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Timeline of controversial ports deal

A ship is loaded at the port in New Jersey, one of the operations that the deal would affect.

• Interactive: Gateways to America

• Interactive: Port operations

• Interactive: Dubai Ports World

(CNN) -- The following timeline maps out the series of events leading up to the purchase of the British firm P&O to the United Arab Emirates-based DP World:

September 21, 2005 -- The United Arab Emirates sends $100 million in aid to the United States to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, four weeks before the ports deal.

October 2005 - London-based P&O is approached with a buyout offer, does not disclose suitor

November 29, 2005 - P&O announces agreement to be bought by DP World International for $5.7 billion

January 2006 - PSA (Port of Singapore Authority) International offers contesting bid for P&O

January 26, 2006 - DP World outbids Port of Singapore for P&O

February 10, 2006 - Port of Singapore drops out of bidding for P&O

February 10, 2006 - DP World wins P&O with bid of $6.8 billion

February 15, 2006 - Bipartisan group of lawmakers from House and Senate call on administration to open broader review of Dubai Ports deal

February 17, 2006 - Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, and Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, announce plan to introduce legislation blocking sale

February 18, 2006 - Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-New Jersey, promises legislation to require U.S. citizenship of port security officials

February 19, 2006 - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff defends the deal

February 21, 2006 - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, among lawmakers calling for the administration to stop the deal; Frist promises legislation

February 21, 2006 - President Bush vows veto of any legislation blocking deal

February 23, 2006 - DP World and the White House agree to delay the ports deal, to give the president more time to convince members of Congress there is no threat to national security

March 2, 2006 - Britain's High Court tentatively approves DP World's takeover of Britain's P&O, giving the company the rights to run operations at six key U.S. ports

March 6, 2006 - London High Court refuses appeal by U.S. ports operator Eller & Co. over the DP World takeover of P&O

March 6, 2006 - Congressman Peter King, R-New York, sends new compromise proposal to the White House. It suggests DP World sub-contract operations of the ports to U.S. companies

March 9, 2006 - The Senate votes to ignore its Republican leaders and clear the way for a vote on blocking a Dubai-owned company's U.S. ports deal

March 9, 2006 - DP World agrees to transfer operations of U.S. ports it acquired to a U.S. entity

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