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.
Everyone is moaning and groaning about this and all I want to say is that I believe it deserves a closer look. I am more interested in the level of secrecy of this deal. If it was on the up and up, why all the hushness? This deal was said and done with no disussion with those who would be most affected. I'd like to see the contract? How much did we really profit from this deal? It was a Brit company (why are we outsourcing our port infrastructure to ANYONE outside the U.S.?) so what was our kickback? And does the Dubai company have the right to "outsource" their work to other companies? Can they sell the rights to our ports if they wish? Is there a cancellation clause? Can we get out of this contract at any point in time if we feel it is not in our best interest? Was the sale offered to any U.S. companies? It doesn't sound like it. It sounds as if there was something going on underneath the table, a tit for tat - scratch my back, I'll scratch yours kind of deal. It stinks. I don't like it.
And even though this company will supposedly have nothing to do with security in the U.S., do you really trust their security? Do you realize how many illegal people are slipping into this country through our ports? Too many. A lot of them apply for asylum applications under the pretense of torture. And you really don't want to know how many illegals are here in this country from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Morocco.
This is a double-edge sword. If we don't trust our Arab "friends" then that will cause tension and will show that the US has no trust in the Arab nation or muslims - confirming Bin Laden's rhetoric. We trust them and something bad happens - well, it will be Bush's fault. If we, as Americans, don't do something to stop this or at least get some sort of guarantee from our President other than "I said it's ok, therefore it's ok", and something bad happens, then we will blame ourselves for not doing what we should have as a country to protect ourselves. We do nothing, then we appear weak, apathetic - which is a very appetizing and delicious dish to our enemy. They like weak very much. They also like seeing that they have played a very important card and there is not a damn thing that this country can do about it.
And Bush says he'll veto any bill that goes before him to stop this contract. Why is he so hell-bent on this? My gut tells me that there is something rotten here. And I always trust my gut.