National Security is well...National

Lawmakers Deride Assurances on Arab Port Firm

By Will Lester
Associated Press
Monday, February 20, 2006; Page A07

U.S. terms for approving an Arab company's takeover of operations at six major American ports are insufficient to guard against terrorist infiltration, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said yesterday.

"I'm aware of the conditions, and they relate entirely to how the company carries out its procedures, but it doesn't go to who they hire, or how they hire people," said Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.).

"They're better than nothing, but to me they don't address the underlying conditions, which is how are they going to guard against things like infiltration by al Qaeda or someone else, how are they going to guard against corruption?" King said.

King spoke in response to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's comments yesterday about conditions of the sale. King said he learned about the government's terms for approving the sale from meetings with senior Bush administration officials.

Chertoff defended the security review of Dubai Ports World of the United Arab Emirates, the company given permission to take over the port operations. Chertoff said the government typically builds in "certain conditions or requirements that the company has to agree to to make sure we address the national security concerns." But Chertoff declined to discuss specifics, saying that information is classified.

"We make sure there are assurances in place, in general, sufficient to satisfy us that the deal is appropriate from a national security standpoint," Chertoff said on ABC's "This Week."

London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. was bought last week by DP World, a state-owned business. Peninsular and Oriental runs major commercial operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

A Miami company, Continental Stevedoring & Terminals Inc., has sued in Florida, challenging the deal. A subsidiary of Eller & Company Inc., Continental says it will become an "involuntary partner" with Dubai's government under the sale.

Stop the presses...I find myself agreeing with Boxer and Schumer? Yep believe it or not, I do not believe this is a good idea. Sometimes a leader needs to care about how the people feel. It may be that there are "sufficient safeguards" built in to this agreement to assure the continuing security of the nation, but (I don't believe I'm saying this) it just doesn't FEEL RIGHT to have mission critical facilities under the control of a foreign power, no matter how benevolent and benign we may believe them to be. It doesn't matter how secure the ports actually are under Dubai control, they shouldn't be. This is stupid, it's bad policy and it's bad politics. Whoever came up with the idea of allowing this to go forward should be fired for lacking any sense of public opinion and awareness of public understanding. It's just too bloody risky for us to place American security in the hands of a Middle Eastern nation. Wake up Mr. President and stop this now.

Full Story: When Expedience is Oblivious to Need

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