Why no outrage over this port deal?

[djg21]

no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd
Friday March 24, 11:51 am ET
By Ted Bridis and John Solomon, Associated Press Writers
U.S. to Contract Hong Kong Firm to Help Scan for Nuclear Materials Passing From Bahamas to U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- One of Americans' favorite beach destinations, the Bahamas, is getting a new U.S. arrival -- sophisticated equipment to detect radioactive materials in shipping cargo.

But U.S. customs agents won't be on site to supervise the machine's use as a nuclear safeguard for the American shoreline that is just 65 miles away from Freeport. Under an unusual arrangement, a Hong Kong company will help operate the detector.

The Bush administration says it is finalizing a no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. It acknowledged the deal is the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present.

This is incredibly scary! The story continues:

its billionaire chairman, Li Ka-Shing, also has substantial business ties to China's government that have raised U.S. concerns over the years.

"Li Ka-Shing is pretty close to a lot of senior leaders of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party," said Larry M. Wortzel, head of a U.S. government commission that studies China security and economic issues. But Wortzel said Hutchison operates independently from Beijing, and he described Li as "a very legitimate international businessman."

"One can conceive legitimate security concerns and would hope either the Homeland Security Department or the intelligence services of the United States work very hard to satisfy those concerns," Wortzel said.

Three years ago, the Bush administration effectively blocked a Hutchison subsidiary from buying part of a bankrupt U.S. telecommunications company, Global Crossing Ltd., on national security grounds.

And a U.S. military intelligence report, once marked "secret," cited Hutchison in 1999 as a potential risk for smuggling arms and other prohibited materials into the United States from the Bahamas.

Hutchison's port operations in the Bahamas and Panama "could provide a conduit for illegal shipments of technology or prohibited items from the West to the PRC (People's Republic of China), or facilitate the movement of arms and other prohibited items into the Americas," the now-declassified assessment said.

And Schumer's comments:

"Giving a no-bid contract to a foreign company to carry out the most sensitive security screening for radioactive materials at ports abroad raises many questions," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

After the UAE Ports debacle, you'ld think this no-bid contract would be a non-starter!

[soothsayer]

1. If Clinton was giving China top secret technology like this, they'd

be screaming bloody blue murder. Especially since our custom agents aren't allowed to be around. Way to go, dumbasses! Sell the country's safety down the toilet so you can sell your widgets to the biggest market in the world.

[izzie]

2. it is building like the last one did.

That one took a few weeks also

[koopie57]

6. I think you are right, Izzie

I too have been ignoring this story and when I read your comment I realized that I am worn out after the Dubai (spell?) thing and am not ready to deal with another of this administration's screwed up policies. Why are they so insistent on having other countries be in charge of our security? I really don't understand.

[izzie]

7. I hate to look at the stock and CEO's pay but it is place to start..

I wish I could find the old time paper on one of our 'founders' saying that this is what would take the country down. Special interest. We were drilled in Am. gov. when I was in high school and Jr. high and I swear I read it back in those days (late 40's and 50's) but it has been so many years ago I just can not find it, or drag it out of my mind. I once had to do a paper on Madison so I will be looking over him soon. I just can not let a subject go at times. Maybe it was in the Federalist Papers. I really liked the subject but the teacher was so scary and I did not dare not to do my home work each night. I recall how bills went through Congress almost having me up a wall. Do school still do that subject? Civics

[Joanne98]

3. It hasn't gotten enough media coverage yet. But just wait......

Lou Dobbs is already on it. He'll have them on the cross by next Friday!

[Minnesota Libra]

4. Has ANYONE looked at a map of our ports recently to see.......

....how many are truly US controlled and how many are foreign controlled. Try as you may to find even one that is completely and totally US controlled and you'd be hard pressed to find even one.:think: I've seen such a map on CNN (I think it was CNN) and both coasts are almost entirely foreign controlled.:shrug:

Is that right in my view - no - but facts are facts. IMHO at the very least the Chinese, N Koreans, and Middle East should not control a one of our ports.:eyes:

What I want to know why the Chinese will be building/controlling computers our government uses.:wtf: That is so much more of a threat - a little change here and there and we'd be royally screwed, as if we aren't already.

[FloridaPat]

5. * has made any ties of China to 9-11 - yet. We have to wait until

it our turn to invade them. Which would make most of the American people sheeple.