February 27, 2006
THEY UNDERSTAND FREE TRADE AND THE WoT BETTER THAN THE AMERICAN RIGHT:
Reaction disappoints U.S. backers in UAE (Nicholas Kralev, 2/27/06, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)
"What's happening in the United States is disappointing for people like me," said Mr. al Tamimi, founder and managing partner of the United Arab Emirates' largest law firm, Al Tamimi & Co.
Businessmen, government officials and other residents of Dubai have experienced bewilderment and disbelief as they watched the U.S. reaction to the ports takeover by the state-owned company DP World, the Dubai-based ports operator.
Their reaction reflectsthe city's decades-long search for an identity, inevitably influenced by its Middle East location and Muslim traditions, but also by ambitions to become a free-market economy that attracts the West's wealthiest investors.
"I have a U.S. mentality. I was educated in the United States," said Mr. al Tamimi, who spent 18 months at Harvard Law School, ending in 1984. "I have a home in Idaho and spend most of my vacations in America."
But he said he had never expected the passions exhibited last week in Washington and the six cities whose ports may soon be managed by DPW -- New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Miami and Newark, N.J.
"It has changed my mentality," he said in his office on the 29th floor of Dubai's World Trade Center tower.
"We can build bridges between East and West by having bilateral businesses and common interests," he said. "By isolating this part of the world and pushing us in the corner, how do the Americans think things can change? By magic? I never talked like this before."
Posted by Orrin Judd at February 27, 2006 8:06 AM
Maybe Mr. al Tamimi should ask the mullahs from his country whether Americans should be beheaded if they don't convert, or whether they should just be shuffled into ghettos of dhiminitude.
The reaction to the port deal did not come from backwoods inbreeding. It arose from terrorism promoted and funded by mullahs from many of the Middle Eastern countries, including UAE.
Posted by: Palmcroft at February 27, 2006 1:04 PMOtherwise known as "profiling." I think it depends whether you are holding a cigar in one hand and cognac in the other; if so, it's definitely those ignorant "protect the homeland" types.
Posted by: Palmcroft at February 27, 2006 3:37 PMPalm:
Exactly. We didn't stop letting American companies work here after Oklahoma City, though profiling would have advised it.
Posted by: oj at February 27, 2006 3:57 PMMy personal opinion of the UAE's ability to manage the ports in the US is very positive. I have worked there two times (both in Abu Dhabi)overseeing projects in management partnerships with US Corps. Their management skills are superb. Granted, the citizenry doesn't do the nuts and bolts work as this is outsoursed primarily to South Asians. I've never met a citizen of any of the Sheikdoms working in anything other than banking or resources. I simply can't see what would motivate any member of the citizenry to fund terrorism in any degree. Its as good as it gets for them. What I can see is those that live and work there who are somewhat adrift to their own devices being involved in World terrorism. Another thing, of all the companies that could get the US port contract the UAE are the most to likely hire US managers.
There are other opinions of course based on different experiences (or none)but I certainly can't fault them on their business expertice.
Posted by: Tom Wall at February 27, 2006 4:07 PM
"No, it was just ignorance and bigotry."
And a whole variety of attacks on Americans and American interests around the world. Oklahoma City happened once.
Posted by: sharon at February 27, 2006 8:21 PMAbortion clinic bombings and shootings, the Olympic bombing, the militias, Gordon Kahl, Ruby Ridge, the murder of Alan Berg....
Posted by: oj at February 27, 2006 8:28 PMI can certainly sympathize with Mr. al Tamimi, and agree that our side of the reaction is neither pretty nor warranted. But there's equal fault on his side, too--where's the moderate version of Al Jazeera? Surely he and his type (a) are a market for such, and (b) could finance it. The reason the rubes in America can't tell you from Al Qaeda is you aren't talking loudly enough about your moderate perspective.
OJ,
Which one of these is not like the rest?
Kirk:
Actually, there's now a wide array of media in the Middle East, including that produced by the US, offering a range of opinion.
Posted by: oj at February 28, 2006 7:46 AMoj,
Sorry it wasn't clear. My comment was directed to your immediately preceding one:
Abortion clinic bombings and shootings, the Olympic bombing, the militias, Gordon Kahl, Ruby Ridge, the murder of Alan Berg....
Does that help?
no
Posted by: oj at February 28, 2006 11:47 AMoj,
Everything else on the list is something committed by criminals/terrorists/etc against society. But Ruby Ridge, as an action of the government against its people, belongs on a list with Waco and the like.
Posted by: Kirk Parker at February 28, 2006 6:20 PMKirk:
Huh? Just because the feds shot John Dillinger doesn't make him an innocent victim. The folks at Ruby Ridge and Waco reaped the whirlwind.
Posted by: oj at February 28, 2006 6:30 PMoj,
That's just despicable. No one has to think Mr. Weaver was a nice guy--I certainly don't--but a jury found him innocent of all charges. If this wasn't a case of entrapment and government harassment, I don't know what could be.
And while Koresh was a certifiable nutcase, about the only crime he actually might have committed was statutory rape or something like that. I'd have no problem if the Waco sheriff had arrested him for that, or even if the Texas DPS had sent a few Rangers around to apprehend him. I'm fairly certain that neither of these agencies would have felt the need to serve the warrant with APC's and helicopters. Instead, they would probably have arrested him on one of his frequent trips off site (which are amply documented.) No, a goverment that can do that to the Davidians can do it to you, too.
Weaver is a white separatist who resisted arrest. There's no difference between using Predators on al Qaeda and on these Aryan Nation types.
"Only crime"? Since when do you get to resist law enforcement instead of surrendering?
Sure, both could have been handled better, but the deaths are on the heads of Weaver and Koresh.