Chuck Schumer, the New York senator who last year led the charge against Dubai Ports World's takeover of some US port operations, criticised the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Thursday for imposing a last-minute obstacle to an agreement that would transfer the ports to AIG, the US insurance group.

The port authority is demanding an $84m payment before it agrees to transfer the lease to AIG - a move DP says is "unreasonable" and could derail the deal. Mr Schumer accused the port authority of putting "parochial financial concerns" over national security interests.