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Bush Threatens Veto of Legislation Blocking Sale of Control of U.S. Ports to UAE Company
U.S. President George W. Bush said yesterday that he would veto any effort to block the sale of shipping operations at a half dozen U.S. ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Feb. 21). If “they pass a law, I’ll deal with it with a veto,” he said. Lawmakers opposed to the agreement said the veto threat strengthens their resolve. “I will fight harder than ever for this legislation, and if it is vetoed I will fight as hard as I can to override it,” said Representative Pete King (R-N.Y.), who along with Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has vowed to introduce legislation blocking the $6.8 billion sale. Republican and Democrats in Congress have noted that two of the Sept. 11 hijackers operated out of the United Arab Emirates. They also note that the country served as an important transfer point of nuclear components shipped to Iran, Libya and North Korea The White House and senior administration officials are expected this week to attempt to convince the public that the plan is safe. Officials today are expected to explain the rationale behind the deal. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said today that Bush had not known of the deal before his administration approved the sale, AP reported (Ted Bridis, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Feb. 22). If the Bush plan moves forward, it would be the first time a U.S. port operation was sold to a company owned by a foreign government, according to AP. Under the plan, set to be finished by early next month, Dubai Ports would be put in charge of ports in Baltimore, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia. “If there was any chance that this transaction would jeopardize the security of the United States, it would not go forward,” Bush said. The deal would require Dubai Ports to participate in U.S. programs targeting the shipments of nuclear and radioactive materials. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was close to finishing inspections of Dubai Ports sites in the Untied States. Around 33 other port operators voluntarily participate in these programs. Senior Homeland Security official Stewart Baker said intelligence agencies were contacted “very early on to look at vulnerabilities and threats.” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said yesterday that he would introduce legislation to delay the sale so that it could be looked at more carefully. He said the agreement raised “serious questions regarding the safety and security of our homeland.” Dubai Ports Chief Operating Officer Edward Bilkey said his company would comply with whatever security demands were made. He said Dubai “will fully cooperate in putting into place whatever is necessary to protect the terminals” (Ted Bridis, Associated Press/ABC News.com, Feb. 22).
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