New Islamic co-branded airline credit card
Emirates Islamic Bank (EIB), Emirates Airlines, and VISA have joined forces to develop the EIB Skywards Credit Card, the first ever Islamic co-branded airline credit card in the UAE. The new card is packed with unique and unprecedented benefits to cater to the needs of discerning customers, the companies said.
Pertinent Links:
1) New Islamic co-branded airline credit card
Showing posts with label u.a.e.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label u.a.e.. Show all posts
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM-U.S.A./U.A.E.: U.S. NADE COMPUTER CIRCUITS FOUND IN ROAD SIDE BOMB DETONATORS
U.S. fails to halt Emirates' dangerous trade
by Eric Lipton
Roadside bombings of American troops in Iraq were occurring with bloody regularity when military investigators made a disturbing discovery: American-made computer circuits sold to a trading company in the United Arab Emirates had turned up in the bomb detonators.
That finding set off a clash with Washington last year when the Bush administration cited the diversion of the computer circuits to Iran, and eventually Iraq, as proof that the United Arab Emirates were failing to prevent American technology from slipping into the wrong hands. Administration officials said other so-called dual-use goods - including aircraft parts, specialized metals and gas detectors that have a potential military use - had also moved through Dubai, one of the emirates, to Iran, Syria or Pakistan.
The diplomatic face-off, which drew little public attention, prompted the United States to threaten tough new controls on exports to the United Arab Emirates, an important ally. The restrictions would have deeply embarrassed a nation that had invested billions of dollars to become a global trading hub and had just begun a campaign to burnish its image in the United States after the uproar in 2006 over a proposed deal that would have allowed a Dubai company to manage some American ports.
The Bush administration backed down only after the United Arab Emirates promised to pass their own export control law. But nearly a year after the confrontation, it is unclear that much has changed.
Yousef al-Otaiba, an adviser to the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, said his country was more closely monitoring goods that it re-exported while blocking items that might help Iran build weapons systems. But trade experts, a Commerce Department investigator and Iranian traders in Dubai said evidence was scarce that the new export control law was being broadly enforced.
"It has virtually had no effect, to be honest," said Nasser Hashempour, deputy president of the Iranian Business Council in Dubai. "If someone wants to move something - get it to Iran - it is easy to be done."
Relations with the United Arab Emirates have long been delicate for the United States. Dubai, for example, is the host for more navy ships than any other port outside the United States and is an important listening post for U.S. intelligence personnel. Emirates officials have complied with a Bush administration request to inspect American-bound ship containers for nuclear threats as they move through Dubai.
But the country, which is made up of the emirates Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Umm al Qaywayn and Ras al Khaymah, has deep economic and cultural ties with Iran, which is only about 110 kilometers, or 70 miles, across the Gulf from Dubai. As many as 400,000 Iranians live in the Emirates, many of them traders who track down goods in the sprawling consumer bazaar of Dubai and then re-export them to Iran, at times ignoring United Nations trade sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program and a broader U.S. embargo.
...
Well at least the U.A.E. did not get to rule the ports within the United States, who knows what would have happened there...
Perhaps Abrams tanks or Armored Personnel Carriers, surface to air missiles, etc...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.S. fails to halt Emirates' dangerous trade
by Eric Lipton
Roadside bombings of American troops in Iraq were occurring with bloody regularity when military investigators made a disturbing discovery: American-made computer circuits sold to a trading company in the United Arab Emirates had turned up in the bomb detonators.
That finding set off a clash with Washington last year when the Bush administration cited the diversion of the computer circuits to Iran, and eventually Iraq, as proof that the United Arab Emirates were failing to prevent American technology from slipping into the wrong hands. Administration officials said other so-called dual-use goods - including aircraft parts, specialized metals and gas detectors that have a potential military use - had also moved through Dubai, one of the emirates, to Iran, Syria or Pakistan.
The diplomatic face-off, which drew little public attention, prompted the United States to threaten tough new controls on exports to the United Arab Emirates, an important ally. The restrictions would have deeply embarrassed a nation that had invested billions of dollars to become a global trading hub and had just begun a campaign to burnish its image in the United States after the uproar in 2006 over a proposed deal that would have allowed a Dubai company to manage some American ports.
The Bush administration backed down only after the United Arab Emirates promised to pass their own export control law. But nearly a year after the confrontation, it is unclear that much has changed.
Yousef al-Otaiba, an adviser to the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, said his country was more closely monitoring goods that it re-exported while blocking items that might help Iran build weapons systems. But trade experts, a Commerce Department investigator and Iranian traders in Dubai said evidence was scarce that the new export control law was being broadly enforced.
"It has virtually had no effect, to be honest," said Nasser Hashempour, deputy president of the Iranian Business Council in Dubai. "If someone wants to move something - get it to Iran - it is easy to be done."
Relations with the United Arab Emirates have long been delicate for the United States. Dubai, for example, is the host for more navy ships than any other port outside the United States and is an important listening post for U.S. intelligence personnel. Emirates officials have complied with a Bush administration request to inspect American-bound ship containers for nuclear threats as they move through Dubai.
But the country, which is made up of the emirates Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Umm al Qaywayn and Ras al Khaymah, has deep economic and cultural ties with Iran, which is only about 110 kilometers, or 70 miles, across the Gulf from Dubai. As many as 400,000 Iranians live in the Emirates, many of them traders who track down goods in the sprawling consumer bazaar of Dubai and then re-export them to Iran, at times ignoring United Nations trade sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program and a broader U.S. embargo.
...
Well at least the U.A.E. did not get to rule the ports within the United States, who knows what would have happened there...
Perhaps Abrams tanks or Armored Personnel Carriers, surface to air missiles, etc...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.S. fails to halt Emirates' dangerous trade
Monday, February 04, 2008
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - FRANCE/IRAN: FRANCE PLANS A MILITARY BASE IN THE U.A.E., IRAN IS FIT TO BE TIED
Iran Slams French Plans for Gulf Base
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran lashed out on Sunday at French plans to set up a military base in the United Arab Emirates, saying it would only cause instability in the Gulf region.
"We are against military expansion in the region and we think the presence of foreign forces will not contribute to stability but on the contrary, will be a factor of insecurity and instability," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a press conference.
France announced during a January visit to the UAE by President Nicolas Sarkozy that it would set up a military base in the capital Abu Dhabi to become operational in 2009.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Iran Slams French Plans for Gulf Base
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran lashed out on Sunday at French plans to set up a military base in the United Arab Emirates, saying it would only cause instability in the Gulf region.
"We are against military expansion in the region and we think the presence of foreign forces will not contribute to stability but on the contrary, will be a factor of insecurity and instability," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a press conference.
France announced during a January visit to the UAE by President Nicolas Sarkozy that it would set up a military base in the capital Abu Dhabi to become operational in 2009.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Iran Slams French Plans for Gulf Base
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: DEMOCRACY & ISLAM CAN COEXIST
UAE: Turkey vote proves Islam and democracy can coexist, dailies say
Abu Dhabi, 24 July (AKI/WAM) - Newspapers in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday hailed Turkish elections as the most important in the country's history, adding that the landslide victory of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed that Islam and democracy can coexist in secular Turkey.
"The voters implicitly told the military-backed secular establishment that they do not agree that the ruling AKP party led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was plotting to scrap Turkey's secular traditions despite its openness to the West", wrote, Sharjah-based Gulf Today.
The election clears the air and removes tensions although the question of the role of Islam in the country's governance is likely to linger without being clearly answered, the paper added.
The paper stressed the significance of Erdogan's victory speech in which he pledged to safeguard the country's secular traditions and not to "make concessions over the values of people, the basic principles of our republic." Almost every country, whether in the East or West, has welcomed Erdogan's victory and congratulated him, indicating the fair success of his government's foreign policy.
In its editorial comment, Dubai-based Khaleej Times hailed Erdogan's re-election as a triumph for democracy and perhaps the most important in the country's history.
"Most importantly, the result goes to show that Islam and democracy are not divorced from each other, as increasing sections of the international media, academia and polity have started believing mainly due to the confusion stemming from the so-called war against terrorism. Secondly, it also goes to prove that religious and secular values are not necessarily parallels that never meet, but rather ensure modern-day-specific progress whenever they go hand in hand", said the paper.
The paper went on to say now that Turkey's public has returned from the ballot with numerous valuable precedents, the right way forward for the AKP would be to quickly move for consensus with regard to appointment of the president, and not re-nominate Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE: Turkey vote proves Islam and democracy can coexist, dailies say
Abu Dhabi, 24 July (AKI/WAM) - Newspapers in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday hailed Turkish elections as the most important in the country's history, adding that the landslide victory of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed that Islam and democracy can coexist in secular Turkey.
"The voters implicitly told the military-backed secular establishment that they do not agree that the ruling AKP party led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was plotting to scrap Turkey's secular traditions despite its openness to the West", wrote, Sharjah-based Gulf Today.
The election clears the air and removes tensions although the question of the role of Islam in the country's governance is likely to linger without being clearly answered, the paper added.
The paper stressed the significance of Erdogan's victory speech in which he pledged to safeguard the country's secular traditions and not to "make concessions over the values of people, the basic principles of our republic." Almost every country, whether in the East or West, has welcomed Erdogan's victory and congratulated him, indicating the fair success of his government's foreign policy.
In its editorial comment, Dubai-based Khaleej Times hailed Erdogan's re-election as a triumph for democracy and perhaps the most important in the country's history.
"Most importantly, the result goes to show that Islam and democracy are not divorced from each other, as increasing sections of the international media, academia and polity have started believing mainly due to the confusion stemming from the so-called war against terrorism. Secondly, it also goes to prove that religious and secular values are not necessarily parallels that never meet, but rather ensure modern-day-specific progress whenever they go hand in hand", said the paper.
The paper went on to say now that Turkey's public has returned from the ballot with numerous valuable precedents, the right way forward for the AKP would be to quickly move for consensus with regard to appointment of the president, and not re-nominate Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE: Turkey vote proves Islam and democracy can coexist, dailies say
Monday, July 09, 2007
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - U.S.A./U.A.E./IRAN: U.S. GOODS FLOWING TO IRAN
Dubai Dhow Captains Defy U.S. Sanctions With Shipments to Iran
By Glen Carey and Tarek al-Issawi
July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Sailors with skin baked to leather by the Persian Gulf sun stack Hewlett-Packard Co. laser-jet printers alongside a 40-foot wooden dhow in Dubai Creek as Ali Reza, an Iranian merchant, watches them sweat.
From his base in Dubai, the second-biggest member of the United Arab Emirates, Reza ships General Electric Corp. refrigerators and other American-branded products to Iran, even though re-exporting them is banned under U.S. sanctions. Within days, the printers will be snapped up by buyers in Iran.
"Anything made in America is popular,'' Reza, 55, says as his crew prepares for another voyage.
The illicit trade takes place in one of the world's most guarded waterways. Hundreds of dhows, traditional Arab sailing vessels, weave their way past U.S. warships that have patrolled the oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz for almost three decades. These days, the military is more occupied with intercepting weapons than desktop computers.
U.S. sailors are focused on securing oil flows from the region as tensions in the Gulf increase because of Iran's nuclear program and the war in Iraq.
"We're not looking for commercial products; if there aren't terrorists or weapons onboard, they're free to go,'' says Lieutenant John Gay, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet. "It's not our mission.''
Navigating Customs
In Dubai Creek, boats ranging in size from 100 to 1,000 tons load goods for shipment to the Iranian ports of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm. The dhows, fitted only with sails until the 1960s, now use motors and occasionally harness the wind to quicken the journey.
Once cleared by local customs officials, the vessels cast off for their journey, which can take as long as four days, in groups of three or four for safety.
Customs laws in the United Arab Emirates mean that officials only look at the port of origin for a cargo. With most of the U.S. goods coming through Asia, there are no legal grounds to seize them, says Marwan Ali Hasan, an inspector in Dubai.
"We don't confiscate goods based on brands, American or otherwise,'' Ali Hasan says. "We follow the manifest. If it's an American brand manufactured in another country, we release it.''
The U.S. imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution, which toppled the American-backed Shah. Militants later stormed the U.S. embassy and held 52 Americans for 444 days.
Goods, technology or services "may not be exported, re- exported, sold or supplied, directly or indirectly'' to Iran, according to guidelines from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The Persian Gulf has been on a war footing for more than two decades. Iran was at war with Iraq for most of the 1980s, and Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 prompted U.S.-led intervention.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Dubai Dhow Captains Defy U.S. Sanctions With Shipments to Iran
By Glen Carey and Tarek al-Issawi
July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Sailors with skin baked to leather by the Persian Gulf sun stack Hewlett-Packard Co. laser-jet printers alongside a 40-foot wooden dhow in Dubai Creek as Ali Reza, an Iranian merchant, watches them sweat.
From his base in Dubai, the second-biggest member of the United Arab Emirates, Reza ships General Electric Corp. refrigerators and other American-branded products to Iran, even though re-exporting them is banned under U.S. sanctions. Within days, the printers will be snapped up by buyers in Iran.
"Anything made in America is popular,'' Reza, 55, says as his crew prepares for another voyage.
The illicit trade takes place in one of the world's most guarded waterways. Hundreds of dhows, traditional Arab sailing vessels, weave their way past U.S. warships that have patrolled the oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz for almost three decades. These days, the military is more occupied with intercepting weapons than desktop computers.
U.S. sailors are focused on securing oil flows from the region as tensions in the Gulf increase because of Iran's nuclear program and the war in Iraq.
"We're not looking for commercial products; if there aren't terrorists or weapons onboard, they're free to go,'' says Lieutenant John Gay, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet. "It's not our mission.''
Navigating Customs
In Dubai Creek, boats ranging in size from 100 to 1,000 tons load goods for shipment to the Iranian ports of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm. The dhows, fitted only with sails until the 1960s, now use motors and occasionally harness the wind to quicken the journey.
Once cleared by local customs officials, the vessels cast off for their journey, which can take as long as four days, in groups of three or four for safety.
Customs laws in the United Arab Emirates mean that officials only look at the port of origin for a cargo. With most of the U.S. goods coming through Asia, there are no legal grounds to seize them, says Marwan Ali Hasan, an inspector in Dubai.
"We don't confiscate goods based on brands, American or otherwise,'' Ali Hasan says. "We follow the manifest. If it's an American brand manufactured in another country, we release it.''
The U.S. imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution, which toppled the American-backed Shah. Militants later stormed the U.S. embassy and held 52 Americans for 444 days.
Goods, technology or services "may not be exported, re- exported, sold or supplied, directly or indirectly'' to Iran, according to guidelines from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The Persian Gulf has been on a war footing for more than two decades. Iran was at war with Iraq for most of the 1980s, and Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 prompted U.S.-led intervention.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Dubai Dhow Captains Defy U.S. Sanctions With Shipments to Iran
Friday, June 15, 2007
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - U.S.A./U.A.E.: SLAVERY IN DUBAI, YES IN 2007, LAWSUIT AGAINST THE MAKTOUM'S IN MIAMI
Local Lawsuit Reveals Darks Side of Camel Racing
by Rob Jordan
Camel racing doesn’t sound particulary insidious, but an unusual federal case pending in Miami is full of unthinkably dark details.
In a class action complaint filed against two sheik brothers from the United Arab Emirates, attorneys for thousands of young Asian and African boys allege boys from 2 to 4 years old were abducted from their families and enslaved as camel jockeys in the Emirates. The sheiks, Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, were “the most active participants” in the slave trade, according to the complaint.
The complaint, brought under a little-used tort law, was filed in Miami because the Maktoums own extensive properties in South Florida. Both men dispute the allegations and say their country is moving to ban the practice, replacing boy jockeys with lightweight robots.
This is the story of one boy, according to the complaint:
Hat Tip:
Ummah News Links
Pertinent Links:
1) Local Lawsuit Reveals Darks Side of Camel Racing
by Rob Jordan
Camel racing doesn’t sound particulary insidious, but an unusual federal case pending in Miami is full of unthinkably dark details.
In a class action complaint filed against two sheik brothers from the United Arab Emirates, attorneys for thousands of young Asian and African boys allege boys from 2 to 4 years old were abducted from their families and enslaved as camel jockeys in the Emirates. The sheiks, Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, were “the most active participants” in the slave trade, according to the complaint.
The complaint, brought under a little-used tort law, was filed in Miami because the Maktoums own extensive properties in South Florida. Both men dispute the allegations and say their country is moving to ban the practice, replacing boy jockeys with lightweight robots.
This is the story of one boy, according to the complaint:
R.M. was a two-year-old child, alone in his home. He had been left in the care of his older sister while his parents were at work. His sister had put him down for a nap and gone to a neighbor’s house. When she returned he was gone. For five years, his family had no idea what had happened to him. His parents tried frantically to look for him. They arranged for loudspeakers to be carreid throughout the neighborhoods and beyond calling out for their missing toddler. It was unbearable for R.M.’s mother. She finally got to see R.M. again when he turned up, as a seven-year-old, in a shelter home. When R.M. and his mother were finally reunited, they were unable to speak, as they did not speak the same language anymore. R.M. did not answer to the name his mother had given him. For, according to the practice of the slave owners of the United Arab Emirates, he had been given an Arabic slave name. While in Duba, R.M. lived at the camel camp of and worked for Sheikh Mohammed. He rode and cared for the camesl owned by Sheikh Mohammed. When the now-seven-year-old boy is asked what he did in Dubai for the past five years, he replies, “I worked.”
Hat Tip:
Ummah News Links
Pertinent Links:
1) Local Lawsuit Reveals Darks Side of Camel Racing
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - U.S.A./U.A.E.: RASHID AL MAKTOUM SAYS THAT THE "U.S. SHOULD ANNOUNCE IRAQ PULLOUT TIMETABLE"
'US should announce Iraq pullout timetable'
SEOUL — The US should announce a ‘timetable’ for withdrawal from Iraq, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Shaikh Mohammed, who was replying to a question during a Press conference in the South Korean capital yesterday, added: “The UAE would like Iraq to be united and stable. We hope that America will leave Iraq (in accodance with) a set timetable and and that Iraq will be united.”
He was talking to journalists on a wide range of topics on the eve of his departure from Seoul yesterday, after a highly successful two-day state visit.Answering another question on the emerging Middle East scenario, Shaikh Mohammed said: “The UAE would naturally be concerned if Iran decided to go ahead and produce an atomic bomb. But what Teheran is saying is that its nuclear programme is not weapon-oriented. Instead, the nuclear energy it is designed to produce is purely for peaceful purposes.”
Whose tune is Maktoum singing?!? Iran's of course...
When will America learn that ISLAM IS THICKER THAN BLOOD?!?
Pertinent Links:
1) 'US should announce Iraq pullout timetable'
SEOUL — The US should announce a ‘timetable’ for withdrawal from Iraq, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Shaikh Mohammed, who was replying to a question during a Press conference in the South Korean capital yesterday, added: “The UAE would like Iraq to be united and stable. We hope that America will leave Iraq (in accodance with) a set timetable and and that Iraq will be united.”
He was talking to journalists on a wide range of topics on the eve of his departure from Seoul yesterday, after a highly successful two-day state visit.Answering another question on the emerging Middle East scenario, Shaikh Mohammed said: “The UAE would naturally be concerned if Iran decided to go ahead and produce an atomic bomb. But what Teheran is saying is that its nuclear programme is not weapon-oriented. Instead, the nuclear energy it is designed to produce is purely for peaceful purposes.”
Whose tune is Maktoum singing?!? Iran's of course...
When will America learn that ISLAM IS THICKER THAN BLOOD?!?
Pertinent Links:
1) 'US should announce Iraq pullout timetable'
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - U.A.E.: THE DIRHAN TO REMAIN PEGGED TO THE U.S. DOLLAR
It appears that the U.A.E. will continue pegging their dinar to the U.S. dollar...
Yesterday, we had a couple of stories that reported on Jordanian islamists demanding that Jordan stop pegging their currency to the U.S. dollar and Kuwait dropping pegging their currency to the U.S. dollar...
UAE's dollar peg to stay
By Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief
Seoul: The UAE is keeping its currency’s peg to the dollar and will rethink its commitment to the GCC monetary union if it would affect the country’s economy.
“The UAE government is not thinking of delinking the dirham from the dollar,” His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, told media officials in Seoul on Tuesday, the second day of his state visit to South Korea.
He met earlier with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, where they discussed means to expand bilateral ties.
On Sunday, Kuwait abandoned its currency's peg to the dollar in favour of an undisclosed basket of currencies resulting in sudden appreciation of the dinar. The Kuwaiti decision is seen as the strongest hurdle yet in the way of the creation of the Gulf monetary union by 2010.
Shaikh Mohammad told the media the monetary union is “currently under study” in the UAE. “The UAE will have reservations on the union if it were to affect our economy. Concerned officials will have to look into that,” he explained.
The South Korea visit, he noted, is aimed to expand relations with Asian countries, including also China and Japan, to create a balance in UAE foreign relations.
“We want to create this balance between East and West. As you see, I am today visiting South Korea while Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Deputy Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi) visits the US.”
...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE's dollar peg to stay
Yesterday, we had a couple of stories that reported on Jordanian islamists demanding that Jordan stop pegging their currency to the U.S. dollar and Kuwait dropping pegging their currency to the U.S. dollar...
UAE's dollar peg to stay
By Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief
Seoul: The UAE is keeping its currency’s peg to the dollar and will rethink its commitment to the GCC monetary union if it would affect the country’s economy.
“The UAE government is not thinking of delinking the dirham from the dollar,” His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, told media officials in Seoul on Tuesday, the second day of his state visit to South Korea.
He met earlier with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, where they discussed means to expand bilateral ties.
On Sunday, Kuwait abandoned its currency's peg to the dollar in favour of an undisclosed basket of currencies resulting in sudden appreciation of the dinar. The Kuwaiti decision is seen as the strongest hurdle yet in the way of the creation of the Gulf monetary union by 2010.
Shaikh Mohammad told the media the monetary union is “currently under study” in the UAE. “The UAE will have reservations on the union if it were to affect our economy. Concerned officials will have to look into that,” he explained.
The South Korea visit, he noted, is aimed to expand relations with Asian countries, including also China and Japan, to create a balance in UAE foreign relations.
“We want to create this balance between East and West. As you see, I am today visiting South Korea while Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Deputy Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi) visits the US.”
...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE's dollar peg to stay
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - U.A.E./IRAN: WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT IRAN'S NUKE PROGRAM
U.A.E `Worried' About Iran Nuclear Program, Prime Minister Says
By Sean Evers and Ladane Nasseri
May 22 (Bloomberg) -- United Arab Emirates Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who's on a visit to South Korea, said he was ``worried'' about Iran's nuclear activities.
The U.A.E is ``worried about Iran. But Iran keeps confirming that the nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and so we have to take them at their word,'' Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum told reporters in Seoul today.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.A.E `Worried' About Iran Nuclear Program, Prime Minister Says
By Sean Evers and Ladane Nasseri
May 22 (Bloomberg) -- United Arab Emirates Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who's on a visit to South Korea, said he was ``worried'' about Iran's nuclear activities.
The U.A.E is ``worried about Iran. But Iran keeps confirming that the nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and so we have to take them at their word,'' Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum told reporters in Seoul today.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.A.E `Worried' About Iran Nuclear Program, Prime Minister Says
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM: U.S. GULF ALLIES WILL NOT ALLOW AN ATTACK ON IRAN TO BE STAGED ON THEIR SOIL
Gulf allies say they won't allow U.S. attack on Iran from their territories
By James Calderwood
ABOARD THE USS JOHN C. STENNIS – The United States wrapped up a massive military exercise in the Persian Gulf Wednesday, putting on a show of strength for Iran even as the United Arab Emirates became the second Gulf nation to declare it would not take part in any attack on the Islamic Republic.
The U.S. has denied any intention to attack. But the public refusals of two allies to help could affect U.S. military options or require shifting of resources if tensions did seriously escalate.
Qatar – home to 6,500 U.S. troops and the enormous al-Udeid Air Base, headquarters of all American air operations in the Middle East – said earlier this month it would not permit an attack on Iran from its soil.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, a loose alliance of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Emirates, has called on all its members not to support any U.S. action against Iran.
The United States has close to 40,000 troops in the Gulf, including 25,000 in Kuwait, 3,000 in Bahrain, 1,300 in the United Arab Emirates and a few hundred in Oman and Saudi Arabia, according to figures from the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center.
Gulf Arab nations are increasingly uneasy with the United States' tough stance against Iran, fearing any outbreak of hostilities could bring Iranian retaliation. All lie within distance of Iranian missiles.
Also, Iran has booming trade and tourism links and full diplomatic ties with the Emirates and most Gulf countries.
...
But some U.S. allies were clearly aiming to make it clear they don't want to be caught in the middle if the situation escalates.
“We have assured the brothers in Iran ... that we are not a party in its dispute with the United States,” said United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyana in a statement carried on the Emirates news agency WAM. “We will not allow any force to use our territories for military, security and espionage activities against Iran.”
The Emirates “refuses to use its territorial lands, air or waters for aggression against any other country,” Khalifa said.
That could prevent the U.S. Air Force from flying intelligence missions over Iran with its squadron of U-2 and Global Hawk spy planes based at al-Dhafra Air Base near the Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi.
The U.S. Air Force said Wednesday it had not altered air operations in response to Sheik Khalifa's statement.
Air Force Lt. Col. Mike Pierson, based in Qatar, declined to say whether U-2s were flying missions over Iran, but said the Air Force only operated in international airspace or over countries that had granted permission.
In the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Turkey denied access to Turkish territory, forcing U.S. military planners to adjust their plans and to forgo opening a northern front. The refusal ushered in a tense period in Turkish-American relations.
Pertinent Links:
1) Gulf allies say they won't allow U.S. attack on Iran from their territories
By James Calderwood
ABOARD THE USS JOHN C. STENNIS – The United States wrapped up a massive military exercise in the Persian Gulf Wednesday, putting on a show of strength for Iran even as the United Arab Emirates became the second Gulf nation to declare it would not take part in any attack on the Islamic Republic.
The U.S. has denied any intention to attack. But the public refusals of two allies to help could affect U.S. military options or require shifting of resources if tensions did seriously escalate.
Qatar – home to 6,500 U.S. troops and the enormous al-Udeid Air Base, headquarters of all American air operations in the Middle East – said earlier this month it would not permit an attack on Iran from its soil.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, a loose alliance of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Emirates, has called on all its members not to support any U.S. action against Iran.
The United States has close to 40,000 troops in the Gulf, including 25,000 in Kuwait, 3,000 in Bahrain, 1,300 in the United Arab Emirates and a few hundred in Oman and Saudi Arabia, according to figures from the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center.
Gulf Arab nations are increasingly uneasy with the United States' tough stance against Iran, fearing any outbreak of hostilities could bring Iranian retaliation. All lie within distance of Iranian missiles.
Also, Iran has booming trade and tourism links and full diplomatic ties with the Emirates and most Gulf countries.
...
But some U.S. allies were clearly aiming to make it clear they don't want to be caught in the middle if the situation escalates.
“We have assured the brothers in Iran ... that we are not a party in its dispute with the United States,” said United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyana in a statement carried on the Emirates news agency WAM. “We will not allow any force to use our territories for military, security and espionage activities against Iran.”
The Emirates “refuses to use its territorial lands, air or waters for aggression against any other country,” Khalifa said.
That could prevent the U.S. Air Force from flying intelligence missions over Iran with its squadron of U-2 and Global Hawk spy planes based at al-Dhafra Air Base near the Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi.
The U.S. Air Force said Wednesday it had not altered air operations in response to Sheik Khalifa's statement.
Air Force Lt. Col. Mike Pierson, based in Qatar, declined to say whether U-2s were flying missions over Iran, but said the Air Force only operated in international airspace or over countries that had granted permission.
In the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Turkey denied access to Turkish territory, forcing U.S. military planners to adjust their plans and to forgo opening a northern front. The refusal ushered in a tense period in Turkish-American relations.
Pertinent Links:
1) Gulf allies say they won't allow U.S. attack on Iran from their territories
Thursday, January 11, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - U.A.E. / IRAN: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TELLS IRAN IT WILL NOT ALLOW THE UNITED STATES TO USE ITS TERRITORY FOR SPYING ON IRAN
UAE reassures Iran over ‘US spying’ report
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reassured Iran that it will not allow the US to use its territory to spy on the Islamic Republic as Tehran faces mounting pressure over its atomic programme.
...
During a visit to Iran on Tuesday, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan denied receiving any request to set up such an office and said that his country was keen to maintain regional stability and peace.
"The UAE has not received any request from the US to open such an office," the official Wam news agency quoted Sheikh Abdullah as saying in Tehran.
"I believe there is confusion or a misunderstanding over this matter. All embassies and consulates in the UAE abide by conventions that regulate diplomatic ties," he added in comments also carried by local newspapers yesterday.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Hosseini said in November that the US was setting up an office in Dubai, and that Tehran intended to "protest and undertake necessary measures to prevent the UAE from becoming a base for America’s hostile measures against the Iranian nation."
A UAE official said after the comments that the Iran monitoring desk was part of the US consulate in Dubai and that no new Iran monitoring offices had been set up.
"We may have differences in views and over some issues here and there but such differences will not turn into enmity," Sheikh Abdullah said.
Umm I thought the U.A.E. was a friend of the United States?!? Ohhh I get it, it appears "Paper Tigers" don't have any friends...LOLOL...
At least these U.A.E. assholes are not in control of any of our ports, as the U.S. government & the President wanted...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE reassures Iran over ‘US spying’ report
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reassured Iran that it will not allow the US to use its territory to spy on the Islamic Republic as Tehran faces mounting pressure over its atomic programme.
...
During a visit to Iran on Tuesday, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan denied receiving any request to set up such an office and said that his country was keen to maintain regional stability and peace.
"The UAE has not received any request from the US to open such an office," the official Wam news agency quoted Sheikh Abdullah as saying in Tehran.
"I believe there is confusion or a misunderstanding over this matter. All embassies and consulates in the UAE abide by conventions that regulate diplomatic ties," he added in comments also carried by local newspapers yesterday.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Hosseini said in November that the US was setting up an office in Dubai, and that Tehran intended to "protest and undertake necessary measures to prevent the UAE from becoming a base for America’s hostile measures against the Iranian nation."
A UAE official said after the comments that the Iran monitoring desk was part of the US consulate in Dubai and that no new Iran monitoring offices had been set up.
"We may have differences in views and over some issues here and there but such differences will not turn into enmity," Sheikh Abdullah said.
Umm I thought the U.A.E. was a friend of the United States?!? Ohhh I get it, it appears "Paper Tigers" don't have any friends...LOLOL...
At least these U.A.E. assholes are not in control of any of our ports, as the U.S. government & the President wanted...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE reassures Iran over ‘US spying’ report
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM-U.A.E. & IRAN: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES & IRAN HAVE CONCERNS & INTERESTS
Mottaki: Iran, UAE share regional concerns, interests
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have shared regional concerns and interests.
His remarks were made at a joint press conference with the visiting UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who came with a message from his country's president, Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Referring to Iran-UAE long-term relations which he said have their basis on the states' historical commonalties, Mottaki said there was no obstacle to promotion of bilateral ties.
The Iranian minister referred to comments made this week by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning regional heads of states against new conspiracies of enemies to sow discord among Muslim nations of the region.
He said these conspiracies would bear no fruit as Iran and Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states have a common determination to maintain good and cordial relations.
Saying Iran was the UAE's top trading partner in 2006, Mottaki said he and his UAE counterpart discussed new avenues for wider economic cooperation, including joint investments, in their talks on Tuesday.
...
and
Mottaki: Iran trusts brotherly state of UAE
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday that the brotherly state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will never allow other party to act against Iran.
He said in a joint press conference with visiting UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed an-Nahyan that friendly cooperation between Tehran and Abu Dhabi will not be against any country.
An-Nahyan said that the UAE is willing to develop cooperation with Iran adding that both Iran and the UAE call for peace and stability in the region and the two Muslim nations are influential members of the entire Muslim World.
...
Islam is thicker than any bond with the infidels or U.S. dollars...
Pertinent Links:
1) Mottaki: Iran, UAE share regional concerns, interests
2) Mottaki: Iran trusts brotherly state of UAE
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have shared regional concerns and interests.
His remarks were made at a joint press conference with the visiting UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who came with a message from his country's president, Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Referring to Iran-UAE long-term relations which he said have their basis on the states' historical commonalties, Mottaki said there was no obstacle to promotion of bilateral ties.
The Iranian minister referred to comments made this week by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning regional heads of states against new conspiracies of enemies to sow discord among Muslim nations of the region.
He said these conspiracies would bear no fruit as Iran and Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states have a common determination to maintain good and cordial relations.
Saying Iran was the UAE's top trading partner in 2006, Mottaki said he and his UAE counterpart discussed new avenues for wider economic cooperation, including joint investments, in their talks on Tuesday.
...
and
Mottaki: Iran trusts brotherly state of UAE
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday that the brotherly state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will never allow other party to act against Iran.
He said in a joint press conference with visiting UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed an-Nahyan that friendly cooperation between Tehran and Abu Dhabi will not be against any country.
An-Nahyan said that the UAE is willing to develop cooperation with Iran adding that both Iran and the UAE call for peace and stability in the region and the two Muslim nations are influential members of the entire Muslim World.
...
Islam is thicker than any bond with the infidels or U.S. dollars...
Pertinent Links:
1) Mottaki: Iran, UAE share regional concerns, interests
2) Mottaki: Iran trusts brotherly state of UAE
DAR AL ISLAM-U.A.E.: ALL HAVE THE RIGHT FOR "PEACEFUL" NUCLEAR ENERGY
UAE: All entitled to nuclear energy
09:37:09 Þ.Ù The UAE Foreign Minister was quoted by an Egyptian newspaper that all countries should enjoy the right for peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Sheikh Abdullah Ben Zayed al Nahyan in an interview with the Al-Ahram newspaper published on Tuesday also stressed the need for peaceful settlement of the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear issue.
He added that Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states are seeking a joint plan for peaceful use of nuclear technology within the framework of international laws.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE: All entitled to nuclear energy
09:37:09 Þ.Ù The UAE Foreign Minister was quoted by an Egyptian newspaper that all countries should enjoy the right for peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Sheikh Abdullah Ben Zayed al Nahyan in an interview with the Al-Ahram newspaper published on Tuesday also stressed the need for peaceful settlement of the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear issue.
He added that Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states are seeking a joint plan for peaceful use of nuclear technology within the framework of international laws.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE: All entitled to nuclear energy
Monday, January 01, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM-U.A.E.: PINK "WOMEN ONLY" TAXIS PREMIER IN DUBAI
Pink women-only taxis will make their debut today
By Zoi Constantine, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Pink taxis - women's only taxis will make their debut on the roads of Dubai today, Dubai's Road and Traffic Authority has announced.
Mohammad Obaid Al Mulla, CEO of the RTA's Public Transport Agency, said that today will see the beginning of the first stage of the initiative with a fleet of 50 vehicles being launched, aimed at providing a secure mode of transportation for women.
Gulf News broke the story in August that the RTA would operate pink taxis, which will be deployed mainly at locations like maternity hospitals, shopping malls and other areas frequented by women.
Set apart by their pink appearance - including pink roofs, - the 'LadiesTaxis' will not only be visibly different.
The fleet will be driven by a team of 100 female drivers, including 25 UAE nationals, who according to the RTA have undergone specialised training, focusing on driving skills and dealing with women and children in emergency situations.
The service can also be requested by contacting Dubai Transport on 04-2080808 and is available from 6am to 1am daily.
Female only taxis in Iran:
Women-only taxi firm for Tehran
Published: Sunday, 10 December, 2006, 11:57 AM Doha Time
TEHRAN: Iran will launch a women-only taxi company in Tehran aimed at women who feel uncomfortable riding in close proximity with men, a newspaper reported yesterday.
‘The Ladies’ Safe Trips’ taxi company, due to open for business in the next few weeks, will be the first such private sector firm in the capital. Similar taxi lines have been operating in some provincial cities for several years.
The company will only employ female drivers who will wear uniforms and must be married, the Tehran-e Emrouz newspaper said.
Mansoureh Sarkheil, a driver for the company, told the newspaper: "My main motivation for driving in this company is to create ... security for other women who always have to sit stressfully in taxis."
Men and women travel in separate sections in public transportation systems like buses. But in shared taxis, women and men are often forced to squash together in cramped conditions. - Reuters
Thanks go to UmmahNewsLinks...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pink women-only taxis will make their debut today
2) Women-only taxi firm for Tehran
3) UmmahNewsLinks
By Zoi Constantine, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Pink taxis - women's only taxis will make their debut on the roads of Dubai today, Dubai's Road and Traffic Authority has announced.
Mohammad Obaid Al Mulla, CEO of the RTA's Public Transport Agency, said that today will see the beginning of the first stage of the initiative with a fleet of 50 vehicles being launched, aimed at providing a secure mode of transportation for women.
Gulf News broke the story in August that the RTA would operate pink taxis, which will be deployed mainly at locations like maternity hospitals, shopping malls and other areas frequented by women.
Set apart by their pink appearance - including pink roofs, - the 'LadiesTaxis' will not only be visibly different.
The fleet will be driven by a team of 100 female drivers, including 25 UAE nationals, who according to the RTA have undergone specialised training, focusing on driving skills and dealing with women and children in emergency situations.
The service can also be requested by contacting Dubai Transport on 04-2080808 and is available from 6am to 1am daily.
Female only taxis in Iran:
Women-only taxi firm for Tehran
Published: Sunday, 10 December, 2006, 11:57 AM Doha Time
TEHRAN: Iran will launch a women-only taxi company in Tehran aimed at women who feel uncomfortable riding in close proximity with men, a newspaper reported yesterday.
‘The Ladies’ Safe Trips’ taxi company, due to open for business in the next few weeks, will be the first such private sector firm in the capital. Similar taxi lines have been operating in some provincial cities for several years.
The company will only employ female drivers who will wear uniforms and must be married, the Tehran-e Emrouz newspaper said.
Mansoureh Sarkheil, a driver for the company, told the newspaper: "My main motivation for driving in this company is to create ... security for other women who always have to sit stressfully in taxis."
Men and women travel in separate sections in public transportation systems like buses. But in shared taxis, women and men are often forced to squash together in cramped conditions. - Reuters
Thanks go to UmmahNewsLinks...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pink women-only taxis will make their debut today
2) Women-only taxi firm for Tehran
3) UmmahNewsLinks
Sunday, December 31, 2006
DAR AL ISLAM-U.A.E.: U.A.E. INTENDS ON SELLING 8% OF ITS U.S. DOLLAR RESERVES & BUY EUROS...
U.A.E. to sell dollars for euros
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates plans to convert 8 percent of its foreign-exchange reserves to euros from dollars before September, the latest sign of growing global disaffection with the weakening U.S. currency.
The U.A.E. has started, "in a limited way," to sell part of its dollar reserves, the governor of the country's central bank, Sultan Bin Nasser al-Suwaidi, said in an interview. "We will accumulate euros each time the market appears to dip" as part of a plan to expand the country's holding of euros to 10 percent of the total from the current 2 percent.
The Gulf state is among oil producers, including Iran, Venezuela and Indonesia, looking to shift their currency reserves into euros or sell their oil, which is now priced in dollars, for euros. The total value of the reserves held by the U.A.E. is $24.9 billion, Suwaidi said.
The dollar has fallen more than 10 percent this year against the euro.
Part of the reason for the decline is the outlook for slower U.S. growth, which makes the dollar a less attractive investment.
But fears that the dollar's level is unsustainable because of the heavy indebtedness of the United States to other countries is also behind the weakness this year, analysts said.
The shift to euros underscores its growing role as a reserve currency nearly eight years after its establishment. Central banks often keep the details about their currency holdings a secret.
The move by the U.A.E. central bank "is hard evidence that diversification is happening," said Shaun Osborne, chief currency strategist at TD Securities in Toronto. "This is negative for the dollar in a broad sense as it reflects falling confidence in the currency."
Central banks in Russia, Switzerland and New Zealand are also diversifying away from the dollar and into yen after the Japanese currency reached a 10- month low against its biggest trading partners in October.
Gulf Arab energy producers will earn as much as $500 billion from oil sales this year, the International Monetary Fund forecasts. The region's central bank reserves represent a fraction of the currency holdings of state-owned investment firms like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which is estimated to have more than $500 billion under management.
But the signal that such a move sends to financial markets is a negative one.
"It is a recognition of the vulnerability of the dollar over the coming year," Simon Williams, an economist with HSBC Holdings, said by phone from Dubai.
The euro rose to $1.3123 from $1.3098 after Suwaidi's comments were published Wednesday.
"This is not confined to the U.A.E. There's a general awareness across the Gulf of the benefits of diversifying currency holdings," Williams said.
The U.S. current account deficit widened to $225.6 billion in the third quarter. Oil producers in the Middle East and Central Asia will run a surplus of $322 billion for all of 2006, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Total foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury securities — which generally support the dollar — increased to a record $2.16 trillion in September, just under half of the $4.34 trillion outstanding.
Pertinent Links:
1) U.A.E. to sell dollars for euros
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates plans to convert 8 percent of its foreign-exchange reserves to euros from dollars before September, the latest sign of growing global disaffection with the weakening U.S. currency.
The U.A.E. has started, "in a limited way," to sell part of its dollar reserves, the governor of the country's central bank, Sultan Bin Nasser al-Suwaidi, said in an interview. "We will accumulate euros each time the market appears to dip" as part of a plan to expand the country's holding of euros to 10 percent of the total from the current 2 percent.
The Gulf state is among oil producers, including Iran, Venezuela and Indonesia, looking to shift their currency reserves into euros or sell their oil, which is now priced in dollars, for euros. The total value of the reserves held by the U.A.E. is $24.9 billion, Suwaidi said.
The dollar has fallen more than 10 percent this year against the euro.
Part of the reason for the decline is the outlook for slower U.S. growth, which makes the dollar a less attractive investment.
But fears that the dollar's level is unsustainable because of the heavy indebtedness of the United States to other countries is also behind the weakness this year, analysts said.
The shift to euros underscores its growing role as a reserve currency nearly eight years after its establishment. Central banks often keep the details about their currency holdings a secret.
The move by the U.A.E. central bank "is hard evidence that diversification is happening," said Shaun Osborne, chief currency strategist at TD Securities in Toronto. "This is negative for the dollar in a broad sense as it reflects falling confidence in the currency."
Central banks in Russia, Switzerland and New Zealand are also diversifying away from the dollar and into yen after the Japanese currency reached a 10- month low against its biggest trading partners in October.
Gulf Arab energy producers will earn as much as $500 billion from oil sales this year, the International Monetary Fund forecasts. The region's central bank reserves represent a fraction of the currency holdings of state-owned investment firms like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which is estimated to have more than $500 billion under management.
But the signal that such a move sends to financial markets is a negative one.
"It is a recognition of the vulnerability of the dollar over the coming year," Simon Williams, an economist with HSBC Holdings, said by phone from Dubai.
The euro rose to $1.3123 from $1.3098 after Suwaidi's comments were published Wednesday.
"This is not confined to the U.A.E. There's a general awareness across the Gulf of the benefits of diversifying currency holdings," Williams said.
The U.S. current account deficit widened to $225.6 billion in the third quarter. Oil producers in the Middle East and Central Asia will run a surplus of $322 billion for all of 2006, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Total foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury securities — which generally support the dollar — increased to a record $2.16 trillion in September, just under half of the $4.34 trillion outstanding.
Pertinent Links:
1) U.A.E. to sell dollars for euros
DAR AL ISLAM-U.A.E.: MOSLEM MUST REMAIN UNITED
Need for Muslim solidarity stressed
(Wam)
31 December 2006
ABU DHABI — Eid Al Adha was celebrated through out the country with due solemnity yesterday.
The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offered Eid Al Adha prayers at Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed Mosque in Bateen here yesterday.
He was accompanied by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and other Shaikhs, ministers and dignitaries.
Ali Al Hashemi, Religious adviser at the Presidential
Affairs Ministry, led the prayers after giving a sermon in which he stressed the importance of Muslim solidarity and interdependence. He also prayed for the soul of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
In Dubai, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, offered prayers at the Eid Mussallah in Bur Dubai.
Joining him in the prayers were Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, Shaikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, and a number of Shaikhs, local dignitaries and senior officials.
Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council, Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, Shaikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, and Shaikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mualla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, offered Eid Al Adha prayers in the Eid Mussallah of their respective emirates.
In Sharjah, Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, offered the Eid prayers at Al Badieh Eid Mussallah.
In Ras Al Khaimah, Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler and Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, offered prayers at the grand Eid Mussallah, along with other Shaikhs and dignitaries in the emirate.
In Al Ain, Shaikh Hazza bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, director of the court of the Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region, offered Eid prayers at the Eid Mussallah in Zakhir area, along with other Shaikhs, officials and citizens.
Greetings received
After prayers, Shaikh Khalifa received visitors who came to greet him on Eid Al Adha. General Shaikh Mohammed was also present along with other Shaikhs. The guests included ministers, police and defence officers, dignitaries, diplomats and prominent citizens.
They wished Shaikh Khalifa good health and long life.
In Dubai, Shaikh Mohammed received visitors at Zabeel Palace. Well-wishers greeted Shaikh Mohammed and prayed for further progress and prosperity under the wise leadership.
The reception was attended by Shaikh Hamdan, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates airline.
Shaikh Mohammed also received, in the presence of Shaikh Hamdan Dr Syedna Burhanuddin, leader of Dawoodi Bohra community,who called on him to offer Eid Al Adha greetings.
Shaikh Mohammed also received Prince Willem-Alexander, Netherlands Crown Prince, who greeted him on Eid Al Adha. The meeting was attended by Shaikh Hamdan and Consul-General of the Netherlands, Bart E.F.M Twaalfhoven.
Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of other emirates also received well-wishers in their respective cities.
In Umm Al Quwain, Crown Prince Shaikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, received at the Ruler’s palace consul- generals of Islamic, Arab and foreign countries. Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mualla, Deputy Ruler and Chief of Police and General Security, other Shaikhs and senior officials were also present.
Pertinent Links:
1) Need for Muslim solidarity stressed
(Wam)
31 December 2006
ABU DHABI — Eid Al Adha was celebrated through out the country with due solemnity yesterday.
The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offered Eid Al Adha prayers at Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed Mosque in Bateen here yesterday.
He was accompanied by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and other Shaikhs, ministers and dignitaries.
Ali Al Hashemi, Religious adviser at the Presidential
Affairs Ministry, led the prayers after giving a sermon in which he stressed the importance of Muslim solidarity and interdependence. He also prayed for the soul of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
In Dubai, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, offered prayers at the Eid Mussallah in Bur Dubai.
Joining him in the prayers were Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, Shaikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security, and a number of Shaikhs, local dignitaries and senior officials.
Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council, Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, Shaikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, and Shaikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mualla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, offered Eid Al Adha prayers in the Eid Mussallah of their respective emirates.
In Sharjah, Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, offered the Eid prayers at Al Badieh Eid Mussallah.
In Ras Al Khaimah, Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler and Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, offered prayers at the grand Eid Mussallah, along with other Shaikhs and dignitaries in the emirate.
In Al Ain, Shaikh Hazza bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, director of the court of the Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region, offered Eid prayers at the Eid Mussallah in Zakhir area, along with other Shaikhs, officials and citizens.
Greetings received
After prayers, Shaikh Khalifa received visitors who came to greet him on Eid Al Adha. General Shaikh Mohammed was also present along with other Shaikhs. The guests included ministers, police and defence officers, dignitaries, diplomats and prominent citizens.
They wished Shaikh Khalifa good health and long life.
In Dubai, Shaikh Mohammed received visitors at Zabeel Palace. Well-wishers greeted Shaikh Mohammed and prayed for further progress and prosperity under the wise leadership.
The reception was attended by Shaikh Hamdan, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates airline.
Shaikh Mohammed also received, in the presence of Shaikh Hamdan Dr Syedna Burhanuddin, leader of Dawoodi Bohra community,who called on him to offer Eid Al Adha greetings.
Shaikh Mohammed also received Prince Willem-Alexander, Netherlands Crown Prince, who greeted him on Eid Al Adha. The meeting was attended by Shaikh Hamdan and Consul-General of the Netherlands, Bart E.F.M Twaalfhoven.
Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of other emirates also received well-wishers in their respective cities.
In Umm Al Quwain, Crown Prince Shaikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, received at the Ruler’s palace consul- generals of Islamic, Arab and foreign countries. Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mualla, Deputy Ruler and Chief of Police and General Security, other Shaikhs and senior officials were also present.
Pertinent Links:
1) Need for Muslim solidarity stressed
Saturday, December 30, 2006
DAR AL ISLAM-UAE: IS THE UAE SUPPORTING JIHAD?!?
UAE rejects US criticism on 'sensitive' exports
Dubai customs authority ‘deeply concerned’ by US remarks, says it closely cooperates with Americans.
DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates rejected a US charge that it was failing to stop the export through its territory of potentially sensitive material that could be used for terrorist attacks.
"Dubai Customs has been closely cooperating with the relevant US and other international organizations in preventing any suspicious activities, particularly in the fields of WMD non-proliferation as well as transfer of missile technologies," the customs authority in the UAE emirate of Dubai said.
"Dubai Customs has also been very cooperative... in establishing controls for dual use materials which were in line with internationally approved and accepted lists," it said in a statement.
The customs authority said it was "deeply concerned" by remarks made by US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Christopher Padilla, in which he cited the activities of a UAE-based company, Mayrow General Trading, as "just one example of an alarming lack of export oversight by the government of the UAE".
Padilla said on December 14 that the company and related entities had acquired "electronic components used to construct Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) like those that have been used against coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan".
The United States is "increasingly disturbed by the diversion of goods to Iran and Syria through various ports in the UAE," Padilla said.
Washington accuses Iran and Syria of feeding the mounting violence in Iraq, saying it sees Iranian fingerprints on Shiite militias and IEDs such as roadside bombs that have killed many US soldiers. It also accuses Syria of letting extremists into Iraq.
Dubai Customs said it was difficult to monitor material and technologies used to make IEDs, which are constructed with a variety of widely used equipment.
"Regarding the companies in question, no intelligence was shared (by the US) regarding what kind of material was exported and who received them, nor was there any direct reference to shipments outbound to restricted destinations that have been known to use them in constructing any IED," the statement said.
The firms were not found to be in violation of any export controls or UAE laws, it added.
Dubai, one of the UAE's seven constituent emirates, is a bustling business and tourism hub.
They cannot control what happens in their own ports, or perhaps it should be said that like good moslems they do what is necessary to support the ummah...
This is the same nation that operates the company that wanted to take control of several ports within the United States...
I wonder what they would have allowed to enter this country, if they had been in charge...
Some facts about the UAE:
– The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
– The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.
– According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.
– After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden’s bank accounts.
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE rejects US criticism on 'sensitive' exports
2) Congressional Letter of Alarm concerning the UAE Ports Deal
Dubai customs authority ‘deeply concerned’ by US remarks, says it closely cooperates with Americans.
DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates rejected a US charge that it was failing to stop the export through its territory of potentially sensitive material that could be used for terrorist attacks.
"Dubai Customs has been closely cooperating with the relevant US and other international organizations in preventing any suspicious activities, particularly in the fields of WMD non-proliferation as well as transfer of missile technologies," the customs authority in the UAE emirate of Dubai said.
"Dubai Customs has also been very cooperative... in establishing controls for dual use materials which were in line with internationally approved and accepted lists," it said in a statement.
The customs authority said it was "deeply concerned" by remarks made by US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Christopher Padilla, in which he cited the activities of a UAE-based company, Mayrow General Trading, as "just one example of an alarming lack of export oversight by the government of the UAE".
Padilla said on December 14 that the company and related entities had acquired "electronic components used to construct Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) like those that have been used against coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan".
The United States is "increasingly disturbed by the diversion of goods to Iran and Syria through various ports in the UAE," Padilla said.
Washington accuses Iran and Syria of feeding the mounting violence in Iraq, saying it sees Iranian fingerprints on Shiite militias and IEDs such as roadside bombs that have killed many US soldiers. It also accuses Syria of letting extremists into Iraq.
Dubai Customs said it was difficult to monitor material and technologies used to make IEDs, which are constructed with a variety of widely used equipment.
"Regarding the companies in question, no intelligence was shared (by the US) regarding what kind of material was exported and who received them, nor was there any direct reference to shipments outbound to restricted destinations that have been known to use them in constructing any IED," the statement said.
The firms were not found to be in violation of any export controls or UAE laws, it added.
Dubai, one of the UAE's seven constituent emirates, is a bustling business and tourism hub.
They cannot control what happens in their own ports, or perhaps it should be said that like good moslems they do what is necessary to support the ummah...
This is the same nation that operates the company that wanted to take control of several ports within the United States...
I wonder what they would have allowed to enter this country, if they had been in charge...
Some facts about the UAE:
– The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
– The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.
– According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.
– After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden’s bank accounts.
Pertinent Links:
1) UAE rejects US criticism on 'sensitive' exports
2) Congressional Letter of Alarm concerning the UAE Ports Deal
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
DAR AL ISLAM-U.A.E.: A CLASH OF ISLAMIC SECTS
Read the entire piece...
Clash of Islamic sects is a reality
Dr. Abdul Khaleq Abdullah,
Special to Gulf News
The sectarian conflagration witnessed in the Islamic world today confirms the fact that there is nothing worse then the clash of civilisations, save for the clash between Islamic sects.
The clash of civilisations which was elaborated upon by Samuel Huntington, a political science professor at Harvard University, took over a large portion of international political thought during the past 15 years.
But these clashes receded partially, and wise people from both the Islamic and Christian Western civilisations were successful in containing it, especially after the successful visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey recently, where he offered prayers while facing towards the Ka'aba in Makkah, side by side with Muslim worshipers.
However, the sectarian unrest is spreading through a wide landmass stretching from Indonesia in the east to Algeria in the west, passing through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Iraq and the holiest land in Islam as well.
The clashes between various Islamic sects are deadlier, bloodier and more dangerous than the clash of civilisations. And despite the existence of one God, one Prophet and one Quran, we find Muslims divided into various sects, groups and movements. Their animosities and division have increased with the blatant use of arms and ammunition.
The clash of civilisations was a mere notion, a theory that was open for debate and academic discussions.
The clash of Islamic sects, on the other hand, is more than a clash of words; it is a real clash and not a theoretical one, which can be dismissed easily.
The clash of civilisations has turned into an Islamic sectarian clash and the confrontations have moved from the external to the internal scene. The enemy within has become more lethal, violent and devastating than all external foes put together.
The Islamic sectarian clashes take many forms, but the most lethal is the growing and bloody sectarian violence in Iraq. The US occupation from one side and the detested Iranian expansion from the other side feed the Islamic sectarian clashes in Iraq. They provide fuel to the conflict and work together on its continuation.
These sectarian clashes result in the death of more than 100 Iraqis every day. An independent and neutral study recently said that 650,000 Iraqis were killed during the last three years.
The bloody sectarian conflict in Iraq is a witness to the increasing sectarian clashes which have taken the place of civilisation clashes.
In sectarian Iraq today, a Muslim cannot identify himself as such, for he is either a Sunni or a Shiite. Worse, they cannot share a neighbourhood.
The violent sectarian clashes in Iraq are not the sole example in the region. Lebanon represents another type of sectarian clash, but unlike Iraq it is still in its political stages.
Politically divided
Lebanon is divided politically into two sections. Muslims in Lebanon are also divided into two sections, especially after Sayed Hassan Nasrallah decided to heat the Lebanese situation and drive the Shiites against the Lebanese government, headed by the Sunni Fouad Al Siniora, who is unjustly accused of being a traitor.
The Islamic clashes in Lebanon are getting worse, paralysing the political life of the country and lowering living conditions. The big danger is that no one can guarantee the clashes will remain in the political and peaceful frame.
We are certain that Lebanon and Iraq are heading towards the precipice. Both are victims of the sectarian clashes that are flourishing throughout the Islamic world.
The sectarian entrenchment in Lebanon is connected to the sectarian clashes which are going on behind the curtains between Tehran and many other Arab and Islamic countries. Iran boasts that it is the spiritual and political centre for all Shiites in the world. Hence, it sees itself as the voice for the Shiites who make up 20 per cent of the world's Muslim population.
The Islamic sectarian clashes in the region give rise to local sectarian clashes. The two factions look for support from Islamic capitals that have governments run by their respective sects. The countries, in turn, struggle amongst themselves to attain the spiritual and political leadership of the Islamic world.
There are also the fundamentalists in Islam, who sow the seeds of violence throughout the Islamic region. Their terrorist acts are a shame. They greatly endanger the Islamic image in the world and they stand in the way of the Muslims regaining their civilised stance around the globe.
No matter what form the clashes take, the result is one: loss of human resources, loss of funds, exhausting the nation, further dividing it and weakening it on the development and constructional levels.
It is impossible to get out of this very dark tunnel with the ongoing clashes. For if the Islamic world is unable to be at peace internally, how will it live in peace and harmony with the other civilisations?
Before we head towards the dialogue of civilisations, our wise men have to rearrange and tidy up our Islamic house before it crashes down as a result of excessive internal violence.
There has to be a sincere internal initiative to conduct a political and spiritual dialogue between the different groups, sects, leadership and political capitals all around the Islamic world.
It is also high time for the moderate silent majority to regain its control over its destiny a
nd decide their future in a peaceful and democratic manner, away from fundamentalism and violence and refusing the other.
Pertinent Links:
1) Clash of Islamic sects is a reality
Clash of Islamic sects is a reality
Dr. Abdul Khaleq Abdullah,
Special to Gulf News
The sectarian conflagration witnessed in the Islamic world today confirms the fact that there is nothing worse then the clash of civilisations, save for the clash between Islamic sects.
The clash of civilisations which was elaborated upon by Samuel Huntington, a political science professor at Harvard University, took over a large portion of international political thought during the past 15 years.
But these clashes receded partially, and wise people from both the Islamic and Christian Western civilisations were successful in containing it, especially after the successful visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey recently, where he offered prayers while facing towards the Ka'aba in Makkah, side by side with Muslim worshipers.
However, the sectarian unrest is spreading through a wide landmass stretching from Indonesia in the east to Algeria in the west, passing through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Iraq and the holiest land in Islam as well.
The clashes between various Islamic sects are deadlier, bloodier and more dangerous than the clash of civilisations. And despite the existence of one God, one Prophet and one Quran, we find Muslims divided into various sects, groups and movements. Their animosities and division have increased with the blatant use of arms and ammunition.
The clash of civilisations was a mere notion, a theory that was open for debate and academic discussions.
The clash of Islamic sects, on the other hand, is more than a clash of words; it is a real clash and not a theoretical one, which can be dismissed easily.
The clash of civilisations has turned into an Islamic sectarian clash and the confrontations have moved from the external to the internal scene. The enemy within has become more lethal, violent and devastating than all external foes put together.
The Islamic sectarian clashes take many forms, but the most lethal is the growing and bloody sectarian violence in Iraq. The US occupation from one side and the detested Iranian expansion from the other side feed the Islamic sectarian clashes in Iraq. They provide fuel to the conflict and work together on its continuation.
These sectarian clashes result in the death of more than 100 Iraqis every day. An independent and neutral study recently said that 650,000 Iraqis were killed during the last three years.
The bloody sectarian conflict in Iraq is a witness to the increasing sectarian clashes which have taken the place of civilisation clashes.
In sectarian Iraq today, a Muslim cannot identify himself as such, for he is either a Sunni or a Shiite. Worse, they cannot share a neighbourhood.
The violent sectarian clashes in Iraq are not the sole example in the region. Lebanon represents another type of sectarian clash, but unlike Iraq it is still in its political stages.
Politically divided
Lebanon is divided politically into two sections. Muslims in Lebanon are also divided into two sections, especially after Sayed Hassan Nasrallah decided to heat the Lebanese situation and drive the Shiites against the Lebanese government, headed by the Sunni Fouad Al Siniora, who is unjustly accused of being a traitor.
The Islamic clashes in Lebanon are getting worse, paralysing the political life of the country and lowering living conditions. The big danger is that no one can guarantee the clashes will remain in the political and peaceful frame.
We are certain that Lebanon and Iraq are heading towards the precipice. Both are victims of the sectarian clashes that are flourishing throughout the Islamic world.
The sectarian entrenchment in Lebanon is connected to the sectarian clashes which are going on behind the curtains between Tehran and many other Arab and Islamic countries. Iran boasts that it is the spiritual and political centre for all Shiites in the world. Hence, it sees itself as the voice for the Shiites who make up 20 per cent of the world's Muslim population.
The Islamic sectarian clashes in the region give rise to local sectarian clashes. The two factions look for support from Islamic capitals that have governments run by their respective sects. The countries, in turn, struggle amongst themselves to attain the spiritual and political leadership of the Islamic world.
There are also the fundamentalists in Islam, who sow the seeds of violence throughout the Islamic region. Their terrorist acts are a shame. They greatly endanger the Islamic image in the world and they stand in the way of the Muslims regaining their civilised stance around the globe.
No matter what form the clashes take, the result is one: loss of human resources, loss of funds, exhausting the nation, further dividing it and weakening it on the development and constructional levels.
It is impossible to get out of this very dark tunnel with the ongoing clashes. For if the Islamic world is unable to be at peace internally, how will it live in peace and harmony with the other civilisations?
Before we head towards the dialogue of civilisations, our wise men have to rearrange and tidy up our Islamic house before it crashes down as a result of excessive internal violence.
There has to be a sincere internal initiative to conduct a political and spiritual dialogue between the different groups, sects, leadership and political capitals all around the Islamic world.
It is also high time for the moderate silent majority to regain its control over its destiny a
nd decide their future in a peaceful and democratic manner, away from fundamentalism and violence and refusing the other.
Pertinent Links:
1) Clash of Islamic sects is a reality
Thursday, December 21, 2006
DAR AL ISLAM-U.A.E.-DUBAI: BLAIR & HIS "3 POINT FORMULA" FOR MIDEAST PEACE...
Blair seeks front against Iran
DUBAI — British Prime Minister Tony Blair has spelt out a crisp three-point ‘formula’ of “immediate priorities”, including an early meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert, to help fix the fractured Middle East peace process.
Briefing a select group of local and foreign journalists in Dubai yesterday, the British Prime Minister called for an “alliance of moderation” to counter Iran and challenge its influence in the region. Blair accused Teheran of “openly supporting terrorism in Iraq, trying to turn out a democratic government in Lebanon, and flaunting the international community’s desire for peace in Palestine.”
Blair described the complex Palestinian-Israeli problem as “the most intractable dispute” in the Middle East. His prescription to resolve the dispute included two other priorities: A re-launch of the political process leading to a two-state solution (Palestine’s only hope for salvation) and an office of the President in Palestine that is given the means to improve its capacity and effectiveness to act in the interests of the Palestinian people. “These priorities are deliverable. But they have to be delivered,” he emphasised. A meeting between Abbas and Olmert, he implied, will facilitate “early progress” on outstanding preliminary issues between the two staunch adversaries. He advocated that, “We need to support moderate Palestinian and Israeli people in their search for peace. We must support and empower moderate and modernising governments and people everywhere in this region.” Scathing in his attack against Iran, Blair accused Teheran of promoting “forces of extremism” in the region and elsewhere. He argued that the terror war worldwide is based on a “warped and wrong-headed misinterpretation of Islam.” And the one effective way to counter it, he asserted, is “to mobilise our moderation alliance in this region and outside of it to defeat the extremists.”
Translation: THROW ISRAEL & JEWS UNDER THE BUS, APPEASE MOSLEMS AT ANY COST...
LONDON ‘8TH EMIRATE’
[Great name for a city in Great Britain?!? How far the once mighty Brits have fallen...*shakes head with disappointment & disgust*...Are we in the United States of America headed in the same direction?!? I hope not...ed A.I.]
DUBAI — British Prime Minister Tony Blair has described the UAE as a “modern miracle”.
Briefing a battery of journalists in Dubai yesterday, he said: “This modern miracle that is the UAE... has made itself into an oasis of economic enterprise, tourism and openness to the world.” The histories of Britain and the UAE, he emphasised, have been intertwined for the past 200 years and, “over that time, no country has had a deeper involvement here”. He said this historical UK-UAE partnership “has left us with a deep well of shared experience, respect and friendship”. He described Dubai as an “extraordinary modern adventure” and admitted, “The UAE is an interesting and telling place in which to conclude my visit to this region.” In fact, said Blair with a smile: “I understand that London is often referred to here as the 8th Emirate.”
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Blair seeks front against Iran
DUBAI — British Prime Minister Tony Blair has spelt out a crisp three-point ‘formula’ of “immediate priorities”, including an early meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert, to help fix the fractured Middle East peace process.
Briefing a select group of local and foreign journalists in Dubai yesterday, the British Prime Minister called for an “alliance of moderation” to counter Iran and challenge its influence in the region. Blair accused Teheran of “openly supporting terrorism in Iraq, trying to turn out a democratic government in Lebanon, and flaunting the international community’s desire for peace in Palestine.”
Blair described the complex Palestinian-Israeli problem as “the most intractable dispute” in the Middle East. His prescription to resolve the dispute included two other priorities: A re-launch of the political process leading to a two-state solution (Palestine’s only hope for salvation) and an office of the President in Palestine that is given the means to improve its capacity and effectiveness to act in the interests of the Palestinian people. “These priorities are deliverable. But they have to be delivered,” he emphasised. A meeting between Abbas and Olmert, he implied, will facilitate “early progress” on outstanding preliminary issues between the two staunch adversaries. He advocated that, “We need to support moderate Palestinian and Israeli people in their search for peace. We must support and empower moderate and modernising governments and people everywhere in this region.” Scathing in his attack against Iran, Blair accused Teheran of promoting “forces of extremism” in the region and elsewhere. He argued that the terror war worldwide is based on a “warped and wrong-headed misinterpretation of Islam.” And the one effective way to counter it, he asserted, is “to mobilise our moderation alliance in this region and outside of it to defeat the extremists.”
Translation: THROW ISRAEL & JEWS UNDER THE BUS, APPEASE MOSLEMS AT ANY COST...
LONDON ‘8TH EMIRATE’
[Great name for a city in Great Britain?!? How far the once mighty Brits have fallen...*shakes head with disappointment & disgust*...Are we in the United States of America headed in the same direction?!? I hope not...ed A.I.]
DUBAI — British Prime Minister Tony Blair has described the UAE as a “modern miracle”.
Briefing a battery of journalists in Dubai yesterday, he said: “This modern miracle that is the UAE... has made itself into an oasis of economic enterprise, tourism and openness to the world.” The histories of Britain and the UAE, he emphasised, have been intertwined for the past 200 years and, “over that time, no country has had a deeper involvement here”. He said this historical UK-UAE partnership “has left us with a deep well of shared experience, respect and friendship”. He described Dubai as an “extraordinary modern adventure” and admitted, “The UAE is an interesting and telling place in which to conclude my visit to this region.” In fact, said Blair with a smile: “I understand that London is often referred to here as the 8th Emirate.”
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Blair seeks front against Iran
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
