Bush faces split with key allies over port deal

WASHINGTON – US President George W. Bush yesterday faced a split with key congressional allies after he backed a deal that will put an Arab company in charge of operations at six major US ports and threatened to veto acongressional measure threatening it.

Weighing in after a long silence on a topic that has roiled Washington for several days, Bush made his veto threat after top US lawmakers vowed to block the contract until a thorough vetting of United Arab Emirates ports operator Dubai Ports World has been completed. “The transaction should go forward in my judgment,” said Bush told reporters.”If there were any chance that this transaction would jeopardise the security of the United States, it would not go forward,” he added.Unless US lawmakers prevent it, Dubai Ports World’s acquisition of the British firm which currently manages the ports is to be finalised on March 2.Ports affected by the deal are in New York; Miami; New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Bush suggested that going back on the arrangement would be viewed dimly by US allies in the Middle East, given that the ports for years have been operated by another foreign company – Britain’s Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P and O).”I think it sends a terrible signal to friends around the world,” the president said.Answering questions about the risks entailed by allowing US ports to be managed by a Middle Eastern company, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised the United Arab Emirates as a reliable ally in the war on terror, “a very, very solid partner in our workings in the Gulf.”But Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey said he believed the Senate would be able to muster the 67 votes needed to override a Bush veto.The administration’s endorsement of the UAE deal put it at odds with a nearly unified bloc of Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who held a succession of press conferences and statements Tuesday condemning the deal.Many criticised what they describe as the UAE’s spotty record on combating terror.Even erstwhile staunch Bush allies complained that the administration did not consult with lawmakers before allowing the sale to proceed.”This White House did nothing to communicate with Congress about this deal,” Republican Representative Curt Weldon told CNN television on Tuesday.”We’re not going to allow this to happen.”Arab-American groups suggested that the controversy smacks of racism.The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee issued a statement charging “rhetoric and bias” during the debate.”Those who purport that ports can be run securely by a British company, but not by an Arab one, are engaging in racial profiling on the corporate level,” the group said.Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a staunch Republican, said the contract raised “serious questions regarding the safety and security of our homeland.”- Nampa-AFP”The transaction should go forward in my judgment,” said Bush told reporters.”If there were any chance that this transaction would jeopardise the security of the United States, it would not go forward,” he added.Unless US lawmakers prevent it, Dubai Ports World’s acquisition of the British firm which currently manages the ports is to be finalised on March 2.Ports affected by the deal are in New York; Miami; New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Bush suggested that going back on the arrangement would be viewed dimly by US allies in the Middle East, given that the ports for years have been operated by another foreign company – Britain’s Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P and O).”I think it sends a terrible signal to friends around the world,” the president said.Answering questions about the risks entailed by allowing US ports to be managed by a Middle Eastern company, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised the United Arab Emirates as a reliable ally in the war on terror, “a very, very solid partner in our workings in the Gulf.”But Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey said he believed the Senate would be able to muster the 67 votes needed to override a Bush veto.The administration’s endorsement of the UAE deal put it at odds with a nearly unified bloc of Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who held a succession of press conferences and statements Tuesday condemning the deal.Many criticised what they describe as the UAE’s spotty record on combating terror.Even erstwhile staunch Bush allies complained that the administration did not consult with lawmakers before allowing the sale to proceed.”This White House did nothing to communicate with Congress about this deal,” Republican Representative Curt Weldon told CNN television on Tuesday.”We’re not going to allow this to happen.”Arab-American groups suggested that the controversy smacks of racism.The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee issued a statement charging “rhetoric and bias” during the debate.”Those who purport that ports can be run securely by a British company, but not by an Arab one, are engaging in racial profiling on the corporate level,” the group said.Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a staunch Republican, said the contract raised “serious questions regarding the safety and security of our homeland.”- Nampa-AFP