…
“This is a serious issue, and I am personally very concerned. I believe Congress should be consulted before this particular contract is finalized,” said U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Moultrie. “Congress and the American people deserve an explanation regarding this issue and how it could affect the national security of the United States.”
…
“While the United Arab Emirates is a partner in the global war on terror, the administration should come to Congress immediately to explain why a country that has recognized the Taliban as legitimate should be entrusted with the operation of six U.S. ports that are so crucial to our economy and has the potential for terrorist infiltration,” Chambliss said. “Congress needs to know what safeguards are being taken to ensure that this proposal will not provide this foreign company access to information and operations that we would normally want to restrict.”
U.S. Rep. John Linder, R-Duluth, said he isn’t worried about security at U.S. ports because of precautions by the Department of Homeland Security, but Linder said Congress should have been briefed on the situation.
Also, Linder said, it revealed a communication problem in the Bush administration.
“It probably should have been discussed very publicly,” he said. “This has caught everybody by surprise, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see (the contract) altered. Somebody should have anticipated this.”
…