High above ports, another dispute about security rages ("Airlinegate"?)

[sabra]

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1141538434318090.xml&coll=1

High above ports, another dispute about security rages

While the Dubai debate rages, a plan to allow more foreign control of U.S. skies is shaping up as the next big fight between Bush and Congress


WASHINGTON -- The furor created by the sale of some U.S. port operations to a United Arab Emirates-owned company is not the only controversy over foreign ownership of sensitive American assets.

A White House plan to relax restrictions on foreign control of U.S. airlines is drawing protests from Republicans and Democrats who feel it could jeopardize America's security and economic interests.

"Allowing the daily operations of our airlines to be controlled by competing and potentially unfriendly foreign interests could significantly undermine our homeland security and result in the loss of U.S. jobs," warned Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.).

"This has a lot of correlation to the Dubai story," the South Jersey lawmaker said, referring to the pending hand-over of some operations at Port Newark and five other seaports to the UAE's Dubai Ports World.