Fwd: UAE Trade Talks on Hold, National Security Hangs in the Balance

As quite a few pundits, from both the Right and the Left have pointed out, Security is now and will always be the exclusive responsibility of United States' personnel.

None-the-less, Brown brings up some other, less discussed issues about how America does port deals world-wide.

Dear Friend,

The big news coming out of Washington yesterday was the collapse of the Dubai Ports World deal. Today something even more significant happened.

More than two weeks after Sherrod called for a halt to trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates, which owns Dubai Ports World, the UAE announced a halt to trade negotiations with the U.S.

This is important because under the trade agreement our government would be practically powerless to stop a similar port deal in the future.

The United States must now take this opportunity to revamp U.S. trade policy, and include national security reviews in all future trade agreements.

The U.S. is expected to negotiate trade pacts with Malaysia and S. Korea in the coming months. Neither potential agreement has national security reviews.

In addition, Sherrod has called on President Bush to provide a list of all deals negotiated in secret by his administration concerning the ownership of U.S. ports, railways, and other assets with national security implications.

In a statement to the media, Sherrod said:

"Dubai was the tip of the iceberg, demonstrating a systemic breakdown of national security oversight within our nation's trade policy.

"It is painfully clear that this administration, in its thirst for unfettered free trade, has abdicated its responsibility to strengthen our homeland security.

"We must know which foreign countries own U.S. assets such as ports, and if any of those deals pose a threat to homeland security. Specifically, we need to look at any deals with Communist China approved by the secret CFIUS committee."

Help Sherrod build support for his trade security initiatives. Urge you friends, and family to visit our website to learn more about this important issue:

http://www.sherrodbrown.com/

"It is time for the U.S. to revamp its trade policy," Sherrod said today. "We can no longer afford to proceed in a pre-9/11 mind set. We must protect our borders by including national security measures in every trade agreement."

Sherrod is counting on your support to keep the Bush Administration, and Mike DeWine in check. Stay informed, and get involved on our website:

http://www.sherrodbrown.com/

Sincerely,

Joanna Kuebler
Communications Director

Paid For by Friends of Sherrod Brown | 2280 Kresge Dr. Amherst OH 44001

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