The Ming Report

POLITICS AS USUAL

February 23, 2006 - With the bi-partisan firestorm raging around the decision to turn the operation of the 6 major US Atlantic ports over to UAE state owned Dubai Ports World the White House has tried to put distance between the President and the decision. Yesterday Scotty McClellan told the White House Press corps that the President was not involved in the decision to approve the deal and did not learn of it until after the decision was made. McClellan said the President only became aware of the deal in the “last few days”.

Unless some one other than the President is handling presidential appointments these days, President Bush had heard of the DP World some time ago. On January 17th the White House issued a routine announcement of upcoming appointments. It included the following: “The President intends to nominate David C. Sanborn, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration of the Department of Transportation. Mr. Sanborn currently serves as Director of Operations for Europe and Latin America at DP World.”

What is the Maritime Administration? According to its website (http://www.marad.dot.gov/Programs/portsecurity.html) it is the agency charged with developing and implementing security programs for America’s ports. Is it only a coincidence that a high level DP World employee has just been put in charge of America’s port security – not just in the 6 ports that DP World is going to take over but for all of them? When it comes to politics at this level it is hard to believe in coincidences of this magnitude. Sanborn will be the man in government charged with overseeing the security of DP World’s operations.

DP World is a foreign corporation and American politicians are forbidden from accepting campaign cash from the company or its foreign owners. There is a loophole however. Mr. Sanborn is an American Citizen as is DP World’s Chief Operating Officer as well as many other high level employees. There is nothing in the law that forbids American employees of foreign corporations from making political contributions to what ever party or candidate they please. In light of the recent revelations indicating that our government has been for sale to Jack Abramoff and his friends we have to wonder what role campaign contributions played in these two decisions.

Now I am not suggesting that DP World is a terrorist organization or, for that matter, that the UAE is other than an ally in the effort to defeat the terrorists. I am suggesting that measures to enforce port security and to inspect incoming shipments come at a significant cost and that the impact upon the profitability of port operations is also significant. I am suggesting that the security of our ports is too important to be left to politics as usual.