Along with the new poll which finds that 70 percent of Americans oppose the Bush backed Dubai ports deal, comes the news that the Coast Guard warned the Bushies about security risks in the ports deal.
The US Coast Guard warned there were gaps in intelligence over the security risk of an Arab firm bidding to run six major US ports, the Senate has heard.
At a Congressional hearing on Monday, Senator Susan Collins released an unclassified section of the Coast Guard document on the takeover.
The excerpt read: "There are many intelligence gaps concerning the potential for DPW or P&O assets to support terrorist operations, that precludes an overall threat assessment." Ms Collins said the document suggested a "rush to judgment" by the administration.
Also, a counter-terrorism expert under the Bush Administration says Bushie's plan for U.S. ports is a bad deal (via dkos):
Joseph King, who headed the customs agency's anti-terrorism efforts under the Treasury Department and the new Department of Homeland Security, said national security fears are well grounded.
He said a company the size of Dubai Ports World would be able to get hundreds of visas to relocate managers and other employees to the United States. Using appeals to Muslim solidarity or threats of violence, al-Qaeda operatives could force low-level managers to provide some of those visas to al-Qaeda sympathizers, said King, who for years tracked similar efforts by organized crime to infiltrate ports in New York and New Jersey. Those sympathizers could obtain legitimate driver's licenses, work permits and mortgages that could then be used by terrorist operatives.
Dubai Ports World could also offer a simple conduit for wire transfers to terrorist operatives in the Middle East. Large wire transfers from individuals would quickly attract federal scrutiny, but such transfers, buried in the dozens of wire transfers a day from Dubai Ports World's operations in the United States to the Middle East would go undetected, King said.
Photo credit: Buckfush
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