Bush threatens veto over U.S. ports deal
Rejection of measure to stop Arab takeover would be 1st time president has used power
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48934Bush, Congress clash over ports sale -- Lawmakers want to halt UAE takeover; Bush threatens veto
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/21/port.security/index.html
Bush comments on ports agreementGOP Governors Threaten to Block Port Deal
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/february2006/210206_b_block.htm
Security Fears About Infiltration By Terrorists
Several Bush-administration security officials expressed concerns yesterday that terrorists could infiltrate seaports through a United Arab Emirates company that is vying to manage six U.S. ports.
Intelligence and security officials opposed to the deal with Dubai Ports World said ports are vulnerable to the entry of terrorists or illicit weapons because of the large number of containers that enter U.S. territory, regardless of who manages them.
A Persian Gulf state such as the United Arab Emirates could provide an infrastructure for terrorists to penetrate U.S. security as part of a major terrorist operation, the officials said.
One long-term worry is that al Qaeda terrorists will attempt to smuggle a nuclear device into the United States through a port via a shipping container.
Allowing a Middle Eastern company to manage key ports "would be like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse," said one security official, who, like most other critics, spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Another official said the problem is not the company but its location in a region rife with Islamic terrorism.
"You have to be concerned about a firm from that part of the world managing the ports," this official said. "They are more vulnerable to compromise and penetration by terrorists, even if they are just managing the port."
Company officials would be briefed on security procedures and countermeasures that, if compromised, could allow foreign terrorists to get through various screening procedures, the official said.
FULL STORY at http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060222-122115-8912r.htm
Dubai firm would be 3rd-largest ports operator
Unless lawmakers citing security concerns can scuttle the Bush administration's port deal, DPW will join a growing list of foreign-owned entities that are heavily involved in port operations across the U.S.
At least 90 terminals at major U.S. ports are operated by foreign governments and businesses, which also have participated in efforts to establish new cargo security standards, according to a shipping-industry source.
The governments of China and Singapore own companies that hold terminal leases along the West Coast. Japanese businesses control dozens of terminals nationwide, and a Danish company runs nearly a dozen major ports on the East Coast.
Homeland Security officials yesterday scurried to compile a list of all terminal operators in 361 U.S. ports, which was not available by press time. The Washington Times has determined that at least 90 terminals are operated by seven foreign companies.
FULL STORY at http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060222-122113-4439r.htm
Bush Vows Ports Deal Will Stand
Bush said, "I want those who are questioning it to step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British company. I am trying to conduct foreign policy now by saying to the people of the world, 'We'll treat you fairly,'?"
FULL STORY at http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060222-125832-9796r.htm