U.S.
District Court Judge Jose Linares signed
an order to show cause today in the state’s
suit against the federal government to block
a Dubai-owned company from taking over management
of part of Port Newark until the federal
government completes a full investigation
into national security risks as required
by law, and until state homeland security
officials receive all documents and information
related to the transfer of port management
to Dubai Ports World.
The
show cause order asks federal officials
and the Committee on Foreign Investments
in the United States to explain why they
did not perform a full investigation of
the sale of P&O to Dubai Ports World,
and why the committee should not be required
to provide to New Jersey homeland security
officials and officials in the State Office
of Counter-Terrorism the same documents
and information that was provided to the
Committee on Foreign Investments by Dubai
Ports World.
Acting
on behalf of Gov. Jon S. Corzine, New Jersey
Attorney General Zulima V. Farber filed
suit on Thursday against the Committee on
Foreign Investments and members of the committee,
including Treasury Secretary John Snow,
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and Homeland
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
The
suit declares that New Jersey’s ability
and responsibility to protect its citizens
was impaired by the committee’s approval
of a company owned by Dubai in the United
Arab Emirates to manage port operations
in six U.S. cities, including Newark and
New York.
Judge
Linares set a hearing on the show cause
order for 10:00 a.m.,
Wednesday, March 1 in Newark.
Earlier
today, Gov. Corzine invited governors from
six states with ports affected by the Dubai
Ports World suit to join his federal law
suit.
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