Bush unaware of deal with UAE ports group

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.