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Schwarzenegger Not Worried by Ports Deal

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The proposed takeover of operations of several American seaports by a United Arab Emirates-owned company, Dubai Ports World, is no big deal to Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor does, however, support the 45-day delay in implementing the deal so that any issues or concerns may be vetted with regard to national security.

Schwarzenegger noted Sunday that many of the operations at California's biggest ports - Los Angeles-Long Beach and the Port of Oakland - are already run by foreign firms, although not all of these are state-owned, as is the case with Dubai Ports World. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the companies come from such nations as China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Denmark.

"We have the ultimate control over security," Schwarzenegger said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "They occupy space. They lease space. They don't own it."

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The 45-day delay Schwarzenegger backed is meant to allow the interagency committee that oversees port management - the same folks who initially approved the deal - to more fully investigate the arrangement's commitment to security. It had been demanded by critics on the left and right and was accepted by the Bush administration on Sunday.

"When you see complaints coming in like this, you've got to study it further," Schwarzenegger said. "It has to be thought through by experts. We cannot compromise security because that would be terrible if that happens."

On other matters, when asked by the Chronicle if he plans to run for re-election this fall as a Bush Republican he replied "I will run as an Arnold Republican, which is that I am there to govern and to serve the people of California. Some on the right wing feel I should only govern for Republicans, but that is not what I promised the people of California," he added.

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