[originaltext] Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is defending a dea

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is defending a deal giving a company in the United Arab Emirates control over terminals at a key US port. Critics in Congress say the deal is a threat to national security. They noted that the United Arab Emirates served as a base for the hijackers who took part in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Michael Chertoff told NBC’s Meet the Press he believes it is not fair to automatically cut off business with entire countries just because there were some UAE connections to the September 11 terrorists. He added that he believes the committee’s careful review of the deal, reduces, any risks to the United States. "You know this is part of the balancing of security, which is our paramount concern, with the need to still maintain a real robust global trading environment." The Associated Press reports that a company at the Port of Miami has sued to block the UAE Company’s takeover of shipping operations there.