Yeah, I just heard this last night. My question is why did Bush lie about it
when he said everyone was aboard with the plan? Or, was he misinformed,
dumb, or making things up... it just makes no sense. Even Rove would know
that this would come out quickly.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...

Dubai deal had Coast Guard at sea - pol



BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and MICHAEL McAULIFF
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard feared it didn't have enough intel to
decide whether Dubai's purchase of U.S. port operations posed a
terrorist threat to the nation, a Republican senator revealed
yesterday.
"There are many intelligence gaps, concerning the potential for DPW
[Dubai Ports World] or P&O [Peninsular and Oriental] assets to support
terrorist operations, that precludes an overall threat assessment,"
says a Coast Guard memo released by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Collins revealed the contents of the declassified memo at a Senate
homeland security hearing as the White House hinted it could kill any
legislation aimed at stopping Dubai Ports World from buying facilities
now run by England's P&O ports.

The Coast Guard last night said the document Collins cited was written
early in its initial review and does not reflect the final, classified
analysis.

"This transaction, when taking into account strong security assurances
by DP World, does not compromise U.S. security," a Coast Guard
spokesman, Commander Jeff Carter, said in a statement.

After Collins made her disclosure yesterday, the Coast Guard gave her
and other senators a briefing behind closed doors on its classified
report. But when Collins emerged, she wasn't satisfied by what she
heard.

"I am more convinced than ever that the process was truly flawed," said
Collins.

Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.), her counterpart on the House Homeland Security
Committee, scoffed at the White House's new probe of the port deal.
"They seem to be interpreting 'investigation' as an opportunity to
educate us," he said. "It's a very condescending position."

The latest developments came as the White House showed signs of getting
on top of the furor over the deal, with DP World's agreement over the
weekend to a retroactive 45-day investigation of its purchase.

That news prompted Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to
soften his stance on the deal after first threatening to deep-six it
with legislation. The White House believes that threat is all but dead.

"Sen. Frist has said that he will ask the Senate to hold off on
legislation," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

A source confirmed the administration believes Frist will stop any
bills from coming to a vote, such as a bipartisan measure introduced
yesterday by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).