Saving Face

Leave it to the Pfrister to provide cover for Dear Leader. A 45-day exercise in navel-gazing by Dubai Ports World, who will of course give themselves a clean bill of health, instead of a genuine vetting by Congress. Bushco will then spin it as proof that all is A-OK, leaving critics of the deal wide open to attack as partisans playing politics with national security. The time to head this off is NOW.

Port Deal To Have Broader Review

The Bush administration said yesterday that it has accepted a proposal from a Dubai maritime company to conduct a 45-day review of the national security implications of the company's plans to take control of significant operations at six U.S. ports.

The announcement by Dubai Ports World, brokered by the White House and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), appears to satisfy the demands of many members of Congress, who had threatened to force a security review if the administration would not conduct one. The deal also offered pledges to reassure the United States that the ports deal would not pose any threats to American safety and security.

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