Arab Think tank warns Gulf next Qaeda target; Dubai ‘ideal hub’

[kpete]

Think tank warns Gulf next Qaeda target; Dubai ‘ideal hub’

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP): The al-Qaeda terror network poses a real danger to the freewheeling countries of the Gulf, which may be its next target, and must be tackled seriously, a government-run think tank warns. The report, published by the government-run Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, said Osama bin Laden’s terror network is busy recruiting and sinking roots in the region. “As time passes without regional coordination and action, “gives … (this) give terrorism more opportunities to set a foothold and recruit new members in preparation for another wave of terrorism in the region,” said the report. Terror attacks in the Gulf region have been concentrated in Saudi Arabia, which launched an aggressive anti-terror campaign in 2003, killing and arresting many members of the al-Qaeda network in the oil-rich kingdom. The United Arab Emirates has so far been spared even though it has been a key player in the US-led war on terrorism. Authorities have arrested at least two alleged high-profile al-Qaeda members, passed laws against money laundering and kept a close watch on Islamic charities.


Terrorism specialists have said Dubai was an ideal logistical hub for al-Qaeda because of its liberal, cosmopolitan lifestyle and freewheeling business rules. Other Gulf states, such as Bahrain and Qatar, could also be targeted because of their close ties to the United States. Like Dubai, they are home to a huge expatriate work force. Europeans and other foreigners are attracted by tax-free investment opportunities and have flooded into the Gulf countries, where security is tight but low-key. After the Sept 11 attacks and the strain they left on Saudi-American relations — 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis — more Saudis have begun putting their money in Dubai, snapping up property and playing a booming stock market. While the report did not single out a specific country among the Emirates as a target, it warned of a collective danger to the growth and stability of the region. “Despite all the regional disputes over Iraq, it must be agreed that defeating al-Qaeda is an Arab and Islamic goal…. The result of the battle against terrorism in Iraq is linked to stability in the Middle East,” the report said. According to a recent study by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, there are an estimated 3,000 foreign fighters in Iraq. It said most of the Saudi fighters in Iraq were recruited after the US-led invasion.

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/ARABTIMES/world/view.asp?msgID=6005

[elehhhhna]

1. "freewheeling business rules" says it all, uh?

[Crazy Dave]

2. Anybody want to make a bet?

That the democratic leaders make less static and let this pass through easier than they did Alito?
$10 DU donation for any takers.

[tocqueville]

3. put that in relation with the US port deal... nt

[Coexist]

4. We had to close our Embassy in Dubai due to terror threats in 2004

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/24/uae.us.embassy/index.html
<snip>
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A bomb threat temporarily closed the U.S. Embassy and consulate general offices in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, according to a senior United Arab Emirates official and a statement from the embassy.

The embassy received a tip that a Somali man threatened to bomb a new building of the embassy in Abu Dhabi, the UAE official said. The man has since been arrested and is being questioned by police, the official said

*snort* Sure - I feel safe.