13 Judiciary Committee Members Join Me in Seeking Port Answers from the Administration
Today, thirteen of my Judiciary Committee colleagues joined me in demanding answers from the Administration regarding the steps taken to determine whether Dubai Ports World can administer our nation's ports without weakening our national security.
We are fortunate to have laws in this country that mandate a 45-day review for sales of companies that play a role in our national security. Inexplicably, this review process was ignored. For a president who claims to put national security at the top of his agenda, how can he possibly stand idly by while his administration declines to follow laws protecting the homeland?
And the more details that trickle out in this story makes it more sordid by the day. The President was never told. Then he decides that port security isn't that important.
. Rumsfeld was never told. And Secretary Snow was never told, even though it's his job to chair the CFIUS meetings approving such sales. Who's managing the store, here?
The President said today that "this deal wouldn't go forward if we were concerned about the security for the United States of America." Truer words were never spoken. Unfortunately, some people in this administration have not demonstrated that they are sufficiently concerned about the security of the United States of America.
http://www.conyersblog.us/default.htm
links
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Congressmen_write_Rumsfeld_Chertoff_Snow_on_0223.html
O4 Debate Transcript: Bush says port security costs too much
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/22/165231/370
Treasury's Snow says staff handled Dubai ports deal
http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20060223:MTFH34018_2006-02-23_19-10-57_N23265870:1
Ports company will delay takeover
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/23/port.security/index.html