Coast Guard flip flops on DPW

Or maybe they flip flop flipped. After initially approving and then seemingly coming out against the Dubai Ports World deal, the Coast guard now seems to be for it.

To clear up its position, the Coast Guard issued a new statement yesterday from its No. 2 officer, a day after the disclosure of an internal Coast Guard memo that stated "many intelligence gaps" existed in the proposed sale of terminal-operating rights to DP World (DPW).

"The Coast Guard continues to believe that DP World's acquisition ... in and of itself does not pose a significant threat to U.S. assets," Vice Adm. Terry Cross, the vice commandant, said yesterday. The Coast Guard, as an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, has responsibility for enforcing counterterrorism measures at all major U.S. shipping ports.

The Coast Guard had actually approved the deal to begin with, despite the "security gaps" internal memo. That memo, released by Senator Collins of Maine, did not provide the entire picture that the Coast Guard used in making their decision, and they are now trying to get that message across.