[Vision2020] Bush Unaware of Deal With UAE Ports Group

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (February 23, 2006) Spokesman Review -

At first, Bush claimed that agreement/disagreement of the sale was split
along party lines.  Wrong -

"'Dear Mr President: In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab
Emirates, not just NO but HELL NO!' Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., wrote to Bush
in a one-sentence letter."

You know . . . I've always kinda liked North Carolina.

And now George Bush claims that he was unaware of the sale.

HUH?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bush unaware of deal with UAE ports group 
Many determined to prevent sale

Jim Vandehei and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post
February 23, 2006

WASHINGTON - Faced with an unprecedented Republican revolt over national
security, the White House Wednesday disclosed that President Bush was
unaware of a Middle Eastern company's planned takeover of operations at six
U.S. seaports until recent days and promised to more fully brief members of
Congress on the pending deal.

One day after threatening to veto any attempt by Congress to scuttle the
controversial $6.8 billion deal, Bush sounded a more conciliatory tone by
saying lawmakers should have been provided more details about a state-owned
company in the United Arab Emirates purchasing some terminal operations in
Baltimore and five other U.S. cities.

"This is one where we probably should have consulted with, or briefed
Congress on, sooner," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

But congressional Republicans renewed their vow to prevent the sale from
being finalized next month and warned Bush, sometimes in taunting terms,
that an overwhelming majority of lawmakers will oppose the sale on national
security grounds. "Dear Mr President: In regards to selling American ports
to the United Arab Emirates, not just NO but HELL NO!" Rep. Sue Myrick,
R-N.C., wrote to Bush in a one-sentence letter.
 
The administration on Jan. 17 approved the sale of a London-based company
that manages terminals at the U.S. ports to Dubai Ports World, owned by the
United Arab Emirates.

In seeking to assuage critics, administration officials noted that the local
or state ports authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard would be responsible for
security at the six ports - not Dubai Ports World, which would be
responsible for running terminal facilities and loading and unloading ships
and storing the containers they transport.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and House Speaker Dennis
Hastert, R-Ill., rejected Bush's call to allow the sale to go through early
next month, and they remain committed to delaying it, their spokesmen said
Wednesday.

Republican lawmakers have been flooded with phone calls and letters from
constituents encouraging them to fight Bush over the port deal, even at the
expense of GOP unity on combating terrorism - arguably their best political
issue.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

********************************************

"In America, anybody can become president.  
That's one of the risks you take . . ."

- Adlai Stevenson

********************************************