WASHINGTON, Feb 24: The UAE company which had won the contract to run six US seaports volunteered on Friday to postpone the takeover, saying that it wanted to give the White House more time to deal with the protest stoked by the deal.

The contract, announced last week, is strongly opposed by lawmakers from both the government and opposition benches who say that by giving over six major US ports to an Arab firm, the Bush administration would enhance terror threats.

In a statement issued in Washington, Dubai Ports World said the company “will not execute control over” or manage the six US ports, pending ‘further consultation’ with the US government and Congress.

An unusual number of legislators from both Republican and Democratic parties have voiced fierce opposition to allowing an Arab firm, owned by the ruling family of Dubai, to control US port operations.

And some of them were not happy with the postponement either.

President Bush has threatened to veto any congressional measures to block the deal and forcefully defended the UAE as a vital US ally in the war against terror.

“People don’t need to worry about security,” Mr Bush told reporters on Thursday. “This wouldn’t be going forward if we weren’t certain that our ports would be secure. The more people learn about the transaction that has been scrutinized and approved by my government, the more they’ll be comforted that our ports will be secure.”