Dubai Ports Ready to Wait for Security Review

[cal04]

Dubai Ports World is willing to wait 45 days to take over operations at six major U.S. ports to give authorities time for a security review, a source close to the Arab ports operator said on Sunday. Republican leaders have been discussing asking the company to seek a 45-day review of security concerns from the White House to fend off critics who say the deal could harm national security.

White House officials have said there were no plans to reopen the review of the $6.8 billion deal in which Dubai Ports would acquire British company P&O and with it terminal port operations in the United States.

But the source said the company was willing to wait to allay the lawmakers' concerns.
``Dubai Ports World is ready to defer taking over the operations at the U.S. ports for 45 days to allow time for a security review,'' the source told Reuters in Dubai. ``This is not a delay of the takeover itself,'' said the source, referring to acquisition of P&O which is scheduled to be completed on March 2.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-security-ports-dubai.html?_r=1&oref=slogin