Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Dubya and Dubai: the Rest of the Story?”

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February 22, 2006

Dubya and Dubai: the Rest of the Story?

Hatched by Dafydd

An old and very unreliable friend of mine has offered a suggestion that nevertheless seems very likely to strike close to the truth, despite him being very unreliable. And old. So hat-tip to JNS.

I suspect there is a lot more to this deal with DP World than has yet come to light; and I hope the rest never will. But there is no harm in speculating, since anyone who might be interested can speculate as well as I.

We have a very close but quiet working relationship with the United Arab Emirates that dates back to the mid-1970s. Besides trade and military cooperation, they have in particular helped us in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). In fact, I probably wouldn't exaggerate to say they are our most reliable Arab allies in that struggle.

I don't believe we have any military bases in the UAE; at least, I cannot find any listed. But we have rights to use some of their military bases for non-combat ops -- in particular, for refueling purposes to support Operation Iraqi Freedom (we grew significantly closer to the UAE during the first Gulf War). And our militaries and intelligence services have been working hand in glove for a while now.

We also have a huge problem that looms over everything else in the Middle East, overshadowing the (slim) possiblity of civil war in Iraq, the election of a terrorist organization in the Palestinian Authority (to take the place of the previous terrorist organization that ran the joint for decades), and everything else we're worried about: the imminent nuclear arming of Iran. In fact, this is the most dangerous and volatile situation in the world right now, as far as the United States is concerned.

During the Iran-Iraq war, we did not exactly ally with Saddam Hussein; but we certainly interfered in that conflict somewhat on Hussein's side. There was good reason for that: Hussein was simply a Fascist thug and mass murderer, who could be relied upon to prefer his own skin intact; for that reason, he was more predictable and, to some extent, controllable.

But Iran is a different beast: there, mass homicidal mania and an even clearer connection to terrorist groups is coupled with a fanatical jihadist religion obsessed with Armageddon to the point of actual nihilism. I believe many of the top clerics in Iran would gladly pull down the columns that held up the whole world, destroying all, including themselves, if they thought it would please their bloodthirsty vision of God.

George W. Bush is not the kind of man who would "will" that problem to his successor, if he can help it. There is a faint chance we might be able to resolve the situation satisfactorally by diplomatic means; but I doubt it. More likely, we will at some point have to initiate a military attack on Iran in some fashion... and without support from our Arab allies, such an attack will be much harder, less likely to succeed, and far more spendthrift of American lives.

Take a look at this map of Iran:

Iran and surrounding countries

Look west and what do we see? Iraq, where we have tens of thousands of troops; Saudi Arabia, which will likely be no help at all; and Kuwait, where we have three military bases.

Look north, and we see Turkmenistan -- no help from President Niyazov.

To the east is Afghanistan, where we have bases and about 15,000 troops, and Pakistan, another U.S. ally in the war on Islamist jihadi terrorism -- but one who might not want to incur the wrath of its radical Moslem population.

And now we look south, to Qatar, where we have the al Udeid Air Base... and to the United Arab Emirates, which already allow us to use their military facilities to transport troops, aircraft, and supplies. In addition, the UAE controls the Strait of Hormuz, through which all Iranian oil must move to enter the world petroleum market.

We need support and bases from which to launch either an attack or a blockade, depending on how other events flow. The UAE needs the money from the deal. Can we connect some dots here?

Hatched by Dafydd on this day, February 22, 2006, at the time of 9:42 PM

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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Dubya and Dubai: the Rest of the Story?:

» Quick Thoughts on the Port Deal from Weapons of Mass Destruction
While people on the left and right work themselves into a lather on the port deal, the reality is that it is not really such a big deal. As others have noted in the blogosphere, the UAE company will not [Read More]

Tracked on February 23, 2006 11:13 AM

» Dubai, Dubya, and Hugh Hewitt from Big Lizards
Hugh Hewitt raises a very important question and argument that deserves an answer. Ever obliging, here is Big Lizards' response. Hugh opposes the sale of Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P&O), a British company that operates cargo load... [Read More]

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» Enemies to port? from Wizbang
I've held off actually saying too much about the whole UAE-port management deal, as I had a hunch that there was a hell of a lot more -- and less -- to the story than was floating around. And I... [Read More]

Tracked on February 25, 2006 4:39 AM

» The Real Deal on The Port Deal from The Real Ugly American.com
As I have already said I am against this. Not because it is the UAE I just don’t think it is a good idea to let any foreign government operate portions of our ports. A lot of information has come out since this was first blatantly misreported. ... [Read More]

Tracked on February 25, 2006 8:42 AM

» Dubai Ports - The Bigger Picture from All Things Beautiful
I believe, that Saudi Arabia's political situation defines that of the 7 Emirates and their present rulers on a daily basis, and as such, impacts directly on the security risk analysis of DP World's acquisition of P [Read More]

Tracked on February 25, 2006 10:23 AM

» Dubai, Dubya, Repubya Ready to Deal from Big Lizards
Time Magazine reports that the president, congressional Republicans, and Dubai Ports World are nearing agreement on a new deal that would likely let the old deal proceed by and large as already agreed. (We previously blogged on the DP World... [Read More]

Tracked on February 25, 2006 6:05 PM

Comments

The following hissed in response by: Bill Faith

Awesome! I just linked from Damned if we do and damned if we don't? -- Updated: Move me to the Pro column. Guess it's sorta like the realty business: Location, location, location!

The above hissed in response by: Bill Faith at February 23, 2006 12:15 AM

The following hissed in response by: Cowgirl

You know the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Well, that map really puts a lot of things into perspective.

No doubt many will think it is just a fluke that our troops are positioned where they are. Misunderestimating again?

I've heard from many sources that you never want to play poker with GWB. I bet he kicks ass in Monopoly too!

The above hissed in response by: Cowgirl at February 23, 2006 5:05 AM

The following hissed in response by: dasbow

We also need to be strategically placed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, should it be necessary. Iran has plenty of Chinese made Silkworm anti-ship missiles and controls the Strait every bit as much as the UAE and Oman.
One question, though. Do we have access to the north from Azerbaijan?

The above hissed in response by: dasbow at February 23, 2006 5:30 AM

The following hissed in response by: RBMN

I think on this issue, it's the fearmongers--the knee-jerk loudmouths of both parties--who must believe that American voters are pretty stupid. Stupid as they are themselves, in some cases. They think Americans aren't smart enough to understand that not all security strategies can be expressed in a one-sentence-long sound bite. Not all "Aaaa-rabs" are trying to kill us, and in many cases Arab allies (Arabs who are terror targets themselves) are in the best position to save all of us from being killed again in domestic terror attacks.

The above hissed in response by: RBMN at February 23, 2006 10:03 AM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

General Tommy Franks mentioned last night there are more US Naval vessels entering and leaving the Port of Dubai, than any other Port in the Workd save US and it's traffic is equal to US Ports.

Guess where Dubai is?

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at February 23, 2006 3:36 PM

The following hissed in response by: Pat

Bush and Rumsfeld deny having known anything at all about the port deal prior to its announcement a week or so ago. If so, how could the port deal be part of a master plan of some sort? The vehement defense of the deal and determination to push it through would seem to support Dafyyd's post. The claimed ignorance of the port deal in advance does not. Please address this point, as I have not heard anyone mention it so far and it is a point of confusion. And "Bush lied" is not a good response.

The above hissed in response by: Pat at February 23, 2006 3:53 PM

The following hissed in response by: RBMN

Re: Pat at February 23, 2006 03:53 PM

If Bush had been involved prior to the final decision of the committee, THAT would have been the anomaly. This was just one of dozens of deals that the committee reviewed in the past few months. The basic deal's been public since November. Involving the President is not how the committee was set up (by Congress) to operate. Probably, so that the President doesn't have any undue influence. The President is notified when the decision is made.

The above hissed in response by: RBMN at February 23, 2006 4:36 PM

The following hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist

Good points, and i have been trying to point out such for more than a few days now. Ms. or Mrs. Michelle Malkin ignores me, and moves further to the Left. Ankle Biting Pundits’ bulldogpundit cuts my PitBull posts in half (no surprise there, since so few bulldogs have ever won a real dogfight) for ‘some’ reason. BTW, why are humans allowed to fight legally, but PitBulls are not?!? Cur dogs are a lot like Congress, huh.

Anyway, here at Big Lizards, Dafydd runs a tight board, and doesn’t cut a post or reply in half:

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First...i think that the 9/11 Commission Report was a joke, and a big waste of money.

Second...Clinton spent 8 years cutting down Intel Agencies and the Military, not a lot was left by 1999, and his cronies/followers had probably remained whilst getting promoted. Intel Agencies have been leaking like a sieve that can’t even separate liquids and solids (...so to speak of them both passing thru the sieve) since W won against Al Gore, and thus i don't trust in much Intel info that was 'gathered' in or around 1999. Didn't Clinton bomb an "Aspirin Factory" around 1999, on the advice of Clarke or Berger or both??? Clarke and Berger...what a pair, huh, and don't forget about the Gorelick *WALL* and that she was on the 9/11 Commission.

Third...Bill Clinton rejected three Sudanese offers to take custody of Osama bin Laden...as in, the Sudan was offering Osama on a Silver Platter and Clinton refused the offers. Heck, humble me has lost count of the chances Clinton had to bomb Osama!?!

OK...Honorable bulldogpundit, onto your post here, and onto the sources:

Your post is filled with words like this from the 9/11 Commission Report - was reportedly...in the vicinity...Public sources have stated that these visitors were from the United Arab Emirates (FN 151). OK...hold on a second here.

It seems that this 9/11 Commission Report condemns and links the United Arab Emirates closer to Terrorists and Terrorism than it did to Saddam, or attempts to do so, huh. It was not the United Arab Emirates who attacked Iran. It was not the United Arab Emirates who attacked Kuwait. It was not the United Arab Emirates who refused to abide by some 17 UN Resolutions during the Clinton years, and yet this 9/11 Commission Report seems to suggest so...so to speak.

To continue...words like But the location...could not be pinned down...According to reporting from the tribals...Clarke wrote to Berger’s deputy...had apparently moved...According to CIA and Defense officials...who might be...or close by...intelligence was dubious (is “dubious” like bombing an "Aspirin Factory"?!?)...felt that the intelligence reporting in this case was very reliable...about possible associations...i can’t take no more!!!

Basically, using the 9/11 Commission Report as a source is akin...is akin...is akin to...never mind, humble Low and Ignorant Insane swamp hermit me cannot recall another such an attempt at such, throughout the history of humans. What was the United Arab Emirates suppose to do, even if they did or didn’t do such?!? Start a war with Osama and his Al-Qaeda, whilst America under the so-called “leadership” of Bill Clinton stood on the sidelines with Saddam’s Iraq, and simply watched?!? Did this Michael Smerconish ever mention that China is involved in some American ports, and that China helps to run the Panama Canal??? Hey, maybe we should just Read the rest of this comment...

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See what i mean??? My post was cut in half. Here is my reply to the cutoff upper half, of my own post:

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Continues...

Did this Michael Smerconish ever mention that China is involved in some American ports, and that China helps to run the Panama Canal??? Hey, maybe we should just *UNLEASH* the *POWERFUL* United Arab Emirates onto China, and watch as they wipe out China, Iran, and North Korea in just one war, huh. BTW, the United Arab Emirates offered humble me a job early last year, but they could not meet my rather low price, could not even come close. They then tried to hire Jack Bauer away from the CTU, but he was killed after accepting their first offer. Jack managed to come back from death, for a second time, and now wears KårmiÇømmünîs† pajamas. Well, that is a long story...so to speak whilst my typing finger grows tired and bored here...so to speak.

BTW, Bill Clinton and the 9/11 Commission Report basically ignored Pakistan, in case no one but W and i noticed. The World’s economy will go bankrupt if the World forces the United Arab Emirates to hire humble Low and Ignorant Insane swamp hermit me. Pakistan is even helping now, and Libya folded faster than a newbie placed in my cell ”For Protection”...so to speak of such ‘Thangs.

Americans are ”addicted” to oil...so to speak of no secret there. America elected Bill Clinton *TWICE*!!!!!!! Now, both the Left-Wing and Right-Wing of America have jumped-Da-gun on this DP World news, even whilst MSM and both of them were so focused on Cheney that all of them barely caught the story. Heck, just look at how the Right-Wing Blogosphere and Left-Wing Blogosphere have joined hands soooooooooooooooooooooo quickly in this!!! Only the Bush Administration, Stratfor, and me had a clue (perhaps a few others). Well, Rush Limbaugh did see something that he was not willing to join, but most of the rest of Talk Radio have joined with America’s rather weak and silly Congress.

Enough...i am done with such foolishness,

Karmi

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Format and font have been lost, since i do not wish to get it right twice. Yes, even here, fonts and format doesn't always work...see format is cut after each paragraph. Sorry...my fault, since i am not willing to spend the time to do it again.

The Western World has been fighting Arabs, Muslims, and Islamists for centuries now. i'm talking historically of the Crusades, and spelling doesn't count from here.

Dafydd...Thanks for the Dualistic time, and for the extra Dualistic 'Space',

KårmiÇømmünîs†
PS...Jackie, you look good in those pajamas, for someone with a weakness for clothing at bedtime. When you get really ready to emulate me, then wear a loincloth the next time you go to a restaurant.

The above hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist at February 23, 2006 6:34 PM