Thread: Democrats plan bill to block Dubai-US port deal

Democrats plan bill to block Dubai-US port deal
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060217/pl_ ... ports_dc_1
By Jeremy Pelofsky

Two U.S. Democratic senators said on Friday they would introduce legislation aimed at blocking Dubai Ports World from buying a company that operates several U.S. shipping ports because of security concerns.

Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Hillary Clinton of New York said they would offer a measure to ban companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from acquiring U.S. port operations.

"We wouldn't turn the border patrol or the customs service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either," Menendez said in a statement.

P&O, the company Dubai Ports World plans to buy for $6.8 billion, is already foreign-owned but the concern is that the purchaser is backed by the United Arab Emirates government.

The UAE company would gain control over the management of major U.S. ports in New York and New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Miami, sparking national security concerns.

"I will be working with Senator Menendez to introduce legislation that will prohibit the sale of ports to foreign governments," Clinton said in a statement.

Officials with the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Washington could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a U.S. inter-agency panel that reviews security implications of foreign takeovers of strategic assets, has already reviewed the transaction and did not object.

Despite that review, some Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress urged the Bush administration to conduct a more rigorous review. They expressed fears that the UAE was used as a conduit for parts used for nuclear proliferation and that the local banking system had been abused by financiers with possible links to terrorist organizations.

U.S. officials have said the UAE has been a solid and cooperative partner in the fight against terrorism, and have praised the UAE for steps to protect its booming financial sector against abuse by terrorism financiers.

Money for the September 11 attacks was wired through the UAE's banking system, according to U.S. officials. Two of the September 11 hijackers were UAE citizens.

U.S. seaports handle 2 billion tons of freight each year but only about 5 percent of containers entering the United States are examined on arrival.

Similar concerns were raised when a China state-controlled oil company tried to acquire the U.S. oil company Unocal. After pressure from American lawmakers, the foreign company eventually dropped out of the bidding.

(Additional reporting by Caroline Drees.)

"We wouldn't turn the border patrol or the customs service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either," Menendez said in a statement.

Want to make a bet?

Originally Posted by CountFloyd

"We wouldn't turn the border patrol or the customs service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either," Menendez said in a statement.

Want to make a bet?

Your right, there working on Letting Vicente Fox, run the whole show. Maybe I am worng on this, but isn't Menendez the one that is wanting to open our Borders.

Maybe I am worng on this, but isn't Menendez the one that is wanting to open our Borders.

They all do, but in this case the Dems can smell the blood in the water.

If they can block this, more power to them. Someone's got to stop Bush from selling out the entire country.

Just how much of our country are our elected officials willing to give away to foreign countries

I hope they block it no matter what.

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

I hope they block it no matter what.

somebody had better stop it. So many politicians to remember next election.

This is the letter I sent to my Senators this morning. Please feel free to use it as you see fit to contact the Senators in YOUR state. You might want to edit it a little if your Senator(s) happen to be Democrats.

2-17-06

Senator Johnny Isaakson
Senator Saxby Chambliss

Sirs:

I write to you today concerning the transfer of control of 6 U.S. ports to the UAE and/or a company based there. It is well known that the UAE has been a major financial center supporting terrorist nations in the Middle East. It was one of 3 countries WORLDWIDE to declare the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

Gentlemen, the 6 ports in question are New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami and New Orleans. In looking at a map it is obvious these 6 ports dominate our Eastern Seaboard and Gulf coasts. How can we allow a nation that SUPPORTS terrorism to control these ports and still claim to support Homeland Security? Given the high degree of planning and execution necessary to pull off 9-11-01, would it be that far of a stretch to foresee a coordinated attack on these 6 ports simultaneously? It would no doubt be easy for foreign agents, supported by the UAE, to bypass port security. Since only 5% of shipping containers are even cursorily inspected, the chances of smuggling bio or nuclear weapons into these ports are great. We must not allow this scenario, however far-fetched it may seem, to become possible. The security of our nation DEMANDS it.

Therefore, as distasteful as it may be in the political sense, I strenuously urge you to support Senators Clinton and Menendez in their efforts to stop this sale. This sale cannot, MUST NOT be allowed to happen. Please advise me as to your response.

Sincerely,