Lawmakers urges White House to review Arab port takeover

Lawmakers urges White House to review Arab port takeover
Critics contend deal could affect national security

Thursday, February 16, 2006; Posted: 12:32 p.m. EST (17:32 GMT)

(AP) -- U.S. lawmakers formally asked the Bush administration Thursday to reconsider its approval of a sale giving a company in the United Arab Emirates control over significant operations at six major American ports.

The lawmakers, including four senators and three House members, sharply criticized the UAE as inconsistent in its support of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts.

They also said the country was a key transfer point for shipments of nuclear components sent to Iran, North Korea and Libya and was one of only three nations that had recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government.

"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-New York. "The administration needs to take another look at this deal."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/16/congress.ports.ap/index.html

but not sure if earlier or later.

Thu Feb-16-06 02:00 PM
Original message
White House Defends Port Operations Sale


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060216/ap_on_go_pr_wh/port... ;_ylt=AnjMMsKpjJuR6n3cNoE7JfID5gcF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

White House Defends Port Operations Sale

AP - 13 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - 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 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, took into account an assessment from U.S. intelligence agencies. The committee's 12 members agreed the sale did not present any problems, the department said.

The public 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.

What is the name of the company? Has anyone researched it? Is Osama the CEO?

When the bloody pluperfect hell did THAT happen?

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AND NEITHER DOES "COASTIE"

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Makes me question whether the terrorism thing is just all political theater to get us to give up our rights.

Anyone who can't see that the administration is all but inciting them "Come on and ATTACK already" is either asleep or in a coma

I've heard the LIHOP theories, but not the MIHOP