Dubai threat to hit back (UAE Threatens Against Boeing and US Bases Support)

The Hill.com ^ | March 9, 2006 | Roxana Tiron

[justshutupandtakeit]

Perhaps you meant "extortion" though it makes as little sense as "blackmail". Would you like to be insulted and disparaged after greatly assisting a friend in his fight with enemies and treated like an enemy yourself?

[kabar]

Bush Sr. set up Saddam Insane in Iraq. At that time he appeared reasonable. He wasn't. He had another agenda which we now live with today.

Saddam took over in Iraq in 1979. In 1963, with the Baath party in control in Baghdad, Saddam Hussein returned home and began jostling for a position of influence. During this period he married his cousin Sajida. They later had two sons and three daughters.

But within months, the Baath party had been overthrown and he was jailed, remaining there until the party returned to power in a coup in July 1968. Showing ruthless determination that was to become a hallmark of his leadership, Saddam Hussein gained a position on the ruling Revolutionary Command Council.

For years he was the power behind the ailing figure of the president, Ahmed Hassan Bakr. In 1979, he achieved his ambition of becoming head of state. The new president started as he intended to go on - putting to death dozens of his rivals.

What did Bush have to do with placing Saddam in power?

[jimbo123]

Screw Dubai's royal family and their attempt at blackmail.

[stuartcr]

It's all relative.

[dead]

You are out of your freaking mind, if you think the UAE is doing anything more than blowing smoke.

They NEED our military to use their ports.

They don't let us use their ports because they like us. They don't let us use their ports because they desperately want to unload container ships in New Jersey.

They let our military use their ports because the are under threat from militant islamic fundamentalists and our Navy in their ports discourages attacks.

Without our Navy in their ports, their tourism industry and their banking industry will completely dissolve in a matter of months.

When they actually do deny our Navy docking rights in their ports I'll apologize for calling you nuts, but that is not going to happen.

[PrinceOfCups]

...I predict that the UAE will cozy up with Iran...

Not too likely; Sunni and Shiites are bad mix, especially when one of the pair has rockets and nukes. USA and UAE still have common interests.

[mystery-ak]

Thanks...I'm gonna go find it..

[thoughtomator]

"Accept this deal or else" is blackmail any way you want to cut it. Margarine, butter, or Tabasco - nothing will get rid of that taste.

[kinghorse]

We give the region money hand over fist. without markets for their money, it's worthless and the Iranian Bourse start looking pretty good. Investment in poppy cultivation too! not to mention tithing to the increasingly strident (I told you so!) imans.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

If someone interferes in one of your business deals and costs you seven BILLION dollars,

If someone finances and flies some jets into one of my buildings, and cost me 3,000 people, I'm going to tell them to take their BILLION dollars and shove it up the @ss.

[cookcounty]

" Yep.

Let's see.. denial, or even questioning a UAE business venture in the US is deserving of essentially kicking out all US assets and scraping many/all US contracts in the UAE.

Yeah.. seems reasoned to me.

"Denial" is the operative term. Humiliating an Arab who has befriended you at considerable risk is idiotic. You can criticize them for being overly-sensitive if you want, but it's the real world, and there is a price attached to this kind of attitude.

[mlc9852]

Do you really believe we can "westernize" the ME? Just plunk down a couple of McDonalds and a Wal-Mart and they will love us, right?

[Petronski]

Screw them.

You and Chucky and Hillary are taking care of that right now.

[stuartcr]

I agree, if the adminitration would have come out with this earlier, and handled it properly, it wouldn't be like this now.

[tumblindice]

"Babe, it costs me about $2.00 to pump it--will you pay $200.00?"

"Are you crazy? No!"

"OK. Will you pay $100.00"

"Gee, I dunno. Say, what do you take me for anyway?"

"We've established what you are. Now we're just haggling over price."

http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/news/ntm43816.htm

[Flux Capacitor]

----We've acted like a bunch of 5 yr olds or LIBERALS.----

Yes, Mike, that's exactly what you and and the America-deserves-to-get-screwed-if-we-can't-have-our-way pro-port Freepers have done over the last month. It takes a big man to admit his failings; I'm proud of you.

Amazing, how you guys have been just as inept as the president in the selling of this. The American people know better than to take your race-based bait, and support right here on Free Republic is crumbling day by day. And you people, with your endlessly liberalistic rhetoric of anger, bitterness, and blame-America-first self-loathing, have helped to make it happen.

I can't help it. You people make me smile. :)

-Dan

[F16Fighter]

Doesn't this blackmail prove the point that Dubai's involvement and access to U.S. ports opens us up to further blackmail down the line?

They and Islam are dishonorable and untrustworthy. Period.