President Clinton yesterday sought to downplay his role in the Dubai ports deal, saying that he took a single phone call from an official at Dubai Ports World and advised the company against pursuing the purchase.

While acknowledging his ties to Dubai through business dealings and a university scholarship set up in his name, Mr. Clinton adamantly denied any official involvement in the scuttled sale and said he was not paid by DP World.

“I didn’t even know about this company. I didn’t know this company existed. I have never been an adviser to them. I have never asked anybody to support the deal,” the former president told reporters in Harlem, where he was making an announcement on small business initiatives undertaken by his foundation. His remarks on the ports deal came as he touched on a range of domestic and foreign policy topics after helping to cut the ribbon at a new bowling alley on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard and 126th Street.

The state-owned DP World late last week pulled out of a deal to manage operations at six East Coast ports amid strong opposition from many Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. While President Bush steadfastly backed the sale, critics claimed it would compromise security at America’s ports.

Corroborating a statement his office put out earlier this month, Mr. Clinton said he took a single phone call from a representative of DP World seeking his input on the deal. He said he told the company that “he couldn’t understand why they wanted to do this” and that there would be enormous public opposition in America. Mr. Clinton urged the company that if it was determined to go forward, it should propose a way to increase port security, he said.

Reports that Mr. Clinton advised DP World had led to speculation that he disagreed with his wife, Senator Clinton, who signed onto a bill designed to block the sale. The former president yesterday said he supported Mrs. Clinton’s position.

“I think in principle we ought to run our own ports, particularly since they are targets for terrorists,” he said.

Mr. Clinton voiced his support for Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, praising the Arab country for its efforts to modernize and saying he was grateful for its cooperation with American customs officials. He said he hoped the controversy over the deal would spur America to improve port security. “I didn’t think this was a good idea because our port security is bad, and we shouldn’t do anything that raises more questions about it until we fix it,” Mr. Clinton said.

The White House declined to respond specifically to Mr. Clinton’s comments on the Dubai port deal yesterday. In a statement, a spokesman, Ken Lisaius, said the administration would continue to work with Congress to “provide a greater understanding of how these transactions are approved and how we can improve that process in the future.”

The former president appeared yesterday with city dignitaries to promote new achievements and new initiatives by his William J. Clinton Foundation, which is based in Harlem. The bowling alley, Harlem Lanes, is opening this month after participating in the foundation’s Urban Enterprise Initiative, which offers free technical assistance to small businesses in Harlem and parts of Brooklyn and the Bronx.

The event united Mr. Clinton, who has largely resisted criticizing Mr. Bush and has forged a friendship with the president’s father, with one of the Bush administration’s most vocal opponents, Rep. Charles Rangel.

Mr. Rangel did not shy away from politics as he drew laughter from Mr. Clinton by joking about his move to Harlem and referring to him as “the last elected president.”

The longtime congressman also took a jab at Mr. Bush, saying he woke up every morning to ask, “What is it that President Bush has done that is really harmful to the world and to this country?”

Asked to respond to Mr. Rangel’s characterization, Mr. Clinton jokingly deflected the question to Mrs. Clinton, who is seen as a frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Mr. Rangel “and my wife are the only politicians in my Harlem family now,” Mr. Clinton said, before eliciting more laughs when he quipped, “Let her dance around on the head that you’ve spun here.”

Mr. Clinton did respond to questions about abortion and America’s policy on Iran. While reiterating his support for Roe vs. Wade, Mr. Clinton said abortion rights advocates “shouldn’t be surprised” by attempts to overturn the decision, saying abortion opponents made no secret of their intentions when they campaigned for – and won – the 2004 election.

Mr. Clinton sided with the current president on Iran, saying Mr. Bush didn’t have many choices. “When the president says we shouldn’t take any options off the table, I agree with that,” Mr. Clinton said.