The port brouhaha is now in President Bush's court, as Dubai Ports World has requested that the U.S. government investigate the deal - the very same kind of investigation that the Bush administration said the deal did not need. Hmm, we wonder if Karl Rove asked the company to request it, to get them out of this pickle, or if DPW realized they'd have to do this or else there'd be protests at the ports when they are handed over to them. Senator Schumer said he was glad about the investigation but he'll still be proposing a law that requires the President to stop the American part of the deal (DPW is in the process of buying P&O Ports, a British company who manages six American ports). However, the AP points out that potential Arab influence is limited at the ports, given the labor will still be union and that DPW won't be the sole owner of all the ports - at Port Newark, the co-leaseholder is a Danish company (Danish and Arab company side by side?). more ›

- And the NYC man with anthrax is not doing well! more ›

The storm brewing around allowing a United Arab Emirates-owned company manage ports in major US cities, including New York, Miami and Baltimore, is reaching a fever pitch, with President Bush saying he'll veto any attempts to block the deal. This after even his own party's leaders in the Senate and House are dubious (dare we say, dubai-ous?) about whether or not the deal would allow for national security. In a slick, Karl Rove move, Bush claims that politicians opposing him are biased and ignoring the fact that the UAE is now an ally in fighting the war against terror; the opponent do keep brining up the pesky fact that much of the money that funded September 11 terror came from UAE banks. The big question is, will the President veto a law drawn up in the interest of national security? more ›

more ›