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Home Front: WoT
Chertoff says Dubai port deal includes safeguards
2006-02-20
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The homeland security chief said on Sunday a deal for a Dubai-based company to manage major U.S. ports would include security safeguards, but a Republican senator urged a probe and called the Bush administration "tone deaf politically" for approving it.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the Bush administration had approved the sale of British firm P&O, which manages six U.S. ports including New York, to Dubai Ports World after a classified review and the deal would include safeguards to protect U.S. national security. "You can be assured that before a deal is approved we put safeguards in place, assurances in place, that make everybody comfortable that we are where we need to be from a national security viewpoint," Chertoff said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said it was a mistake for the administration to approve the sale and called on Congress to investigate it. "It's unbelievably tone deaf politically at this point in our history, four years after 9/11, to entertain the idea of turning port security over to a company based in the UAE who avows to destroy Israel," Graham said on "Fox News Sunday."
No matter who owns or manages a port, they have to comply with American law. The DHS is going to watch them the same regardless.
Even so, it's good to see that the American public is paying attention, and their elected representatives are addressing some of the questions.
"I don't think now is the time to outsource major port security to a foreign-based company," he said.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat sniffing an opportunity to sound 'tough' on national security, said she would support legislation to block foreign companies from buying port facilities. "I'm going to support legislation to say 'No more, No way.' We have to have American companies running our own ports ... Our infrastructure is at risk," she said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Last week, Sens. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Hillary Clinton of New York, both Democrats, said they would offer legislation to ban companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from acquiring U.S. port operations. "No matter what steps the administration claims it has secretly taken, it is an unacceptable risk to turn control of our ports over to a foreign government," Menendez said in a statement.
Posted by:Steve White

#5  This was a left-footed move by Chertoff and crew. Ultimately is renders a black eye on the Bush Administration, and I am a staunch supporter.

First off, there's that PR thingy. From a policial standpoint, the blow back from approving such an agreement gives sleeze ball Schumer a big grandstand.

Chertoff "may" be a good DHS secretary, but, at a minimum, he has a tin ear when it comes to politics.
Posted by: Captain America   2006-02-20 13:19  

#4  The DHS is going to watch them the same regardless.

Sure. With the same effectiveness that the FBI watched foreigners on overextended visas attending flight training.
Posted by: Sleter Fluns1455   2006-02-20 09:26  

#3  They'll be driving taxis.
Posted by: ed   2006-02-20 07:51  

#2  But what about the Longshoremans Union? Do we get to keep the cushy jobs?
Posted by: 6   2006-02-20 05:18  

#1  Why do I feel like "Network" is on and I'm Ned Beatty?

Sheesh. Sell 'em the port management rights already. We get to write off a shitload of UAE oil debt, and what are they gonna do - take the New York Harbor home with 'em? Same deal as the Japanese owning the concessions in Yosemite.

Besides - Anything nasty happens, who gets hit? They'll be careful.
Posted by: mojo   2006-02-20 01:51  

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