Concerns About Ports Management Deal
Last week the Chief was quick to respond to the plan for a Dubai based outfit to take over management of a number od critical east and gulf coast ports. 3
In response, as the controversy has taken off there are a couple of interesting and contradictory responses to the plan.
Firstly, Homeland (In)Security secretary Vladimir Ulyanov Chertoff declared: “¡NO PROBLEMO, SENORES!”:
Chertoff says Dubai port deal includes safeguards
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the Bush administration had approved the sale of British firm P&O, which manages six U.S. ports including New York, to Dubai Ports World after a classified review and the deal would include safeguards to protect U.S. national security. “You can be assured that before a deal is approved we put safeguards in place, assurances in place, that make everybody comfortable that we are where we need to be from a national security viewpoint,” Chertoff said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”
This is supposed to be reassuring or something? What credibility is there to THIS when they haven’t yet gotten around to seriously addressing the virtually complete lack of border security on the Mexican border?
MEANWHILE, back at the ranch:
Congressmen threaten probe of U.S. seaports deal
This is an issue I frankly hope that the administration gets HAMMERED on to such an extent, that it finally wakes up and smells the smoke of their political edifice going up in flames.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle yesterday threatened a congressional investigation of a deal to give control of six U.S. seaports to an Arab company, while one key Republican said the Bush administration’s security reassurances were not adequate.
No sh-t, Sherlock!
Can it be? At least some of the Donks show signs of adopting a good issue? If the GOP establishment doesn’t look out this can be a real problem if they find themselves politically outflanked on the RIGHT (!) by this one.
Democrats also are threatening legislation to block foreign governments from operating U.S. ports. “I think we’ve got to look into this company. I think we’ve got to ensure ourselves that the American people’s national-security interests are going to be protected,” said Sen. Evan Bayh, Indiana Democrat. “And frankly, I think the threshold ought to be a little higher for a foreign firm. There can’t be a choice between profits and protecting the American people.”
He makes a lot of sense in this quote at least.