What I'd like to know is where does Australia get off criticizing the US on this "port" decision when they were the ones that ran the new pictures of the Abu Ghraib prison photos. Seems rather hypocritical to me. - ooo, ooo, look what the US is doing - yet they themselves are contributing to the problem of why there is an increase in islamofascism attacks.
I think that this whole deal is absurd and I'd like to know what the bottom-line deal was. What was traded, what was worked out in this secret meeting. Why was it secret? Why didn't this decision involve the companies and the governors of the states that would be affected by this move? Where were the representatives of the Port Authorities of each of these cities?
and I have a question for all. If you don't want the company sold to the Arabs, who do you want the Brits to sell the company to? It is their company so can we really dictate who they sell it to? The only U.S. company that could really take over this type of operation would be Haliburton but we all know how well that would go over. Come on, folks. If we are going to bitch about the problem, then we really need to come up with a solution. Otherwise, we're just blowing hot air.
"Why was it secret?"
On another thread it stated that, "Clinton" was behind the initial sell-out. That sums it all up for me. But think about it, First-let's sell-out to Britain(sort of safe), then we'll no longer be responsible. That's a piggly-wiggly, "I'm not responsible because look what the Brits did!"
"If you don't want the company sold to the Arabs, who do you want the Brits to sell the company to?"
The folks? that sold us out to the Brits had no right to do so. Anything involving something so critical as a port should not even be remotely controlled by anyone except loyal Americans. Most countries would never allow such a thing.
They can certainly sell to anyone they wish, but we most certainly can “dictate” whether our domestic port-infrastructure is going to be transferred to their chosen buyer. Its called sovereignty. And its precisely why the CFIUS exists -- to consider security threats when foreign companies seek to buy or invest in industries with significant US based operations and/or infrastructure (a responsibility that was clearly abrogated here).
The only U.S. company that could really take over this type of operation would be Haliburton but we all know how well that would go over.
This rather bizarre talking point has been repeated to the point of absurdity.
First, Halliburton is not in the business of terminal operations.
Second, P&O is not, contrary to the impression being spread, some kind of US ports behemouth. P&O Ports (from whom Dubai Ports World is acquiring it US terminal interests), operates approximately 31 container, general cargo, and passenger terminals in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans, and Vancouver.
P&O has (now "had") no operations at all at the Port of South Louisiana or Houston (the two largest domestic ports in terms of tonnage by a very wide margin), nor at the ports at Bayport, Beaumont, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Huntington Tri-State, Baton Rouge, Corpus Christie, Texas City, etc., etc.
Who do you suppose operates all those other terminals, including the massive container, ro-ro, general cargo, hydrocarbon, and chemical terminals at South Louisiana and Houston. I'll give you a hint. It ain't Haliburton.
Here's a partial list of terminal operators in the US:
Charleston Heavy Lift, LLC
East Coast Terminal
EMESCO Marine Services, Corp.
Federal Marine Terminals
Gateway Terminal Services
Gulf Elevator and Transfer
Hyde Shipping Corp.
ITO Baltimore
INBESCA America, Inc.
Industrial Terminals, L.P.
J.P.S. Express, Inc.
Kinder Morgan/Pinney Dock & Transport LLC
L&L Fleeting, Inc.
Levin Richmond Terminal Corp.
Maher Terminals, Inc.
Manchester Terminal
Maritime Terminal of Pennsylvania, Inc.
Mid-Atlantic Terminal, LLC
Warrior & Gulf Navigation Co.
North Atlantic Distribution, Inc.
Pacific Delaware, Inc.
Penn Terminals, Inc.
Pacorini USA, Inc.
Rota Terminal & Transfer
Ruckert Terminals Corp.
Saipan Stevedore
Samson Tug And Barge Co., Inc.
Sun Terminal Inc.
SSA Marine
AP Moeller-Maersk
Asian Terminals, Inc.
JNPT
Lyttleton Port
BMTA
Texas Terminals LTD.
Transocean Terminal Operators, Inc.
etc., etc. -- Not to mention dedicated terminal operations by Exxon/Mobil, Chevron/Texaco, BP, Saudi Aramco, Shell, etc.
Finding an acceptable operator to pick up P&O's former interests in the 31 terminals at issue presents little or no problem. Which makes this sale and securtity lapse even more unneccesary, perplexing, and boneheaded.