UAE and Iran get cozy

Tuesday, March 7th, 2006 12:50 pm by Neal

(hat tip: Neal Boortz)

Just because the UAE has agreed to a 45-day “cooling off” period over the proposed Port Deal doesn’t mean that they’re resting on their laurels. Now we learn that the Emirates are seeking stronger relations with…drumroll please…Iran! Perhaps this is a way to test President Bush’s stubborness, uh, loyalty, to this inexplicable deal. Let’s count the ways that the UAE’s policies contradict the President’s “Your either with us or against us” selectively-enforced litmus test in the War on Terror:

  • The UAE officially recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
  • The UAE governmental policy still does not recognize the right of Israel to exist.
  • The UAE State-owned company is an active participant in the Arab boycott against Israel.
  • The UAE, like the Saudi’s and others, continues to fund Hamas.
  • And now, the UAE is seeking stronger ties with Iran.

Of course, this is the “reformed” UAE we’re now talking about, not the pre-9/11 UAE that birthed two of the 9/11 terrorists and funnelled money to Al Qaeda (among other nasty things). For more information, see Tehran, Dubai to strengthen ties:

Senior officials of the Iranian government met with United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad ben Rashid al-Maktoum today in Dubai with both sides pledging to strengthen relations in all areas.

Iran is the center of the world’s attention because of its efforts to develop and test nuclear weapons, while the UAE is the focus of a major controversy in the U.S. because of Dubai Ports World’s efforts to control operations of U.S. ports.

The official Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency reports Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi and the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammad pledged to strengthen ties between the two Persian Gulf nations.

Mostafavi also invited Sheikh Mohammad for a state visit to Tehran. The meetings included a briefing on the Iranians positions on Iraq, Palestinian developments and the status of Iran-Russia talks on the nuclear controversy. A briefing was offered on the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.

But, don’t dare criticize the UAE for cozying up to the most dangerous regime in the Middle East. It’s none of your business, you racist Islamaphobe.

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