Stop DP World's purchase and management of U.S. Ports

This petition is in response to the outrageous and incomprehensible decision that the Bush Administration recently made to hand over security of six of our American ports to a company based in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Ports World.

DP Worlds purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. will give control of six commercial U.S. port operations to a company which is based in the U.A.E. The affected ports are located in some of our most populous cities, which are already vulnerable to future terrorist strikes - Baltimore, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia. The U.A.E. has proven links to the September 11th hijackers. The FBI has said the money for the attacks was transferred to the hijackers primarily through the U.A.E.'s banking system and much of the operational planning for the attacks took place inside the U.A.E. Many of the hijackers traveled to the United States through the U.A.E.

The current state of our port inspection system is already abysmal; this blatantly foolish and irresponsible decision of our government is beyond comprehension to the average American and we are demanding an explanation and reversal of this decision by our government immediately. This decision, by an Administration that claims to be committed to protecting our country from the next terrorist attack, is inexplicable at best, traitorous at worst. If this transaction is authorized, the chances of our port systems being infiltrated by terrorists of Arab descent would increase significantly.

DP World said it won approval from a secretive U.S. government panel that considers security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in American industry. The committee, which could have recommended that President Bush block the purchase, includes representatives from the Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, State and Homeland Security departments. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?? We as American taxpayers demand to know who these people are and what secret panel approved this decision on behalf of the American people, never mind why the President of the United States has apparently given the green light on this debacle as well.

This is a sham in the worst sense of the word. Americans are sick and tired of having no representation in Washington, D.C., and we are sick of being stabbed in the back by people that seem to hold the fate of our country in their hands. We are demanding that Congress and the Senate investigate this matter immediately and pass whatever legislation is necessary not only to block this transaction from taking place, but to put in place laws that will prevent this type of transaction from ever occurring in the future. What next? Are we going to contract out and hire soldiers from Saudi Arabia to go and finish the job in Afghanistan and Iraq for us? Another country that our government likes to pretend is our ally. Or maybe we will hire a security company from Iran to oversee our nuclear plants here in the U.S.? At this point, nothing will surprise us. This may be the straw that breaks the back of Americans. We are not going to wait for a nuclear bomb that is smuggled in through a port in New Jersey, under the management of one of our Arab allies to be detonated in one of our cities before we stand up to our pathetic government officials that are failing us at ALL levels of government. We demand action NOW on this matter.

Extremely Concerned Citizens of the United States of America