Posted on 02/13/2006 1:11:06 PM PST by Esther Ruth
United Arab Emirates firm to operate six major U.S. ports
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Monday, February 13, 2006 WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has approved a deal in which a United Arab Emirates company would operate six major ports in the United States.
A U.S. government panel has determined that the UAE firm, DP World, would not endanger national security. DP World, based in Dubai, has offered $6.8 billion for the purchase of a British firm that operates the ports of Baltimore, Miami, New York, New Jersey, New Orleans and Philadelphia.
DP World intends to acquire the London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation [P&O] Co. The sale was expected to be approved on Monday.
"The P&O directors have withdrawn their recommendation of the offer by PSA, which was announced on Jan. 26, 2006, and unanimously recommend that P&O Stockholders vote in favor of the revised proposals at the meetings, which are now scheduled to take place on Feb. 13," DP World said in a statement.
The company said the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "thoroughly reviewed the potential transaction and concluded they had no objection." The committee includes representatives from the departments of Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, State and Homeland Security.
The United Arab Emirates has been described as a leading military ally of the United States. In 2005, the UAE acquired the first 10 of 80 F-16E/F Block 60 multi-role fighters in a $6.4 billion purchase.
But officials said the UAE has not fully responded to repeated appeals from the Treasury Department to halt money-laundering activities exploited by Al Qaida and aligned groups. They said that for years Dubai served as a base for Al Qaida operatives, including those who destroyed the World Trade Center and a Pentagon wing in 2001.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldtribune.com ...
excerpt
"America's busiest ports are vital to our economy and to the international economy, and that is why they remain top terrorist targets," Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said. "Just as we would not outsource military operations or law enforcement duties, we should be very careful before we outsource such sensitive homeland security duties."
Sad, what's happening to my country, BTTT.
From the other day
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1576547/posts
Company From United Arab Emirates Poised to Oversee Six American Ports Due to Sale
AP/YahooNews ^ | 2-11-06 | Ted Bridis
Posted on 02/11/2006 11:11:33 AM CST by STARWISE
A company in the United Arab Emirates is poised to take over significant operations at six American ports as part of a corporate sale, leaving a country with ties to the Sept. 11 hijackers with influence over a maritime industry considered vulnerable to terrorism.
The Bush administration considers the UAE an important ally in the fight against terrorism since the suicide hijackings and is not objecting to Dubai Ports World's purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co.
The $6.8 billion sale is expected to be approved Monday. The British company is the fourth largest ports company in the world and its sale would affect commercial U.S. port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.
DP World said it won approval from a secretive U.S. government panel that considers security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in American industry.
(Excerpt) Read more at biz.yahoo.com ...
well, when the iranian nuke is smuggled into a US port - at least we know where to look to see whom AQ compromised to bring it in.
Appears similar to previous threads. Why not combine them?
This is wrong. They have their own business operations in those ports, they do not operate or in any way control the ports.
"
"America's busiest ports are vital to our economy and to the international economy, and that is why they remain top terrorist targets," Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said. "Just as we would not outsource military operations or law enforcement duties, we should be very careful before we outsource such sensitive homeland security duties.""
You might as well go ahead and shoot me. I actually agree with Chuck Schumer on something.
These foreign companies are just doing the work that no American companies want to do, right?
BBWWAHAHAHAHAhahahahaha
Why THANK you! I feel SO much better now.
Don't get me started....
great.. just great
The UAE is a "boycotted country" according to our government so we cannot sell them anything without a lot of additional paperwork.
The other article is a little more informative...in particular in specifically states that they will in no way control the ports, simply their own business operations within those ports. This article is misleading.
"A U.S. government panel has determined that the UAE firm, DP World, would not endanger national security."
Translation: Government officials and cronies are going to get wealthy on this. Long term security or doing the right thing are beyond their scope.
I'm disgusted.
I don't. It makes me suspicious, especially since he said he didn't know all the details of this whole thing on Fox today. The arabs will have nothing to do with security. We won't be outsourcing our security. It's probably just another lefty shake-down.
Evidently not considered a big deal.
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