn't there an Americam company that can do this?
"Just wait until there are Americans in this country who were traveling on the day that an Al quieda cell managed to infiltrate the Security of one or two of our busiest sea ports with a nuclear device."
If they could do that after this deal goes through, they could do it now. If you can manage to get a nuke on a boat into an American port, then I don't really see how the ownership of the company who unloads things at that port is particularly relevant?
Yeah I'm sure the Arab man in the street will burn and beat to death one less Christian a day in the cartoon riots because of GW's generosity! /sarcasm
Although I'm disappointed that the administration didn't communicate this very well. But obviously that's not one of their strong suits....
Frankly I think the press in this country is a million times more dangerous than some UAE company...buying operating rights to some ports.
But what do I know?
Nothing changes, except the workers ultimately report to a Dubai business firm.
As long as this company is only unloading and loading conatiners and we are in charge of searching and doing the security around said containers, I dont have a problem with it.
My question is are there any high level security advisors who think this is a security risk? Would not the security requirements be the same for everyone?
And since UAE would be watched like a hawk running the port, wouldnt terrorists choose another route less scrutinized?
This is reaching the point of absurdity to where it's almost funny. The "hip-shooting cowboy" hasn't come close to vetoing anything in six years, and now he's chompin' at the bit to whip it out in order to allow Arabs to own ports on US soil. Is he deliberately trying to destroy the Republican party?
logistics?
That Bush stood up for the Arab when the rest of the politicians in the country didn't. Not bad, not bad at all. Just might work....
Yes I do drive a car but that doesn't mean I have much choice unlike this port deal.
This is the whole border control argument all over again. For some strange reason the integrity of the nation means more to me than a stockholders portfolio. I'm kinda funny that way.
In other words, no, you cannot be specific. The reason for this is there is no security threat for this specific deal.
The fact of the matter is, you're going to find in many, many ports … are owned and operated by foreign companies or foreign contractors. It's a matter of the global maritime industry. It happens around the world. The bottom line at the end of the day is who's ultimately responsible for security. A lot of people have confidence in the Coast Guard and they should," he told FOX News.
Ridge added that DP World would not provide security at any U.S. port. That job is conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, both DHS agencies. The employees working at the ports will remain American longshoremen.
"I admit that to the average citizen, the optics don’t appear very good, but frankly there's a huge difference between what they perceive and what really is," Ridge said, adding that the "transaction has been vetted" at the highest levels and was not a decision taken lightly. "The conclusion that you draw from some of these public statements is that no one in this administration cares enough about security or port security, they like to be very cavalier about this transaction. That couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth. We all know better than that," said Ridge, who is also a former Pennsylvania governor.
Wow. Bush is completely off his rocker. I hope congress can get together on this one and over-ride his veto.
Of all people, you'd be the one to know.
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