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アラブ首長国連邦国営企業が、アメリカの港湾管理業務進出に関して、アメリカ議会が猛反対して、撤退を余儀なくされた（この件に関して、下記の｢朝日新聞」の記事は、アメリカで報道されているものとは少しニュアンスが違う。ドバイの会社が声明を出したのではなく、アメリカ議会のSen. John Warner (R) of Virginia,（chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committeeが9日に議会で声明を発表したようになっている
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0310/p25s02-usfp.html）。
そこでこの件に関し、アラブ首長国連邦（UAE)の王族がかんかんに怒っているという話が、「The Hill」というアメリカ議会に関する記事を専門に扱うサイトに掲載されている。
これによれば、UAEは港湾業務委託金680億ドルの見返りとして、｢ボーイング 777」を42機（970億ドル相当）買っているほか、軍隊用のヘリコプターやその他もろもろの出費を行ってきたとのこと。
しかし今回の一件で、UAEは期待を裏切られ、「共和党、民主党とも関係ない。仕返しをしてやる」といっているとか。
ブッシュは、UAEを「アメリカのテロ対策に協力的で、中東政策には欠かせない重要な友人だ」といっているが（実はイラン攻撃への重要拠点だから・・笑）、今回の議会の猛反発は、いかにブッシュの力がなくなってきたかをいうことを如実に反映しているものだ。
またひとつ中東の｢親米国家」が、アメリカにそっぽを向いてしまった(笑）。
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/030906/news1.html
Dubai threat to hit back
By Roxana Tiron
Dubai is threatening retaliation against American strategic and commercial interests if Washington blocks its $6.8 billion takeover of operations at several U.S. ports.
As the House Appropriations Committee yesterday marked up legislation to kill Dubai Ports World’s acquisition of Britain’s Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation (P&O), the emirate let it be known that it is preparing to hit back hard if necessary.
A source close to the deal said members of Dubai’s royal family are furious at the hostility both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have shown toward the deal.
“They’re saying, ‘All we’ve done for you guys, all our purchases, we’ll stop it, we’ll just yank it,’” the source said.
Retaliation from the emirate could come against lucrative deals with aircraft maker Boeing and by curtailing the docking of hundreds of American ships, including U.S. Navy ships, each year at its port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the source added.
It is not clear how much of Dubai’s behind-the-scenes anger would be followed up by action, but Boeing has been made aware of the threat and is already reportedly lobbying to save the ports deal.
The Emirates Group airline will decide later this year whether it will buy Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner or its competitor, Airbus A350. The airline last fall placed an order worth $9.7 billion for 42 Boeing 777 aircraft, making Dubai Boeing’s largest 777 customer.
Dubai in mid-February also established the Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, a $15 billion investment to create a company that will lease planes, develop airports and make aircraft parts to tap into growing demand for air travel in the Middle East and Asia.
The family-ruled sheikhdom may buy as many as 50 wide-body aircraft from Boeing and Airbus during the next four years, according to Aerospace Enterprise officials.
The UAE military also bought Boeing’s Apache helicopters. Meanwhile, Boeing has been in talks with the emirates to try to sell its AWACS planes.
An industry official with knowledge of Boeing’s contracts with Dubai said that the company has been involved in the emirate and that it would take a lot “to knock” those relationships.
“Nothing about the [ports] controversy diminishes our commitment to the region,” said John Dern, Boeing’s corporate spokesman. He added that at this point the company has no indication that there is or will be an impact on the company.
Any repercussion to Boeing could put House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) in a delicate position. Boeing’s decision to move its headquarters to Chicago has been seen as calculated to facilitate a close relationship with Hastert. He is against the ports deal, and his office did not return calls by press time.
Several businesses have expressed concern that the controversy over the $6.8 billion ports deal could damage trade with the UAE. Dubai is one of the seven emirates. The United States and the UAE are meeting next week for a fourth round of talks to sign a free-trade agreement. The American Business Group of Abu Dhabi, which has no affiliation with the U.S. government, said that Arabs may hesitate to invest into the United States, according to a report by Reuters.
A Republican trade lobbyist said that because the ports deal is a national-security issue blocking it would not be in violation of World Trade Agreement rules.
“In terms of them retaliating legally against the U.S. … I don’t think there are many options there,” the lobbyist said.
But when it comes to the emirates’ cooperation in the war on terrorism and in intelligence gathering, there is concern that some help may be pulled.
“If we reject the company in terms of doing the [ports] work, they are going to lose a lot of face. In the Arab culture, losing face is a big deal,” a former government official said. “We risk losing that help. It is not an empty threat.”
Dubai is a critical logistics hub for the U.S. Navy and a popular relaxation destination for troops fighting in the Middle East. On many occasions since the ports story erupted, the Pentagon has stressed the importance of the U.S-UAE relationship.
Last year, the U.S. Navy docked 590 supply vessels in Dubai, plus 56 warships, Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense, said in a Senate hearing last month. About 77,000 military personnel went on leave in the UAE last year, he added.
During the hearing, he warned about the implications of a negative decision on the ports deal: “So obviously it would have some effect on us, and I’d not care to quantify that, because I don’t have the facts to quantify it. It would certainly have an effect on us.”
Although owned by the Dubai government, the company at the heart of this controversy, Dubai Ports World, is trying to distance itself from any kinds of threats, said a lobbyist closely tracking the deal.
Another lobbyist monitoring the controversy said K Street still believes there will be a compromise that allows the Dubai deal to go through while meeting congressional security concerns, even though a bill aimed at that result, put forward by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.), was widely repudiated amongst lawmakers Tuesday.
Senate leaders have indicated that they would wait to take action until the new 45-day Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review is completed.
Meanwhile, in London, DP World cleared the last hurdle for its take over of P&O. The Court of Appeal in London refused Miami-based Eller & Co., which opposed the deal, permission to appeal against clearances for the legal and financial measures necessary to implement the takeover.
P&O said it expects to file the requisite court orders, making the takeover terms binding on DP World, according to the Financial Times.
Elana Schor contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060310/ap_on_go_pr_wh/ports_security_87
http://www.asahi.com/international/update/0310/006.html
米港湾管理進出、ＵＡＥ企業が撤退 米議会の猛反発で
2006年03月10日13時05分
アラブ首長国連邦（ＵＡＥ）の国営企業「ドバイ・ポーツ・ワールド」による米国の港湾業務への進出問題で、ド社は９日、「米国内の業務すべてを米国の組織に移す」との声明を発表した。米議会の猛反発を受けて撤退を余儀なくされた形で、進出を支持したブッシュ大統領には痛手となりそうだ。
声明は「ＵＡＥと米国の良好な関係を守るため」と進出断念の理由を説明。ドバイ首長のマクトムＵＡＥ副大統領が決定したとした。移管先や金額などの詳細は明らかにしていないが、米財務省と協議する方針を示している。
この問題では、ド社がまず、英海運大手「Ｐ＆Ｏ」を買収することで同社と合意。Ｐ＆Ｏ社はニューヨーク港など米国の６港の港湾管理業務を請け負っていたため、買収により、これらの港の管理業務がド社に移るはずだった。米政府は買収を許可したものの、米同時多発テロ実行犯の２人がＵＡＥ出身だったことなどから議会で与野党双方が強く反発した。
ブッシュ大統領は「安全保障上の問題はない」と強調。買収が認められないと「対アラブ差別」と受け取られかねないと理解を求めた。だが、議論は過熱する一方で、ワシントン・ポスト紙とＡＢＣテレビによる５日の共同世論調査でも、７０％が「ＵＡＥ企業に港湾管理を認めるべきではない」と答えていた。
大統領は議会での買収阻止法案提出の動きに対し、拒否権発動も明言していたが、８日には下院歳出委員会が買収阻止項目を盛り込んだ法案を圧倒的多数で可決。拒否権の発動は事実上不可能になっていた。
ホワイトハウスのマクレラン報道官は「（ド社の決定は）事態を前に進め、解決する方策を提示した。米国とＵＡＥの幅広い関係の重要性を反映したものだ」と米メディアに語った。
題名には必ず「阿修羅さんへ」と記述してください。