House to vote on ports despite company promise

[Movie Junkie]

By Steve Holland and Susan Cornwell Fri Mar 10, 6:25 PM ET

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives will forge ahead with a vote on blocking an Arab-owned company from managing U.S. ports, to ensure the firm sheds its U.S. holdings as promised, a leadership spokesman said on Friday.

 

The Republican-run House's refusal to back away from the showdown vote was another blow to President George W. Bush, who suffered a stinging defeat Thursday when Dubai Ports World said it intended to back out of the deal his administration had approved.

 

Reverberations from the political earthquake continued on Friday. The United Arab Emirates suspended talks on a free trade pact with the United States, although a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office said delays are common.

 

Bush said he was concerned the opposition sent a worrying message to Middle East allies.

 

"In order to win the war on terror, we have got to strengthen our relationships and friendships with moderate Arab countries in the Middle East," Bush told newspaper editors.

 

State-owned Dubai Ports World surrendered to unrelenting criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in giving up the management of some terminals at six major U.S. ports.

 

The UAE company said it would transfer the ports to a U.S. entity to allay concerns the deal posed a threat to American national security. Details of the transfer were not outlined.

 

The White House had hoped the announcement would resolve the unprecedented crisis between Bush and a Congress run by his own party in open revolt.

 

But Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker

Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said the House vote on a provision to bar the deal would go ahead Wednesday or Thursday anyway.

 

"It's a smart move to keep it (the legislation) in there, in case the Dubai thing doesn't work out," he told Reuters.

 

NATIONAL SECURITY

 

The outlook for a Senate vote was less clear. Senate Republican leaders have been trying to avoid one in the near future. Deal critic Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), a New York Democrat, wants more information from the White House.

 

"If things are as they appear, this is a great victory for national security. But make no mistake, we are going to scrutinize this deal with a fine-tooth comb to make sure the separation between American port operators and Dubai Ports World is complete and security is tight as a drum," he said.

 

Dubai Ports Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, asked if the firm would sell the U.S. port management rights, told Reuters: "All this is being worked out by our parties in the States."

 

But David Hamod, president of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, said it would be hard to find a U.S. company to step in.

 

"The advantage that the overseas company has is economies of scale. They're doing this on a global level and so it will be very difficult to find a U.S. company in this business large enough to take over the operations," Hamod said.

 

He also said his group was hearing calls for retribution, including keeping Americans out of Arab markets. "But it's a tiny minority of people who are arguing that," he said.

 

Bush, who had vowed to veto efforts to block the deal, praised the UAE as a committed ally in the war on terrorism.

 

"I'm concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East," Bush said.

 

White House economic adviser Al Hubbard, in a CNBC interview, described Bush as "very distressed about this whole port situation."

 

Treasury Secretary

John Snow said his department's lawyers were in contact with DP World about its intentions. He also said the political furor was an isolated case, as he tried to limit damage to the U.S. free-trade image.

 

In a post-mortem on the defeat, a senior White House official said there should have been better notification to ensure Congress knew about the deal before it blew into a "prairie fire."

 

He said members of the government board who approved it had been told to be aware of the political sensitivities of their future decisions.

 

The official said there were no regrets about Bush's veto threat, saying it was a principled position that Bush had been committed to see through.

 

"At it's end, it still was his position, that he felt strongly about it, and the logical extension of the legislative process was that you'd be willing to veto a bill. We understand that made some people upset," he said.

 

Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia, said congressional Republicans are running away from Bush this election year.

 

A new poll Friday registered another low of 37 percent in Bush's approval rating.

 

(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro, Doug Palmer, Tim Ahmann and Matt Spetalnick)

Edited March 11, 2006 by Movie Junkie

[dbminter]

As for Bush being taken down because of this, let's face it, no President has ever been forced to take account for his actions, and none will. They just resign, as the closest who ever got to having to take a task for his actions, Nixon, has done.

[Movie Junkie]

I wonder how many of his buddies in the House and Senate are going against him simply because they are up for re-election this year?

[spinningwheel]

"

I'm concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East," Bush said.

 

Most of the furor raaised by this is

The UAE controls and services the ports that the US Navy uses in the Mid-East now; and has since the attack on the USS Cole that disclosed the need for additional help within the Arab Ports World.

The part that I find distressing is the fact that the President of the United States worries more about what our 'friends and allies' 'particularly in the Middle East' think than he does about the Constitution and the people that he swore to protect and serve that elected him to office. Congress was well aware of the deal, but now that an alarmed citizenry exists within an election year, the are running scared for their offices and this is like a that came through for them... if they can only. their constituents into a false sense of reality.

I'm not in favor of isolationism, that damned near destroyed us before WW II, neither am I a war monger; I'm just a citizen of a country that appears to have lost its way under a leader that history will undoubtedly brand as one of worst we have ever had.

 

#39;(

 

 

<soapbox mode:off>

[Movie Junkie]

RUMSFELD IS A F/N ASSHOLE

 

I cannot believe some of the shit he just said. Here are a few tidbits culled from Yahoo! News;

 

 

"Rumsfeld said "the terrorists" were trying to fuel sectarian tensions to spark a civil war, but they must be "watching with fear" the progress in the country over the past three years."

 

"Rumsfeld's view was that the Iraqi insurgency was failing.

 

"The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case,""

 

On the other hand: "In London, former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said on Sunday that Iraq is in a civil war and is nearing the point of no return when the sectarian violence will spill over throughout the Middle East.

 

Why do I believe Allawi and not Rumsfeld?

[polopony]

friends in the middle east what a crock of bullshit what you have is a group of countries that will appear to be friendly with the US as long as theres something in it for them . Bin Laden was a "great friend" of the US when Russia was in Afganastan and the US was supplying him with arms and money , Russians out then look what happened the US became Bin Ladens new enemy. Isreal was caught spying on the US Gov. some friend , how long would they last if the US might wasn't behind them. When the US needed rights to fly their military planes over some of our "friends countries " what happened ,they couldn't get permission . I cant believe how naive the US government can be when it comes to the relationships they form with other countries its like people you know who say he's my friend or she's my friend what you mean is aquaintance .You'll go through your lifetime and your true friends you'll be able to count on one hand and I'll guarrantee you'll have fingers left over .

[Kenadjian]

You'll go through your lifetime and your true friends you'll be able to count on one hand and I'll guarrantee you'll have fingers left over .

 

I'm 52 years old, and I have 4 fingers left over.

[Movie Junkie]

You'll go through your lifetime and your true friends you'll be able to count on one hand and I'll guarrantee you'll have fingers left over .

 

I'm 52 years old, and I have 4 fingers left over.

You've got that right! I've got two left...and I'm 58.

[volvofl10]

i hope kenadjian counted his fingers while he was pissing ? at least he gets an extra friend that way

 

whats wrong with Rumsfeld anyway ? just cause he is the instigater of "friendly fire" cant make him all bad ............can it ?

 

is this the same company that recently bought the UK based P&O cruise line ? probably the most famous current British shipping concern for some 450 million $US

P&O was a global concern ( and still is) with cruise liners and container shipping , ports ,road transport.

 

a quick google shows it IS the same company

[Movie Junkie]

whats wrong with Rumsfeld anyway ? just cause he is the instigater of "friendly fire" cant make him all bad ............can it ?

It would be much easier to to say what is good about him...NOTHING

[dbminter]

RUMSFELD IS A F/N ASSHOLE

Why do I believe Allawi and not Rumsfeld?

 

 

Because Allawi is less likely to fire buckshot in your face?

[dbminter]

friends in the middle east what a crock of bullshit what you have is a group of countries that will appear to be friendly with the US as long as theres something in it for them . Bin Laden was a "great friend" of the US when Russia was in Afganastan and the US was supplying him with arms and money , Russians out then look what happened the US became Bin Ladens new enemy.

 

 

Let us not forget how great a friend Saddam Hussein was once of the United States. In particular, that lovely ironic photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking his hand in the early 1980;s

[polopony]

friends in the middle east what a crock of bullshit what you have is a group of countries that will appear to be friendly with the US as long as theres something in it for them . Bin Laden was a "great friend" of the US when Russia was in Afganastan and the US was supplying him with arms and money , Russians out then look what happened the US became Bin Ladens new enemy.

 

 

Let us not forget how great a friend Saddam Hussein was once of the United States. In particular, that lovely ironic photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking his hand in the early 1980;s

 

Hussein when he was in the US was given the Key To the City in Detroit .He was the last to recieve it untill this year when they gave it to some football player

[Kenadjian]

i hope kenadjian counted his fingers while he was pissing ? at least he gets an extra friend that way

 

Never thought of it that way

 

Thanks volvo.

[Movie Junkie]

RUMSFELD IS A F/N ASSHOLE

Why do I believe Allawi and not Rumsfeld?

 

 

Because Allawi is less likely to fire buckshot in your face?