Chacham's Journal: No Reason: News from the UAE

Read the Gulf News and English online paper from the United Arab Emirates.

Aparently, they are taking harsh steps against selling tobacco to minors. Fines and closure of the store. That ought to prove effective. Well, to stop them from being openly sold.

And child-visitation rights for the father are a religious right.

The appellant's advocate mentioned in his pleading that the father has the legal right to see his children in his house on a weekly basis to be able to participate in raising them up properly. He explained that one hour for seeing the kids at the mother's house isn't enough.

Ramblings about the US and Israel in Iraq here

It is impossible to believe that an Iraqi government, temporary or otherwise, would have awarded a contract to any company that uses Israeli equipment.

And a complaint that Arabs are not spending enough on scienctific research.

Every once in a while i find it fun to pick a paper from a foriegn country and see what they are talking about.

Inconsistency

[Cyberdyne]

They claim "many" Arab mobile phone companies are owned by governments for "security reasons" - then claim there's no reason Iraq shouldn't accept those companies itself. Surely those same "security reasons" would preclude using a company owned by some other government?! Meanwhile, they suggest Iraq should be happy with a company owned by the government of, say, Iran, or Kuwait - but a private Jordanian company is out of the question, because it uses some equipment from Israel. Hm. Considering most Iraqis h

Re:Inconsistency

[Chacham]

scapegoat...their governments will have a lot of explaining to do.

Good point. Regardless of Israel being the scapegoat, they need a scapegoat. It helps to keep non-democracies in power. What they may be afraid of here is a democracy in Iraq. Israel may be mentioned here to get people infuriated, change the process, and ultimately remove the people from retaining power. A dictator is much more easily manipulated.

Besides, if they do not want to stay part of OPEC, given Iraq's oil, some countries will lose

Security reasons

[cybercuzco]

"Many arab phone companies are owned by the government for security reasons" In the next breath they complain that the israelis will be spying on them if israeli _equipment_ is used. I guess its ok for arab governments to spy on iraqis but not ok for the israelis. Not to mention the fact that in most case they are only talking about equipment manufactured in israel. Now I disagree with alot of the things israel does wrt the palestinians, but this borders on silliness, at least a reputable company (not g

Re:Security reasons

[Chacham]

I guess its ok for arab governments to spy on iraqis but not ok for the israelis.

Well, in their defence, they trust themselves. Or at least, that's what they are told to do.

Arab sensitivities?

[superyooser]

It is a shocking decision that pays no heed to Arab opinions or sensitivities.

Why should the U.S. make its decisions in deference to the "opinions or sensitivities" of a people so out of touch with reality of which many actually believed the asinine statements made by the Iraqi Minister of Information during the war and that has compared President Bush with Pharaoh and Prime Minister Sharon with Hitler? Most Arabs in the Middle East are militantly racist and support terrorism and genocide against the Jews