U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release February 22, 2006		CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852
Sen. Salazar Calls for Re-evaluation of Contract Allowing Dubai-Based Company to Take Over U.S. Port Operations WASHINGTON— United States Senator Ken Salazar today announced his concerns about a state-owned company from the United Arab Emirates taking over operations at several major U.S. ports. “Since 9/11, our efforts to combat terrorism and to improve homeland security have been of paramount importance. We need to make sure a major concern for our nation is port security. The ports subject to this contract are the eye of the needle through which millions of cargo containers pass each year. We need to make sure safeguards are in place so that America is as safe as possible. The American people need to have confidence in the government’s homeland security efforts. "Given the UAE's status as one of the world's weakest links in the export control system, I share the concerns expressed by many of my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, about the plans to permit a state-owned, Dubai-based firm to take over operations at major U.S. ports. Therefore, a thorough re-evaluation of this contract is the minimum of what should occur.” If approved, ports in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Baltimore and Miami would be controlled by Dubai Ports World, a government-owned company. ###