Apparently I wrote this post twice. I think this version (originally dated 8/29/09) is actually better than the previously published version. Oh, well. Compare and enjoy.
In 2006, the White House approved of the sale of several sea ports to a corporation owned by the United Arab Emirates. The ports were already foreign-owned (owned by a British company). George W. Bush thought the sale was a great idea that would demonstrate that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were not an assault on Islam or Arabs generally. Conservatives opposed the plan, arguing that it would harm national security to have an Arab nation responsible for keeping terrorists out. In my opinion, the opposition was a combination of racism and a mistaken impression that the UAE could not be effective.
On Friday, Aug 28, 2009, UAE forces captured a shipment of weapons of war being distributed from North Korea to Iran in violation of a bunch of international sanctions. Both North Korea and Iran share in common controversial, unilateral experimentation with nuclear material. For these among other reasons, both were listed (alongside Saddam's Iraq) by George W. Bush as "an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world." [1] And now there's a connection, and our allies the UAE, whom we should have trusted, have identified and weakened the link between them.
It was a miserable mistake for us to refuse the UAE port deal. We should treat our allies better. Will the current administration, with it's new-found emphasis on our reputation in the world, address this? We shall see.
Showing posts with label north korea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label north korea. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Iran, North Korea, and the United Arab Emirates
The headline reads UAE Seizes North Korean Weapons Shipment to Iran.
These aren't nuclear weapon parts, but they are explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, and other similar things of the type that have been killing Americans in Iraq. It's also wildly against UN resolutions. If the allegations that weapons have been smuggled over the border from Iran into Iraq are true, these weapons could've ended up being used against US troops in Iraq if they hadn't been caught.
I don't know if the North Korea/Iran connection existed before George W. Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech in 2002, but it's clear he was right to list them together. They obviously have some traits and trade in common.
Remember the UAE ports deal? Many Republicans in the legislature and conservatives nationwide doubted whether US security should be entrusted to an Arab nation like the UAE, and whether they could truly be our allies. I think this definitively shows that 1) our best interests are aided by their actions, and 2) they are good at sea security. This only reinforces my belief that we should've let the UAE buy the ports they wanted, and that only short-sighted prejudice prevented it.
These aren't nuclear weapon parts, but they are explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, and other similar things of the type that have been killing Americans in Iraq. It's also wildly against UN resolutions. If the allegations that weapons have been smuggled over the border from Iran into Iraq are true, these weapons could've ended up being used against US troops in Iraq if they hadn't been caught.
I don't know if the North Korea/Iran connection existed before George W. Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech in 2002, but it's clear he was right to list them together. They obviously have some traits and trade in common.
Remember the UAE ports deal? Many Republicans in the legislature and conservatives nationwide doubted whether US security should be entrusted to an Arab nation like the UAE, and whether they could truly be our allies. I think this definitively shows that 1) our best interests are aided by their actions, and 2) they are good at sea security. This only reinforces my belief that we should've let the UAE buy the ports they wanted, and that only short-sighted prejudice prevented it.
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