| Washington politicos ought to get their Prozac | | | | because it was like others for U.S. seaport |
| prescriptions refilled - they are starting to hear | | | | operations. |
| things go bump in the night. | | | | Leaseholders do not have proprietary rights - just |
| The prospect of tiny Dubai, one of seven United | | | | the profit on fees for unloading, warehousing and |
| Arab Emirates, leasing six major American | | | | reloading cargo onto trucks and trains. |
| seaports has spooked even phlegmatic | | | | The U.S. seaports involved remain owners of the |
| Republicans. | | | | dockside. Leaseholders own cranes, trucks, |
| Let's call it Arabaphobia. The symptoms are | | | | forklifts and buildings. Corporate employees decide |
| cogent: (a) the 9/11 pilot who flew a hijacked air | | | | the order of unloading, assigns storage space and |
| liner into the second World Trade Tower was | | | | schedules reloading. |
| from Dubai, (b) Dubai recognized the Afghanistan | | | | American unions furnish labor by longshoremen. |
| Taliban when the Soviets invaded there, (c) some | | | | Security will not change. Everything is governed |
| terrorist money originally passed through UAE | | | | by the International Shipping and Port Security |
| banks. | | | | Code based on U.S. maritime laws adopted after |
| Dubai once allowed Bin Laden to build a hunting | | | | 9/11. |
| camp there but expelled him when President | | | | The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for |
| Clinton complained. The UAE foreign minister said | | | | overseeing implementation of the ISPS code. A |
| it had maintained relations with the Taliban | | | | Coast Guard officer is Captain of the Port |
| because of "Iranian dangers." | | | | responsible for coordinating all port security. |
| Since 9/11, however, UAE has become a close | | | | The Customs and Border Protection agency and |
| United States ally. American warships dock at | | | | the Coast Guard - not leaseholders - conduct |
| Dubai for extended liberty calls. The emirate also | | | | security screening of cargo that enters the port. |
| refuels jets and spy planes at Dhabi across the | | | | * * * |
| Persian Gulf from Iran. | | | | Globalization of maritime trade began after World |
| Our congressional leaders have been unhinged by | | | | War II. The U.S. sold Greek ship owner Aristotle |
| the deadly persistence of Islamic terrorists in Iraq | | | | Onassis 16 old Liberty cargo ships and 4 oil |
| and Israel. We seem to have forgotten our | | | | tankers for "scrap prices." |
| Muslim friends of Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, | | | | Invention of modular shipping containers |
| Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, India, Pakistan and | | | | thereafter made overseas shipping affordable for |
| Afghanistan. | | | | mass manufactured goods and global markets. |
| * * * | | | | The world's largest seaport operator is the |
| At issue is the sale of operating leases by the | | | | Hutchison-Wampoa Port consortium. It controls |
| British firm Peninsular Oriental Steam Company | | | | 138 locations-- including holding berths at both ends |
| for the seaports of New York, Baltimore, | | | | of the Panama Canal. No complaints from shippers |
| Newark, Philadelphia, Miami and New Orleans. | | | | so far. |
| Purchaser of the leases -- for $6.5 billion -- is | | | | Hutchison-Wampoa has close ties to the Chinese |
| Dubai World Ports, a United Arab Emirates' | | | | Peoples Army weapon-sales department. It leased |
| government-owned holding company. | | | | the closed Long Beach Naval Base in 1996 to build |
| Even Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House | | | | a seaport facility. |
| Speaker Dennis Hastert have visions of Arab | | | | The deal was approved by Long Beach and |
| Muslims smuggling an Iranian or North Korean | | | | President Clinton. An alarmed Congress nixed the |
| black-market atom bomb in a shipping container. | | | | deal. |
| Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) dashed off a letter to | | | | Los Angeles and Long Beach financed the project |
| President Bush: "Dear Mr. President, in regards to | | | | through bonds. It now is the busiest seaport in |
| selling American ports to the United Arab | | | | the United States -- primarily by shipments from |
| Emirates -- not just no, but HELL NO!" | | | | China and India. |
| Congress - rushed into its "investigation" mode. | | | | Congress will huff and puff about the Dubai lease |
| The solons "demanded" what the lease | | | | but likely with approve it. |
| agreement already provides - a 45-day review. | | | | Nevertheless, it will be prudent to follow President |
| Bush let it be known he would veto any bill to | | | | Reagan's advice about deals with foreign |
| void the agreement that has been vetted by 12 | | | | governments - "Trust, but verify. |
| government agencies. The proposal was okayed | | | | |