The UAE sounds like a hotbed of terrorism and repression.

[Taxloss]

This is from Consular advice released by the State Department. It's all linked to in this thread.

In the past year, several arrests have been made in the UAE in connection with various possible international Islamic extremist terrorist plots. The UAE Interior Ministry has urged UAE citizens to be alert and vigilant by, for example, keeping an eye out for suspect packages or people acting suspiciously at subway and train stations and airports and reporting anything suspicious to the appropriate authorities by contacting the free confidential anti-terrorist telephone hotline. Americans are reminded to remain vigilant with regard to their personal security and to exercise caution.

From time to time during periods of heightened threat of terrorism, the UAE government deems it necessary to raise levels of security activity. Heightened activity may include the use of military personnel in support of the police and law enforcement officers. The use of troops, who remain at all times under the control of the police, is part of long-standing contingency plans. Military personnel and equipment may be deployed at airports and other transportation links, or other public locations.

Early in 2001, two explosive devices were detonated in Dubai suburbs, injuring eight people and damaging buildings.

Not the sort of flaky operation you want in charge of ports.

[northzax]

1. gee, sounds to me like a place that arrests terroists

and using more military as security? sounds a lot like the US's contingency plans. Every other country in the world, save the US, has been known to use military personnel for domestic law enforcement. I have been in central Londan and watched soldiers, in fatigues, guarding the streets. Flown into De Gaulle and seen tanks on the runways. It's not uncommon.

[Terran1212]

2. They "re-engineer" homosexuals

[papau]

3. The buying/selling of humans (boys age 2 to 5 are "prime") plus the

other immoral rich kid crap they do makes them a hard sell for Bush to his religious fundies - which means the media will have to hide just how awful they are.

(the young boys are used as camel jockeys by tying them to the camel - the occasional little boy fall off and die is just the price the Emirs have to pay so as to have "fun" - and who cares about India/Pak girls sold into slavery - of all types - it is not like they were blonds)

[Taxloss]

4. Their northern province has an estimated 6000 sex slaves. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Doesn't one province have a history of terrorism

with sympathizers funding them through American organisations?

[Taxloss]

7. Yeah, decades of tribal violence.

The government claims it's more peaceful now, but there are still inter-tribal killings. Hate crime almost doubled in that province last year, and homophobic violence shot up 175%!

And there was talk of the conflict being fuelled by backers in the US, yes, I had forgotten about that. It was a hotbed of gun-running, and they supplied other terror groups in the ME.

Really nice place.

[AnnieBW]

6. Not That Bad

For a traditional Arab country. They're relatively moderate religiously. Their main religion is making money. The UAE has done a LOT to diversify their economy for when the oil runs out. They've become a technological hub of the Middle East. For all of their human rights faults, I believe that the UAE is one of the few countries in the Persian Gulf that allows women to vote. I know that they allow women to be employed.

[moondust]

8. Infiltrators and sympathizers.

"Leave the back gate unlocked Friday night."

"Make sure container 35962 gets through."
.
.
.

All in Arabic.

[JCMach1]

9. You don't have a clue...

that's been way too common here lately...