Arab firm may run 6 U.S. ports

[Jon8503]

By TED BRIDIS - The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A company in the United Arab Emirates is poised to take over significant operations at six U.S. ports as part of a corporate sale, leaving a country with ties to the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers with influence over a maritime industry considered vulnerable to terrorism.

The Bush administration considers the UAE an important ally in the fight against terrorism since the suicide hijackings and is not objecting to Dubai Ports World's (DP World) purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation.

The $6.8 billion sale is expected to be approved Monday. The British company is the fourth-largest ports company in the world and its sale would affect commercial U.S. port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

DP World said it won approval from a secretive U.S. government panel that considers security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in U.S. industry

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002800202&zsection_id=2002120029&slug=ports12&date=20060212

[Hekate]

1. I seriously think Bushco is insane. Batshit crazy. UnAmerican. Treasonous.

And next time I'll tell you how I *really* feel.
:argh:

Hekate

[JaneGat]

2. "Conditions" of sale mentioned in article's longer version Saturday:

"Peninsular and Oriental and DP World set approval by the U.S. security committee as a condition for the sale. In regulatory papers, the companies said either the committee must agree not to formally investigate the purchase or Bush must not move to block the sale for national security purposes."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ports_security&printer=1;_ylt=AiZTPIfZkeY0vSHNvQO7AT1v24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-