US daily urges Bush to scuttle UAE port deal

A conservative US newspaper ( Washington Times) yesterday urged President George W Bush to scuttle a deal between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, under which a UAE firm will run six major US ports.
The US Committee on Foreign Investment, which is part of the Treasury Department, approved earlier this week a 6.8-billion-dollar deal between the ports' current British manager and Dubai Ports World, that will make the UAE firm manager of the facilities in New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, Miami, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
"Do we really want our major ports in the hands of an Arab country where Al-Qaeda recruits, travels and wires money?" The Washington Times asked in an editorial.
It went on to say that the UAE was home to Marwan al-Shehhi, a September 11 hijacker, and the country remained a transit point for Al-Qaeda operatives and a hub for Al-Qaeda's financing activities.
"We should be improving port security in an age of terrorism, not outsourcing decisions to the highest bidder," the editorial said. "President Bush should overrule the committee to reject this deal. If that doesn't happen, Congress should take action."
UAE Goverment or Dubai goverment had no comment.