Update [2006-2-21 13:20:32 by susanhu]: CNN just announced that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY) are announcing an emergency bipartisan Congressional measure to try to stop the contract, along with numerous senators and congresspeople of both parties. And, ABC News Local reports that “Senator Charles Schumer and Long Island Congressman Peter King are expected to announce emergency legislation to try and put a stop to this. Critics do point out that two of ‘9/11’ hijackers did come from the United Arab Emirates. Rep. Peter King, (R) New York: ‘I’m confident, certainly very hopeful that if we speak loudly enough and really focus on this issue, we can get the contract delayed, get it frozen, get it held’.”
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”’The overall threat to the United States and security, I don’t think it exists,” Carter said on CNN’s The Situation Room. ‘I’m sure the president’s done a good job with his subordinates to make sure this is not a threat’,” writes the Miami Herald‘s Lesley Clark today. Clark adds:
President Bush is taking a battering from fellow Republicans, even the governors of New York and Maryland, …
The show of support from [Carter], who has not hesitated to criticize Bush, underscores the odd political lines that have emerged since news broke last week that the United States gave the thumbs-up to the $6.8 billion sale of the British firm P&O Ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates.
Both Democrats and Republicans have called on the president to scrap the deal. On Monday Republican Govs. George Pataki of New York and Robert Ehrlich of Maryland questioned the decision. And congressional outrage persisted even as the White House signaled it’s unlikely to block it.
Political analysts suggested that challenging the president gives Republican lawmakers a chance to deflect Democratic criticism.
”This is a homeland security, national security issue and I think Republicans think they own this issue and they don’t want to give Democrats an opening,” said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of The Rothenberg Political Report, a Washington newsletter. (Read all)
MORE BELOW:
This has all put Karen Hughes’ “mission” in more difficulty: “Visiting Dubai, Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes sought to rebuff suggestions that Congress’ criticism is based on anti-Arab sentiment …”
Related discussions here at BoomanTribune — that illustrate how the issue crosses typical political boundaries — include Larry Johnson’s story, “Security Disconnect” and “Is this LGF or Booman Tribune? Terrorist Lovers Controlling Our Ports!.” ThinkProgress blog has posted, “UAE Would Also Control Shipments of Military Equipment For The U.S. Army” and CNN’s Lou Dobbs spent most of his hour-long show on the issue yesterday (transcript) and, no doubt, will do so again today at noon ET.
Below, more on the prejudice issue, and some interesting information on the current British administrators that own 50% of Miami’s port operations:
More from the Miami Herald:
”The lawmakers are questioning about security concerns in light of the fact that a couple of the Sept. 11 hijackers did come from the United Arab Emirates,” Hughes said, adding that the Middle Eastern nation has been “a strong partner in the war against terror.”
PREJUDICE ALLEGED
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington group that seeks to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims, said some of the reaction smacks of prejudice.
”No one seems to be criticizing the company itself, but they’re most concerned with the religion and ethnicity of its owners,” said spokesman Ibrahim Hooper. “It’s what we have to deal with in the post-9/11 era.”
But lawmakers like [Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Miami Republican], who is aiming to become the next chair of the House International Relations Committee, were unapologetic about their stance.
”They’ve been a strong ally, but what about tomorrow?” Ros-Lehtinen said of the United Arab Emirates.
As for Miami’s ports?
The Port of Miami-Dade is taking a neutral position, stressing that DP World would only be the majority owner in one of three terminals. But Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez said Monday the matter “raises issues.”
At Miami’s port, P&O Ports owns 50 percent of the Port of Miami Terminal Operating Co., which handles about half the cargo containers at the port.
I looked up P&O Ports.
The company rusn the New York City’s Manhattan Passenger Termnial, and other similar passenger ports around the U.S., South America, adn elsewhere. From its Web site:
It is a world leader in cargo handling services and port management throughout Europe, the United States, South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia. It is as at home in the emerging markets as it is in more mature economies. P&O Ports is headquartered in London.
Some crack economist/business type should look into why P&O Ports didn’t get the gig that’s causing all the hoopla. Or has someone?
