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| More on UAE firm's takeover of port operations |
| 2006-02-20 |
| Terms for approving an Arab company's takeover of operations at six major American ports, including Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey, are insufficient to guard against terrorist infiltration, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said yesterday. "I'm aware of the conditions and they relate entirely to how the company carries out its procedures, but it doesn't go to who they hire, or how they hire people," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. "They're better than nothing, but to me they don't address the underlying conditions, which is how are they going to guard against things like infiltration by al Qaeda or someone else, how are they going to guard against corruption?" King said. King spoke in response to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's comments yesterday about conditions of the sale. King said he learned about the government's terms for approving the sale from meetings with senior Bush administration officials. Chertoff defended the security review of Dubai Ports World of the United Arab Emirates, the company given permission to take over the port operations. Chertoff said the government typically builds in "certain conditions or requirements that the company has to agree to make sure we address the national security concerns." But Chertoff declined to discuss specifics saying that information is classified. "We make sure there are assurances in place, in general, sufficient to satisfy us that the deal is appropriate from a national security standpoint," Chertoff said on ABC's "This Week." London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., was bought last week by DP World, a state-owned business. Peninsular and Oriental runs major commercial operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. A Miami company, Continental Stevedoring & Terminals Inc., has filed suit in a Florida court challenging the deal. A subsidiary of Eller & Company Inc., the Miami company maintains in the suit disclosed Saturday evening that it will become an "involuntary partner" with Dubai's government under the sale. "We are aware of the lawsuit, but cannot comment until our legal teams have a chance to review it," Michael Seymour, president of the North American arm of Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation, said yesterday in the company's initial response to the lawsuit. He noted that his company "is itself a foreign-owned terminal operator that has long worked with U.S. government officials in charge of security at the ports to meet all U.S. government standards, as do other foreign companies that currently operate ports in the United States." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 It seems there's now competition for resident RB dyspeptic honors. |
| Posted by: .com 2006-02-20 16:06 |
| #1 "Chertoff said the government typically builds in "certain conditions or requirements that the company has to agree to make sure we address the national security concerns." But Chertoff declined to discuss specifics saying that information is classified. 'We make sure there are assurances in place, in general, sufficient to satisfy us that the deal is appropriate from a national security standpoint.'" Boy that's a relief. Good to know they have negotiated safeguards. Hope no one shows any cartoons of Muhammad to the nite crew. |
| Posted by: Hank 2006-02-20 15:49 |