Homeland Security Objected to Ports Deal

[cal04]

The Homeland Security Department objected at first to a United Arab Emirates company's taking over significant operations at six U.S. ports. It was the lone protest among members of the government committee that eventually approved the deal without dissent.

The department's early objections were settled later in the government's review of the $6.8 billion deal after Dubai-owned DP World agreed to a series of security restrictions. The company indefinitely has postponed its takeover to give President Bush time to convince Congress that the deal does not pose any increased risks to the U.S. from terrorism.

Some lawmakers have pressed for a new and intensive review. Despite persistent criticism from Republicans and Democrats, the president has defended his administration's approval of the ports deal and threatened to veto any measures in Congress that would block it. Hearings are to continue this week. A DP World executive said the company would agree to tougher security restrictions to win congressional support only if the same restrictions applied to all U.S. port operators. The company earlier had struck a more conciliatory stance, saying it would do whatever Bush asked to salvage the agreement.

``Security is everybody's business,'' senior vice president Michael Moore told The Associated Press. ``We're going to have a very open mind to legitimate concerns. But anything we can do, any way to improve security, should apply to everybody equally.''

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5647194,00.html

[babylonsister]

1. Holy mackeral. There IS someone w/a brain at DHS!

And predictably, they got shot down or talked out of it.
This is HUGH!!!

[cal04]

2. from the Yahoo story : Stewart Baker whoever he is

Stewart Baker, a senior Homeland Security official, said he was the sole representative on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States who objected to the ports deal. Baker said he later changed his vote after DP World agreed to the security conditions. Other officials confirmed Baker's account. "We were not prepared to sign off on the deal without the successful negotiation of the assurances," Baker told the AP.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060225/ap_on_go_pr_wh/ports_security

[rodeodance]

4. I think once the red flag went up-it was time to go 'up he line"

...President Bush, Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and even Treasury Secretary
John Snow, who oversees the government committee that approved the deal, all say they did not know about the purchase until after it was finalized. The work was done mostly by assistant secretaries.

[lumpy]

8. Geo. Bush has allocated his role

as president to his Cabinet who in turn has allocated their roles to underlings who have allocated their........but the buck ends where? After all this is Bush's adminstration. Little Tom Sawyer lets his budies paint the fence.

[cantstandbush]

15. Holy mackeral? This admin doesn't give a shit about even its own

people. They listen to no one and include no one. They break any law they want to and dare anyone to challenge them. WTF will it take for the people in America to take to the streets to protest this fascist regime?

[lovuian]

3. Homeland Security protested isnt that a big one

whats this a majority win thing... Michael Moore was right...

[FightingIrish]

5. Maybe when the freeps hear the name of Dubai Ports' V.P.

they will go nuts.

"Security is everybody's business," senior vice president Michael Moore told The Associated Press.

[cal04]

6. you should see some of the comments on the yahoo board OMG

here's one

BUSH APPROVAL RATINGS AT 74%!
According to a recent survey taken by the Riyadh Daily Journal

http://post.news.messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=NEWS&action=l&ft=1&board=37138456&sid=37138456&title=UAE%20Co.%20Poised%20to%20Oversee%20Six%20U.S.%20Ports%0A&tid=apportssecurity&date=02-11-2006&url=story.news.yahoo.com%2Fnews%3Ftmpl%3Dstory%26u%3D%2Fap%2F20060211%2Fap_on_bi_ge%2Fports_security_1&.sig=aOxGyTf45lk1qyEap0FgxA--

[goforit]

7. Posptpone the take over so that Americans will forget about it!!!!

And they will.
And Bush will get what he wants.
End of story!

[NVMojo]

9. good to see it's not just us!

[EVDebs]

10. Reminds me of 1998 COSCO/LongBeach when R's thru a fit

Duncan Hunter's screed against COSCO/LongBeach port
http://www.house.gov/hunter/jul6-98.htm

and this beauty

Red Chinese Army Controls America's Largest
West Coast Container Port, Long Beach, California
http://educate-yourself.org/tw/coscocontrolslongbeachshipyards17sep04.shtml

with the 'it's all Clinton's fault' backdrop. The current Dubai Ports World dustup is a living, breathing, testament to imperial Republican hypocrisy. Freeper hypocrisy at its illuminated BEST. I just love it.

[Shelor]

11. Shrub ignoring good advice? Never seen that one before.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Obviously they were overruled by people making money out of this

Bush told us to not to worry about national security, I am sure that the voices inside his head will warn him if there is an impending attack.

What, me worry?

[Vincardog]

13. Don't forget what * said "If we were concerned about Security we would not

do this deal". Ergo * is not concerned about security.

[UpInArms]

14. k & r

:kick:

When they say it's not about "security", you can bet your sweet ass it is.

These freaks of nature do not have the best interests of this country at heart.

:grr: