Port Security Issues Simplified:
Dubai Ports World's purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. positions it to take over significant operations at six American ports as a lessor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/11/AR2006021101112.html
Dubai Ports World (DPW)is UAE-owned. http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/13959063.htm
This is of interest because no one disputes the fact that the UAE has been an operational and financial base for terrorists (including hijackers who attacked New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001) in recent history.
Worse, our laws require that port operators be given the official assessments detailing the critical assets, threats, and weaknesses of our ports. (P.L. 107-295 sections 70101-70102); http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:B3vmJZ6TjhcJ:www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/MTSA.pdf+P.L.+107-295&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2
Given that fact, it is clear that port operators have access to information with a high potential for abuse should it fall into the hands of persons or groups willing to harm US interests.
With that in mind it doesn't seem to be much of a stretch to imagine that maybe we want to reconsider the idea of directly giving such information to a company owned by a government that all educated persons agree has a recent history of being unwilling or unable to stop anti-American terror activities on their own soil including, but not limited to, recruiting of terrorists and funding of terrorists.
Letting Dubai Ports World take over operations in our ports puts critical security intelligence into the hands of a government that is at best a Johnny-come-lately to protecting American interests and at worst is a front for individuals who would actively seek to harm American interests. However you assess the UAE government, it is clear that transferring ownership from the British company to DPW creates some additional security risk because the capability of the UAE to protect US interests is unknown for lack of any significant test of time. That is, no matter how loudly proponents of this deal shout that UAE has been "Terrorist free since Tuesday", it just doesn't provide any real confidence. Letting this deal go forward invites trouble.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/11/AR2006021101112.html
Dubai Ports World (DPW)is UAE-owned. http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/13959063.htm
This is of interest because no one disputes the fact that the UAE has been an operational and financial base for terrorists (including hijackers who attacked New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001) in recent history.
Worse, our laws require that port operators be given the official assessments detailing the critical assets, threats, and weaknesses of our ports. (P.L. 107-295 sections 70101-70102); http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:B3vmJZ6TjhcJ:www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/MTSA.pdf+P.L.+107-295&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2
Given that fact, it is clear that port operators have access to information with a high potential for abuse should it fall into the hands of persons or groups willing to harm US interests.
With that in mind it doesn't seem to be much of a stretch to imagine that maybe we want to reconsider the idea of directly giving such information to a company owned by a government that all educated persons agree has a recent history of being unwilling or unable to stop anti-American terror activities on their own soil including, but not limited to, recruiting of terrorists and funding of terrorists.
Letting Dubai Ports World take over operations in our ports puts critical security intelligence into the hands of a government that is at best a Johnny-come-lately to protecting American interests and at worst is a front for individuals who would actively seek to harm American interests. However you assess the UAE government, it is clear that transferring ownership from the British company to DPW creates some additional security risk because the capability of the UAE to protect US interests is unknown for lack of any significant test of time. That is, no matter how loudly proponents of this deal shout that UAE has been "Terrorist free since Tuesday", it just doesn't provide any real confidence. Letting this deal go forward invites trouble.
posted by Minotaur at 7:38 AM
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