House Speaker asks moratorium on Dubai port deal

Reuters
House Speaker asks moratorium on Dubai port deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert wrote to President Bush on Tuesday asking for a moratorium on an Arab company's takeover of operations at six major U.S. seaports.

"I believe there should be an immediate moratorium placed on this seaport deal in order to further examine its effects on our port security," Hastert said in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media.

The Illinois Republican also asked the Bush administration to conduct a "more thorough review" of the deal allowing state-controlled Dubai Ports World of the United Arab Emirates to manage the ports. Hastert warned further that it "may require additional congressional action" to make sure Americans are protected.