The Dubai Ports Deal: How Secure Is It?

On March 2, a United Arab Emirates company, Dubai Ports World, may complete a deal that will turn over port operations at six major U.S. ports. There has been a fury in Washington regarding this deal. Many are asking how can we turn over some of the most vital assets of our nation's homeland security to a country that has been at the nexus of the terrorism and the September 11th attacks? The question is worth asking. There are very real concerns regarding how we protect our ports and the implications of the Dubai Ports deal on our nation's security. At the same time, this serious discussion has been confused by a lack of understanding of how marine terminals operate and what role a firm like Dubai Ports would play in security.

CSIS hosted a panel discussion featuring:

Admiral James M. Loy, Former Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
William H. Webster, Former Director, FBI
Jayson Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Rear Admiral Craig Bone, Director of Inspection and Compliance, U.S. Coast Guard

The discussion was moderated by David Heyman, senior fellow and director of the CSIS Homeland Security Program.

Video

Panel discussion on port security (wmv, 1:23:55)