Cantwell: Dubai Deal Underscores Need to Close Security Gaps
Dubai company says U.S. entity to run ports
WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) continued her calls for quick action to address and close security gaps at America’s ports. Cantwell’s announcement comes as Dubai Ports World, a United Arab Emirates-owned company, said it would hand operations at six major American ports over to a U.S. entity. The company recently purchased the British company previously running the ports.
“The review of the Dubai Ports World deal has revealed gaps in our nation’s security and our assessment of the deal,” said Cantwell, the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee in charge of the Coast Guard. “We don’t yet know the details of today’s announcement by Dubai Ports World, or its impact on the six ports involved. We must do more, not less, to safeguard our cargo and supply chains. If we’re going to fix a maritime system rife with weak points, we need to stop under-funding port security. The Coast Guard has said it will take $7 billion to do the job right, but this administration has met a mere fraction of our needs.”
Cantwell has long worked to improve port security and gather new ideas to keep America’s harbors safe. In February, Cantwell met with security experts at the Port of Seattle, and at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing soon after, questioned the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security about port security funding, locks and seals on cargo containers, background checks on port workers, and the screening of containers for nuclear materials.
###
Next Article Previous Article
