Security Assessment of DP World Deal Lacking

Find Law reports on the Coast Guard assessment of DP World's purchase of UK-based P&O. The document was released by Sen. Susan M. Collins (R - ME), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Coast Guard concerns -- which Administration officials state were addressed before finalizing the deal -- are evident:

There are many intelligence gaps, concerning the potential for DPW or P&O assets to support terrorist operations, that precludes an overall threat assessment of the potential DWP and P&O ports merger. The breadth of the intelligence gaps also infer potential unknown threats against a large number of potential vulnerabilities.

Also, in a surprising twist, the UK Court reviewing the purchase has delayed its decision based on the US controversy over security. Only of the US partners, Miami-based Eller & Company, has objected, as have two private investors.

Sen. Collins has called for a thorough Congressional review; five Democrat Senators propose "to ban companies owned by foreign governments from controlling operations at U.S. ports." Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) has introduced legislation similar to the Collins resolution in the House.

The Coast Guard responds that the above quote was taken out of context and "do not reflect the full, classified analysis." The Coast Guard does not explain how an agency can complete "full, classified analysis" in such a short timeframe; security clearances for American citizens take months.

The Christian Science Monitor outlines the tension between economic globalization and global terrorism. Some of this tension is not new, although it may be forgotten. Restricting foreign ownership of infrastructure goes back to the nation's earliest days; in 1789, Congress prohibited foreign companies from controlling shipbuilding in the name of national security. These laws were expanded in the early 1900s after World War II.

Andrew Thomas, a professor of international business and an aviation security analyst, calls for a transparent process to minimize risk:

We have to take a step back and take a long look at this. This is the crowd that hasn't done much right on homeland security. It couldn't get Katrina right. Airport screening has been a fiasco. So when you have [Department of Homeland Security Secretary] Michael Chertoff saying, 'Trust me on this,' that's unnerving to me.

Regardless of the merits of the deal, it has become a political football. A CBS poll shows that Americans - including Republicans - are overwhelmingly against the deal.

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