White House Asked Dubai Ports To Pull Out [View All]

Stunning Defeat for Bush, but Republicans in Congress Promise to Put It Behind Them

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1708847&page=1

March 10, 2006 — The White House asked Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, to give up its management stake in U.S. ports, to save President Bush from the politically difficult position of vetoing a key piece of legislation to protect America's ports, ABC News has learned.

When the company announced Thursday that it would sell its management stake in six U.S. ports, it was a stunning defeat for Bush, who had put his political capital on the line to back the deal, ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos said.


"Certainly, it's the most significant break with the Republican leadership in the Congress this term," he said.

The Democrats — suddenly feeling united — insist the scuttled ports deal is proof that the White House is weakened and divided against its own party...