I think not.
My arguments were very simple ~ (1) The propaganda piece, on the face of it, was patently false, and the facts of the deal were so different from what was portrayed, that no rational discussion could be made with people who believed the initial leftwing story. And (2) That due to our use of Dubai as a major center of ME operations, activities on our part that put our use of Dubai at risk actually endangered our troops.
The General is the one who accused you'all of racism, and I'm not the General!
Here's what you are not getting ... WE HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION YOU HAVE ... and we come to a different conclusion. It doesn't make you better informed or smarter. If you persist in that kind of argument, it makes you arrogant and an elitist.
You and I rarely agree, but on this one we're on the same page regarding your (1) and (2).
I don't know anything about the general.