Bush Comments on 2/23/2006 below
UPDATE 3-8 In an election-year repudiation of President Bush, a House panel dominated by
Republicans voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block a Dubai-owned firm from taking control
of some U.S port operations. By 62-2, the Appropriations Committee voted to bar DP World,
run by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, from holding leases or
contracts at U.S. ports. Bush has promised to veto any such measure passed by
Congress, but there is widespread public opposition to the deal and the GOP fears
losing its advantage on the issue of national security in this fall's elections.
UPDATE 2/26 - The Bush administration said Sunday it will accept an extraordinary offer by
a United Arab Emirates-based company to submit to a second and broader U.S. review of
potential security risks in its deal to take over significant operations at six leading
American ports. The plan averts an impending political showdown.
The Treasury Department said in a statement it will promptly begin the review once the
company formally files a request for one. It said the same government panel that earlier
investigated the deal but found no reason for national security concerns will reconsider
it.
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2/23 President Bush said, "The more people learn about the
transaction that has been scrutinized and approved by my government," ,"the more
they'll be comforted that our ports will be secure." He spoke to reporters at the end
of a Cabinet meeting.
Bush said he was struck by the fact that people were not concerned about port security
when a British company was running the port operation, but they felt differently about an
Arab company at the helm. He said the United Arab Emirates was a valuable partner in the
war in terror.
Critics in Congress have complained that London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Co., which previously operated at those ports, is a publicly traded company
while Dubai Ports World is effectively controlled by the government there
Bush said his administration would continue talks with members of Congress - Republicans
and Democrats alike who have rebelled against the takeover. He said the briefings were
"bringing a sense of calm to this issue."
"This wouldn't be going forwad if we weren't certain our ports would be secure,"
the president said.
In approving the purchase, the administration chose not to require Dubai Ports to keep
copies of its business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to orders by
American courts. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to
accommodate requests by the government.
Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of
foreign sales in other industries.
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