I'd say this guy's arguments are just about as unsubstantiated as those purported by Malkin. I've worked and done business in Dubai. They are demonstrably unreliable. They have three different legal systems. Contract law means nothing. All it takes is a "Will of Allah" and you can flush your contract down the toilet...and if some Sheik wants something, its obviously the "Will of Allah." Oh, and I love the "largely permits religious freedom" part. The whole time I was there I never saw a church nor could I find a Bible in their book stores. Should we touch on their democratic form of government, free elections, equal treatment of women? What about just the equal treatment of expats? Once you get past your probationary period you're a virtual slave there and can't leave the country without the permission of your Sheik sponsor. By the way, Zayed was the crown prince. I'm sure giving them the contract to operate our ports is another step towards democracy in the middle east -- in a fool's eye.
will you look at post#6 and tell me if it's credible. Thank you.
Since you have experience there, which parts in the piece are untrue? More to the point, there isn't much you've asserted that disputes Dubai's value in the WOT. Frankly, if we only work with countries that share our values, we'll be working alone.
I've removed those parts of the article which aren't assertions of fact--so which of the following facts aren't true? Thanks for your input:From the article:
This is a country that has been a long-standing ally of the United States since 1971.
The UAE was part of the coalition to liberate Kuwait in 1991, and also has supported the United States in the war on terror (including, among other things, providing access to a deep-water berth that can accommodate aircraft carriers, use of a training facility for air-to-air training facility, airfields, and logistics support).
It is a country that has proven largely inhospitable to al-Qaeda (instead, the focus is on business),
sent forces to Afghanistan to protect the construction of a hospital that they donated and built,
and also has sent humanitarian assistance to Iraq while also providing a location for training Iraqi police.
In 2002, the UAE also captured a major al-Qaeda figure, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who was involved in the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, and handed him over to the United States despite threats from the terrorist organization.
After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the UAE donated $100 million for the relief efforts. ....
In 2003, the UAE shut down the Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow-up, which was publishing material that promoted anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
Security will remain the province of the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security.
the UAE has the only port in the Middle East that is part of the Container Security Initiative.
Dubai Ports World has also agreed to mandatory participation in other programs to improve security and to prevent the illegal shipment of nuclear materials, and will also provide documents on internal operations on demand and has agreed to cooperate in future investigations.
The deal was also scrutinized by the intelligence community, which found no problems.
The only thing that changes hands is who owns the company that will handle the day-to-day operations (often performed by American longshoremen – usually unionized). Dubai Ports World also bought out the port operations of CSX in 2004 – with no real issues.
none of the critics have any proof that either the government of the UAE or Dubai Ports World was involved in the attack.
the United Arab Emirates have stepped up efforts to make money laundering less easy after Dubai was used as a financial conduit for the attacks (again, there is no proof that the UAE or DPW were active participants in the laundering).
Yeah, but you can get a beer there.
I've been to Dubai, too. I've never said it was Heaven on Earth.
What allies does America have, who can't be made to look like dirt bags with enough opposition research?
Gee, I worked in Indonesia which also requires an exit visa from the sponsor, and I didn't feel like a "slave". But I did feel like I'd better complete the specifics of my well-paid contract.
The other bidder for P&O was Singapore. There are lots of folks out there who object to Singapore's harsh system of justice, which has recently included quick executions of Aussie drug runners.
Hutchinson also considered bidding, but backed-off because they knew the U.S. would object to the deal.
So we're getting down to a small handfull of potential remaining bidders for P&O. Was the US government expected to subsidize the deal so that a "preferred" operator would have been attracted to it?
Folks should defer to your experience...
And imo, yep, this slop is nothing but propaganda. The "religious" part is rich for a country which recognized the 'Taliban' as a entity, but NOT Israel.
(Gee, I wonder how much UAE sheiks paid this author?)
Would you elaborate on this. "Once you get past your probationary period you're a virtual slave there and can't leave the country without the permission of your Sheik sponsor." I noticed that only about 10% of the population are citizens. Is this similar to Saudis who are too good to work and bring in workers from elsewhere?
YOu couldn't find a church??
You obviously didn't look that hard. I lived in Dubai for eight years and everyone I knew who was a regular church goer (Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian) managed to go every Sunday.
I have personally attended several weddings and funerals spread over 4 Dubai churches
You can buy holy catholic statues in the larger supermarkets FFS.
Nor did I or any European or American I knew have their passport witheld or have any other stipulation on them leaving the country. Sth Asian labourers often had to put up with this but that has been made illegal.
thanks for your post. i am glad to hear from somebody who has done business there.
saudi arabia has often been our ally, but many influential saudis have supported al qaeda.
i would bet that there are plenty of people in the UAE who support al qaeda and hamas.
stalin was our ally during WW2. i guess some people would have let him take over the operation of our ports. after all, if we criticized him, we would have hurt the russians feelings!
keep posting!
A list and pictures of Catholic churches in the UAE
Curious, isn't it, how Dubai and the UAE have suddenly become a country full of boy scouts. And how even the connection with 9/11 has now been reduced to a couple of the hijackers buying snack crackers at the Dubai airport. Sheesh.
Following is an excerpt from an interesting February 18, 2002, Washington Post article:
"The interviews offered a tantalizing glimpse into the critical yet mysterious role played by gold in the finances of Al Qaeda, both before and after the Sept. 11 attacks. Gold has allowed the Taliban and bin Laden largely to preserve their financial resources, despite the military attack that battered their forces in Afghanistan, investigators and intelligence sources said."
"Al Qaeda also used diamonds purchased in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo, tanzanite from Tanzania and other commodities to make money and hide assets. But gold played a uniquely important role in the group's financial structure, investigators and intelligence sources said, because it is a global currency."
"'Gold is a huge factor in the moving of terrorist money because you can melt it, smelt it or deposit it on account with no questions asked,' said a senior U.S. law enforcement official investigating gold transactions. 'Why move it through Dubai? Because there is a willful blindness there.'"
"Since it is exempt from international reporting requirements for financial transactions, gold is a favored commodity in laundering money from drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorist activities, U.S. officials said. In addition, Dubai, one of seven sheikhdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, has one of the world's largest and least regulated gold markets, making it an ideal place to hide."
"Dubai is also one of the region's most open banking centers and is the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates, one of three countries that maintained diplomatic relations with the Taliban until shortly after Sept. 11. Sitting at a strategic crossroad of the Gulf, South Asia and Africa, Dubai has long been a financial hub for Islamic militant groups. Much of the $500,000 used to fund the Sept. 11 attacks came through Dubai, investigators believe."
"'All roads lead to Dubai when it comes to money,' said Patrick Jost, who until last year was a senior financial enforcement officer in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. 'Everyone did business there.' When the U.S. bombs began pounding Taliban and Al Qaeda targets last autumn, the rush of gold and money out of Afghanistan intensified."
"The Pakistani financial authorities said that $2 million to $3 million a day is usually hand-carried by couriers from Karachi to Dubai, mostly to buy gold. Late last year that amount increased significantly as money was moved out of Afghanistan, they said."
"Pakistani and U.S. officials estimate that $10 million from Afghanistan was taken out by courier over three weeks in late November and early December. The Taliban's fighters fled Kabul on Nov. 12 and abandoned Kandahar on Dec. 7."
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/opdat/selected/CTU/ctu.html
In addition, the US State Department Human Rights reports on the UAE have some, well, interesting disagreements with the spin in the article that leads off this thread.
Bumpasaurous! I have a real bad gut feel about this deal. Thank God it has been stopped and will be scrutinized.
Thank you. I tell my clients to do business with Arabs only on a 100% cash upfront basis. Otherwise, its all practice.
Contracts mean shiite to thes people.