Iran waging a war in the Lebanon against Israel and the United States?

During the Cold War, the Superpowers never engaged in direct head-on conflict with one another. To have done so, might well have led to a chain of escalation that ultimately culminated in a nuclear exchange. Then, the outcome, even in victory, might well have resembled to "lose - lose" proposition, given the extent of devastation and loss of human life involved. Instead, when the ideological confrontation grew "hot", it did so in the more limited context of proxy wars, some of which were formidable in their own right, in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The ongoing conflict being fought between Hezbollah and Israel, on to battlefield that extends across northern Israel's civilian centers and throughout most of Lebanon, may well be an early proxy war waged on behalf of to rising Iranian power. According to the May 11, 2006 edition of Al - Sharq al - Awsat Iran to views Hezbollah as "one of the mainstays of its strategic security." Hezbollah is one of the strategic and tactical weapons Iran employs against its enemies, namely the United States, Israel, and the West. Former Hezbollah Secretary-General Subhi Al - Tufeili explained as much when I revealed that Hezbollah's "real leadership is 'the rule of the jurisprudent' - in other words, Khamenei."

The developments leading up to Hezbollah's highly provocative step of abducting two Israeli soldiers from Israeli soil suggest that Iran might well have had at least an indirect role in initiating the act that led to the ongoing hostilities. On June 16, 2006, Al - Sharq Al - Awsat reported, "Well-informed sources in Tehran have told Al - Sharq al - Awsat that the talks held in Tehran between Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Turkmani and his Iranian counterpart Mustafa Mohammad Najjar did not only deal with military and security aspects of the strategic cooperation between the two countries, but also with the situation in Lebanon." At the time, there was no Israeli presence on Lebanese soil. The newspaper also noted, "Syria, on its part, has renewed its previous agreements with Iran which allow Iranian ammunition trucks to pass [through Syria] into Lebanon" to resupply Hezbollah. In short, at at time when the Lebanon-Israel border was quiet, Iran was discussing "the situation in Lebanon" with Syria and facilitating the supply of arms to Hezbollah.

Then, on July 8, multiple news organizations reported that President Ahmadinejad urged the Islamic world to take action to destroy Israel. Voice of America reported, "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke Saturday in Tehran at the opening of regional Conference of Islamic nations." He said the basic problem in the Islamic world is the existence of what I have called the Zionist regime. "He said the Islamic world must mobilize to remove the problem." Arguably, that was the "green light" for Tehran that Hezbollah was awaiting.

Following Hezbollah's act of aggression, Edward N. Luttwak, senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Toronto Globe & Mail, "Iran's leaders have apparently decided to reject the Western offer to peacefully settle the dispute over its weapons - grade uranium-enrichment program..." Evidently, Sheikh Nasrallah felt compelled to serve Iran's strategy. "Aside from the multimillion-dollar monthly subsidy it provides, Iran is the spiritual homeland of Hezbollah leaders, some of whom have studied in Iranian religious schools."

Since the onset of fighting, Iranian media organizations having close ties to its ruling conservative clerics have used the outcomes to date to validate perceptions of Israeli and American weakness. Such commentary has argued that Israeli "invincibility" has ceased to exist, Israel is weaker than it was 40 years ago, and that Israelis are abandoning Israel.

On July 13, yi-Jomhuri Eslami wrote of Hezbollah's raid, "Israel's security network is now damaged and this will lead to more pressure on Israel's government." Five days later, it proclaimed, "[N] ow that the Hezbollah has shown its military superiority it proves that all of America's plans have been nothing more than a mirage and they have to tolerate the bitter taste of defeat again." On July 20, Resalat claimed, "Following the inefficiency of the Zionist regime in dealing with Hezbollah's activities the myth of Israel's invincibility has come to an end..." "Shelling Israel's cities by Hezbollah has started to trend of reverse immigration from Israel and the people are leaving the occupied lands."

Such commentary has also attempted to elevate Iran's role against the rest of the Middle East as spokesman for the "world of Islam" and to proclaim the birth of a new Middle Eastern order arrayed against the United States and Israel. On July 20, pro-Khamenei daily Kayhan dismissed Saudi Arabian and Egyptian criticism of Hezbollah stating, "The rulers of Saudi Arabia and Egypt can't talk on behalf of themselves and their people but not on behalf of the world of Islam or even Arab people."
Separately, the Kayhan explained what it saw as a new emerging geopolitical order in the Middle East:

American and Israeli groups are furiously confused. They have understood very well that their big Middle East plan has turned into a series of explosive traps against themselves. If Iran was alone in the past, gradually the triangle of Iran, Syria and Lebanon was formed. Now Hamas has turned this into a square triangle. And the establishment of the principle-ist government in Iraq after it has turned into a pentagon. This pentagon represents the new coordinates of the Middle East.

Iran's geopolitical calculations suggest that the stakes in the outcome in Lebanon are too great for Iran to allow Hezbollah to be "defeated". Therefore, if Iran is involved in any part of the ceasefire/peace process Iran will likely insist on a ceasefire from which Hezbollah would gain, whether it would be Hezbollah's retaining its ability to function as an armed group in Lebanon or realizing its initial demand for a "prisoner swap." At the same time, it would likely seek to thwart any deal if it cannot leverage gains for its nuclear weapons program.

Such backing will likely embolden Hezbollah and its backers within Lebanon preclude from accepting compromises that would diminish Hezbollah's capabilities. Hence, if Iran has its way, on ceasefire would preserve Hezbollah, if not allow it to make gains, while failing to meet Israel's core need for security. After all, why would Iran seek to accommodate Israel's core needs when, according to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Israel is a "fake state" that should be eliminated. In fact, Iran's commentary views the outcome in Lebanon as a potential downpayment toward that end with Keyhan, another Khamenei-affiliated periodical, describing it as "a big opportunity to demolish Israel."

All said, the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah might well mark Iran's proxy war with Israel first and the United States. Given the geopolitical ramifications involved, it probably won't be the last such conflict and future ones could be even deadlier as more powerful weapons and technologies are injected into the mix. Therefore, if the international community seeks regional stability and peace, it will need to work toward a decisive settlement with Lebanon's leaders to eliminate Hezbollah as an armed element. It will also need to work energetically toward translating any ceasefire agreement into a full peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon. Otherwise, Lebanon will all but certainly become the host of combat in future proxy wars waged on behalf of Iran, and its people will experienced renewed suffering as a consequence.

Don Sutherland has researched and written on a wide range of geopolitical issues.

Overview of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

By the early twentieth century, a leading source of economic activity was the pearl trade. However, World War I, the Great Depression, and the Japanese invention of the cultured pearl resulted in a significant weakening of the pearling industry. The heavy taxation on pearls imported from the Gulf following World War II by India caused its irreversible decline. As a result, some turned to fishing. But, with little education and no roads or hospitals, the future looked bleak. By the 1930s, the first oil company entered the region and began conducting surveys around Abu Dhabi. In 1962, Abu Dhabi exported its first cargo of crude oil that would play an essential role in the UAE's development.

Since the 1820s, the English had maintained a presence in this region. In 1853, Britain intervened in the area due to pirate threats and made a permanent truce to provide protection and oversight of the foreign policy. It was explicitly understood that Britain would not colonize the area. This agreement was made with a group known as the Trucial States, which were a collection of sheikdoms in the Persian Gulf. The Trucial States, also referred to as the Trucial Colony, was composed of present-day Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman. Following a period of Arab nationalism and anti-British activity beginning in the 1940s and 1950s, the British eventually relinquished administration of the region in 1971.

On December 2, 1971, the UAE was created by uniting seven of the Trucial States under a unified Constitution: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Abu Dhabi is the largest of the former territories and is the federal capital. Dubai is second largest of the emirates and is the main port, commercial center, and airport hub. The five other emirates are smaller areas that realize political and economic benefits through alliances with the larger neighbors, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. All seven states are ruled by Sunnis.

The UAE is considered by some to be an autocracy, which is a form of government in which one person possesses unlimited power. There has been even less political reform in this country than in other Gulf States, even Saudi Arabia. International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have ranked the UAE as having among the least free political systems in the world. In particular, such studies have highlighted the existence of the 'sheikh's dilemma' in the UAE, in which economic but not political reform is pursued. To maintain peace, a 'ruling bargain' is implemented where the UAE government distributes oil wealth equitably, while also carefully exploiting a range of ideological, religious, and cultural resources. Others simply state that the UAE exhibits a monarchical presidency led by ruling families on neo-patrimonial lines.

Following the British withdrawal, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became the first president. Sheikh Zayed, once Emir (or ruler) of Abu Dhabi, ruled as UAE's president for over thirty years until his death on November 2, 2004. Due to oil wealth, Sheikh Zayed became one of the richest individuals in the world with an estimated net worth in excess of $24 billion (USD). Following his death, the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan became President of the UAE. Sheikh Khalifa is the world's third richest member of a royal family, with an estimated net worth of $19 billion (USD). The presidency of UAE is decided by a vote by the Federal Supreme Court (FSC), a governmental entity in the UAE rather than through an electoral or popular vote. Political parties are strictly prohibited.

The UAE's highest authority is the Supreme Council of Rulers (SCR). The SCR is given power to initiate policy and reject laws that have been previously passed. Seven hereditary rulers and sometimes their crown princes and closest advisors have control of this governing body. Subordinate to the SCR is the Federal Council of Ministers (COM). The bulk of UAE's policies and daily affairs are formulated by the COM, which meets more frequently and formally than the SCR. The judicial branch of government is run by the Union Supreme Court. Judges are appointed directly by the UAE president.

The FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE and has both legislative and executive powers. Overseeing the FSC are the rulers from each of the seven emirates. In addition to the FSC, there are both secular and Islam courts in all seven emirates. The secular courts in the UAE rule on criminal, civil, and commercial matters. Family and religious disputes are heard in the Islamic courts. Each emirate has their own government with municipalities and departments.

There is a high degree of political stability in the UAE, and it is the only Arab state to have a working federal system that withstood the test of time. Furthermore, there are many women in all levels of government. This is a positive reflection on the UAE given its Middle East location.

Sheikh Zayed had a foreign policy to not use force over compromise and to become a major donor of overseas aid, such as infrastructure development and humanitarian relief.

Sheikh Kahlifa developed a foreign policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. He also supported the pursuit of peaceful resolutions of disputes. The UAE has provided support to the Iraqi Government in the form of debt forgiveness and is a strong advocate of instilling peace in the Middle East with help primarily from the USA. In addition, the UAE promotes intercultural and interfaith dialogues with the primary goal of mitigating misunderstanding between faiths and cultures with the belief that such misunderstandings are used as leverage by terrorists and those who harbor them.

There is strong support in the UAE for international institutions such as the United Nations. The UAE signed or ratified laws to protect the rights of people with disabilities and hosted conventions to eradicate torture and cruelty in punishment, suppression of nuclear terrorism and combating human trafficking. Illicit drugs are another problem, as its proximity to South Asia makes it a drug transshipment point for traffickers. Furthermore, being a major financial center, the UAE is at risk of harboring money laundering schemes. The international community is seeking the UAE government to implement controls to mitigate these problems. The UAE is also a supporter of peaceful resolutions in Palestinians with the support of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Disputes have existed between the UAE and Iran over the ownership rights to three UAE-based islands. These disputes date back to 2003 when Oman and the UAE signed and ratified boundary agreements for the entire border. Failing to publish the agreement and detailed maps of alignment gave Iran the opportunity to dispute the Tunb and Abu Musa Islands. In October 2009, Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a joint commission between itself and the UAE. Furthermore, the UAE has concern over Iran's nuclear program. Once long-time tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also abated. The biggest threat to the UAE is an internal regime failure, which would collapse the GCC military.

The UAE's foreign aid policy is based on the Islamic philosophy of extending a helping hand for the needy to fulfill a duty of all Muslims. Wealth from oil and gas provides the UAE with the means of helping less fortunate countries. Organizations such as the UAE Red Crescent, which provides emergency relief, play an important role in such efforts.

Relations with the USA have been well-maintained and unified with the goal of maintaining a strong alliance with security and economic interests, including stability in the Middle East and the reliable supply of energy to global markets. The UAE is the largest importer in the Arab World of US goods at $144 billion (USD) in 2008. Over 750 US firms have a presence in the UAE, including Bechtel, ExxonMobil, Starbucks and Cold Stone Creamery. (The World Factbook 2009, 15) Following the global recession, the UAE has tried to insulate the local economy while working with multilateral institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and on a bilateral basis to help countries most seriously impacted.

One setback for the UAE is the severe repression of freedom of speech. There are controls restricting the media from criticizing or questioning the actions of policy. The UAE government pushed new media laws past a first legislative hurdle on January 20, 2009, which would restrict the freedom of press. Any journalist who criticizes the royal family or publishes information that is damaging to the economy, Islam, or UAE citizens is fined up to 1,000,000 Emirati Dirhams (AED). The maximum fine is equivalent to about $270,000 USD. Imprisonment is also possible, but rarely enforced, as the industry practices self-censorship. Censorship has also been exercised by the UAE government. Censoring media on UAE's prison affairs, democratization efforts, and criticism of the ruling family is seen as repressive to the rights of UAE citizens.

For instance, the UAE does not participate in a bankruptcy process as in many Western nations. Debtors unable to meet such obligations are sent to a debtor's prison and this has been an increasingly occurring affair since the start of the global financial crisis. Many questions have been raised about the ethical nature of this practice, as well as the level of humane treatment at such facilities.

Property rights in the UAE are about forty percent below the global average, according to the Heritage Foundation, due to the considerable influence the ruling families exercise on the judiciary. Corruption and incompetence in the system is rarely challenged. All land in Abu Dhabi is government-owned. Foreigners may obtain mortgages in Dubai. The UAE leads the region in the protection of intellectual property rights.

The population of the UAE is expected to grow from 4.76 million in 2008 to 5.06 million in 2009, a 6.31 percent annual growth rate. The UAE is extremely reliant on expatriates in its workforce. As of 2007, there were an estimated 3.62 million non-UAE nationals versus 864,000 UAE-born nationals. Most labor issues concern expatriates, especially among the unskilled segment. Addressing these issues is an ongoing development.

In the same year there were an estimated 3.08 million males and 1.4 million females. While Arabic is the official language, English is preferred in the international business community of the UAE. Islam is the official religion of the UAE, but all religions are tolerated.

UAE nationals are described as being tolerant, forward-looking individuals who maintain a strong sense of tradition. There is a high standard of living that is shared by many, including a well-developed education system and health services. There are over sixty public and private universities in the UAE. The illiteracy rate is approximately seven percent.

The UAE government supports efforts to develop human services, especially to assist in the empowerment of women and for social welfare programs. Approximately thirty percent of the UAE workforce is comprised of women. While migrants primarily wear Western-style clothing outside of work, the UAE nationals primarily wear traditional clothing in most settings for cultural reasons and to distinguish themselves from foreigners. Rapid advancements in healthcare facilities have drastically reduced infant mortality (to approximately eight out of every 1,000 births in 2008) and raised the average life expectancy age in the UAE (to seventy-seven for men and eighty for women). Social security services amounted to over $600 million (USD) in 2008, providing financial assistance to nearly 38,000 people.

The UAE sought to modernize under President Sheikh Zayed. Today, the country benefits from a vibrant free economy with a significant annual trade surplus. Reform of property laws has led to a boom in real estate and tourism, especially within Dubai. Tourism is expected to increase to 11.2 million tourists to the UAE in 2010.

Using such efforts as free trade zones, the UAE has been able to successfully diversify away from dependence on oil and gas exports. Free trade zones attract significant foreign investment given the incentive of one-hundred percent foreign ownership and tax-free profits, creating thousands of jobs and facilitating a technology transfer. In 2007, the direct foreign investment (DFI) into the UAE was the highest in the region, at around $19 billion (USD). Two of the largest free trade zones in the UAE are the Dubai Media City and Jebel Ali Free Zone. For instance, Jebel Ali Free Zone, a container port terminal, transports over eight million containers of cargo each year and was expected to reach $180 million in profits in 2007. This is more than all of India's ports combined.

The GDP in the UAE was approximately $199 billion (USD) in 2007 using current prices, which represented a 5.2 percent annual growth rate and is approximately 115 times larger than its GDP in 1971. Major industries are oil and gas, petrochemicals, aluminum, cement, ceramics, ship repair, pharmaceuticals, tourism, transport, real estate and financial services. While many private companies operate six days each week, the government institutions reserve Friday and Saturday as days off.

In 2007, the UAE economy was ranked the twenty-ninth most competitive economy out of forty advanced economies in a study. This puts the country well ahead of any other Middle Eastern nation. According to the study, some of the strengths of the UAE included a government surplus, low national debt and a high national savings rate. Some of the weaknesses include uneven performance, a lack of innovation and entrepreneurship and high inflation, which unofficially has been as high as fifteen percent. In fact, the UAE is now the second largest Arab economy, behind only Saudi Arabia.

Economic growth is anticipated to slow as the country continues to mature and stabilize. Several serious issues hinder the continued UAE economic expansion. The property market throughout the country has issues such as project delays and bank funding shortages. Partially finished commercial buildings can be found primarily in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and to a lesser extent in the other five emirates The recent decline in fuel prices has had implications on the UAE budget despite efforts to diversify. Furthermore, the UAE government is implementing more stringent lending guidelines for individuals and companies, while UAE banks are reducing exposure to foreign debt. The UAE had a budget surplus in 2006 of 211.3 billion AED. In 2007, the budget surplus increased to 236.15 billion AED.

Despite the efforts by the UAE to become less dependent on natural resources as a source of revenue, petroleum and natural gas exports continue to play an important role in the economy. UAE main export partners are Japan, China, and Iran. Imports into the UAE are mostly machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and food. Its main import partners are the European Union (Germany, UK and Italy), China, India, the US, and Japan. In 2006, the UAE had a trade surplus of 132.38 billion AED and a trade surplus of 135.94 billion AED in 2007.

To support the banks, the government is working on establishing guarantees of banking deposits and supporting low interest rates. Also, major infrastructure projects are being initiated at this time to lock in savings due to the economic downturn. Corporate governance and transparency standards are rising in the UAE as of late to instill international investor confidence in its equity markets.

The AED is currently pegged to the USD at 3.673 AED to every USD. The peg was established in the late 1980s; the current peg was established in 2002. This strategy could work well for the UAE because one of the country's major sources of revenue is oil, which is denominated in USD. However, this also makes the UAE subject to any and all currency movements in the USD relative to other currencies. One of the major drawbacks of this exchange rate policy is the effect of high inflation in the UAE.

There have been several lessons learned in the UAE following the most recent global recession. First, leaders in both the public and private sectors took note of the correlation and interconnectedness of global market players. Secondly, careful study was undertaken to evaluate the re-recessionary impact on the UAE economy of oil price declines. Despite slowing growth, the UAE still has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. One of the main drivers of economic growth and employment creation in this country has been the consistency of fixed capital investment from the government, public institutions, and private entities. Four primary sectors are attracting investment and providing economic expansion in the UAE: hydrocarbons, manufacturing, transportation and communications and real estate.

Dubai plays a strategic role in the future of the UAE. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Dubai had become the premier trading post of the Persian Gulf. Today, it is a massive metropolis with a population in excess of two million people. The initial catalyst for the emirate was oil wealth, which was used to invest in infrastructure and facilitated rapid socioeconomic developments starting in the 1970s and 1980s. A pioneering model was then introduced to create a post-oil economy based on diverse industrialization and a variety of specialist free zones. The diverse industrialization included such sectors as commercial infrastructure, light import-substitution, promotion of luxury tourism and a freehold real estate market.

Abu Dhabi, UAE's political capital, has at least ten percent of the world's proven hydrocarbon deposits and over ninety percent of UAE oil exports. Through oil-based revenues flowing into the country, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has formed to become the largest sovereign wealth fund (SWF) in the world. ADIA has teams of foreign experts that scour the globe for a variety of investment opportunities in the developed world, such as a five-percent stake in Fiat-controlled Ferrari, Southeast Asian emerging markets, and other developing countries (such as investments in Libya's tourist infrastructure) that are expected to have substantial future growth.

Over the next ten or more years, the UAE and GCC members as a whole are anticipated to receive a windfall from a strong demand-side energy stimulus due primarily to the rapid economic developments in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICs). The BRICs were first recognized by a team of economists and other researchers at Goldman Sachs and, according to their predictions, the BRICs will exert considerable pricing pressure on global energy markets over at least the next decade due to their rapid economic development. If this takes place, the UAE will be able to sustain high investment levels and strong welfare-enhancing economic growth. Due to current regional instability and periods of regional violence, which is among the worst in the world, the UAE's full economic potential from this scenario will unlikely be reached. Nonetheless, the UAE and the rest of the GCC have an opportunity in the coming decades to become one of the most prosperous regions in the world.

Despite impressive economic growth and development, areas of vulnerability within the economic system of the UAE exist. Social welfare systems have tied the government to burdensome distributive practices, which can bread an unproductive mentality among the native population. Secondly, many new sectors are especially reliant on foreign investment and an expanding expatriate workforce. For instance, Dubai has succumbed to not only globalizing but also appears to be Westernizing. Taboo industries for the UAE have been established in Dubai to cater to foreign residents. They include night clubs, movie theaters and bars.

The other five emirates outside of Abu Dhabi and Dubai lack in economic development and growth potential. Ajman and Sharjah are both resided in by Dubai workers looking for cheaper accommodations. Ajman has great stability, with only four rulers since 1900. Sharjah is a city of learning and the arts, representing the cultural capital of the Arab World and has over twenty museums. Umm al-Qaiwain is the second smallest emirate and is relatively unproblematic and politically stable. However, the emirate's stance on alcohol has created rifts with the UAE rulers. Umm al-Qaiwain licenses the right to sell and consume alcoholic products, like Dubai, but also operates hug shops at beach resorts. Residents in this emirate rely on fishing and cultivating palm trees as primary sources of income. Umm al-Qaiwain is undergoing an architectural renaissance and is rapidly developing. Fujairah is the only emirate on the eastern side of the UAE along the Gulf of Oman and has lowly status in the country's development process. If it is able to overcome this situation, Fujairah has the potential to become an important alternative port of Dubai and the rest of the UAE.

The emirate benefits from great stability and good neighbor relations. Ras al-Khaimah has experienced instability over the last few decades and is expected to have more internal problems over the near future. It is not oil rich nor near Dubai, but is an important supply of labor into Dubai.

Financial regulation is somewhat complex in the UAE. The DIFC has its own regulator, the DFSA, and its own civil and commercial laws. The rest of the UAE financial system is regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE, The Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (ESCA) and the Ministry of Economic Planning (MEP).

The Central Bank of the UAE is granted a general power to create rules governing all matters that fall within its authority. Most of the Central Bank's power focuses on setting monetary policy and bank regulation, rather than regulating the securities market unless it regards anti-money laundering practices.

There is no formal bond market in the UAE. In order for companies to issue debt, they must list the bond offering on a different exchange (such as the London Stock Exchange), through bond dealers in commercial banks or through private placements directly to investors.

Of the seven emirates in the UAE, Dubai has been hit the hardest by the global financial crisis. The volatile situation in Dubai has affected the whole country and, coupled with a fall in oil prices, the IMF estimate a 3.3 percent contraction in the UAE in 2010. Alternatively, UAE officials have expressed optimism about the country's future in an attempt to instill confidence in the UAE economy.

The GCC states, seek to become a regional financial hubs. Barriers to achieving this goal have risen as a result of the Dubai World crisis and the UAE's response. International confidence in the ability of GCC to restructure their debts have been questioned as global investors express concern over issues of transparency, accountability and good corporate governance. At the heart of the issue is the region's reputation for good governance. An even more serious development is whether such problems are symptomatic of a deeper trend. It is expected that international investors will subject the Gulf states to a far greater level of scrutiny in the future.

UAE government-produced research on the economic outlook in 2009 acknowledged that challenges lay ahead due to the financial crisis and global economic downturn, but emphasizes the country's strong foundation in which to withstand such challenges. The large current account surplus, estimated at $285 billion (USD) in 2008, and the government's large controlled overseas assets is expected to shield the UAE from a sharp downturn. However, trade and associated industries are anticipating a slowdown in exports in the future. One positive key prospect from this downturn is the expected decline in inflationary pressures in the UAE due to a fall in soft and hard commodity prices.

Liquidity in the banking sector is an issue that is receiving close attention by government officials in the UAE, as non-Abu Dhabi based banks appear to be undercapitalized following a series of profit falls. The property market, especially in Dubai, is very weak and precipitated by negative sentiment and a short supply of funding. Future construction projects are in doubt as leveraged property firms struggle to obtain new capital. Public-funded infrastructure projects, on the other hand, are expected to continue to experience robust growth. For instance, construction on Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport will be the world's largest aviation hub when finished in 2015.

The UAE government literature emphasized that the government will not let any major firm fail. Furthermore, it was highlighted that most leading firms in major sectors such as property, banking and transport are either wholly or partially government-owned and, as such, their debts have an implicit government guarantee.

David Stone, MBA is a recent business school graduate with sell-side equity research experience.

Muslims and Identity in the United States

"Country of a man is not a given area of land, mountains, rivers and forests, but is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle." - George William Curtis

Does every day, thousands of Muslims in North America are faced with the same question and predicament wishing to address: "I'm a Muslim American"? Or am I a Muslim American? ". This identity crisis has plagued the Muslim communities in North America, leading to confusion among young Muslims who should his loyalty; Should his loyalty to America first or it is due to the land his parents came from? It is very important to the Muslim communities to establish that one should owe his own loyalty to several different principles, such as the States of Tariq Ramadan in many of his speeches, include a hyphen between the two identities rather than having one to replace one identity in the other. It is important to establish this distinction between the two types of identities one can take, as the identity that Ramadan suggest that it is very essential to ensure the future as loyalties that is inside provide the necessary elements for the future of Islam in the West.

Muslim communities in the West need to pave the way for the conversion of the identities of many young Muslims and older living within their communities with little contact with other identity of non-Muslim communities. In the book of Ramadan, Ramadan strongly inspects the isolation level currently held in Muslim communities in the West, where the loyalties of the Western Muslims are heavily focused on loyalty to Islam only. This can be seen when he writes it is necessary that the Muslim communities in the Western world to avoid isolation and participate in societies in which they live, in order to address the many problems facing these communities. Ramadan believes that this can be dangerous, as the lack of loyalty towards where a Western Muslim lies in that it can lead to isolation. The isolation resulting from this lack of loyalty to a country can prevent Muslim communities allowing their problems to be taken seriously and addressed. In addition, this lack of loyalty can lead to a lack of the necessary interaction between the communities of Muslims and non-Muslims can be meant to prevent social, economic and cultural benefits in Muslim communities. Ramadan said that Muslim communities in the West should establish interactions with others around them, as this may lead to political, social and cultural achievements. Therefore, it is important for Muslim Americans in the West to establish loyalties to their respective countries proud and take full advantage of the rights that are able to exercise. Establishing the loyalty within Muslim communities in the United States, Muslims of all ages should feel obliged to contribute to the very intricate political system, allowing them to address the issues, wanting to improve. Finally, Ramadan mentions that establish a loyalty to the country of a Muslim in the West also can contribute to the improvement of the Muslim community, as doing so can help to establish an identity among the non-Muslim communities. Muslim communities did not establish an identity among the non-Muslim communities, which contributes to the reality addresses why Muslims have been recognized as anti-American in the United States recently. The reality is the fact that Muslims have failed to correctly illustrate that there is true loyalty to the United States exhibition. In result, a population of Americans believes that Muslims are indeed, anti-American. Consequently, they succeed finding the will to address the problems and issues they face today in Muslim communities. Of as a result of this, it is necessary that Muslim communities established loyalties to their respective countries in order to ensure future of Muslims and provide improvement of Muslims in the West.

Still another facet and prospect of loyalty, where Ramadan fails to consider that it is necessary for the construction of the future of not only Western Muslims, but Muslims around the world. Ramadan cannot examine the degree of decrease of loyalty to those who are currently losing young Muslims. Reality points to the fact that young Muslims in the West not now for illustrating that they are truly loyal to the West. Ramadan addressed this to some extent, where he states that the loss of a Muslim identity can lead to the loss of future resources that can be beneficial to resolve problems within Muslim communities in the future. This can be taken a step further, where the loss of loyalty of young Muslim men to the countries in which they came from can lead to the loss of bright reflection can accelerate the path to solve the problems in the Muslim world. Therefore, it is important to the Muslim communities in the West to ensure the loyalty of young Muslims, which in turn can be used to convert to a longing, desire and the desire of these young Muslims to address currently evident problems in the Muslim world. This can be seen very clearly in a part of the Muslim community in Detroit, where according to Yahoo! News, communities of young Muslims have been test protests to condemn the deadly reprisals by the Syrian security forces against peaceful demonstrators. This can be represented as an example of how you can convert as well as loyalty to desire to solve problems in the Muslim world. Thus, one can really see how loyalty of the Western Muslim country where it comes is important to solve the problems which currently takes place in the Muslim world.

Examine the consequences of the use of loyalty of the Muslim West, one can really see how these loyalties are essential for the future of the only Western non-Muslim, but for Muslims around the world. Consequently, it is necessary for a call to action to be thrust to establish loyalties discussed in this essay, what is important to distinguish between what he calls the Ramadan as a "with guiones-identidad rather than an identity which replaces the other." This can be achieved by providing educational seminars and lectures to illustrate the importance of these loyalties and identities to ensure the future of Muslims in the West and around the world. In this way, the Muslim communities in the West will have success in Muslim force to work to establish these loyalties and identities within their communities.

Members of Al Qaeda comes from all sides, including the United States

Un portavoz de Al Qaida recientemente animó a los musulmanes para llevar a cabo ataques en los Estados Unidos y Europa. Dijo que es un deber y obligación de llevar a cabo estos ataques. Esto no es una ocurrencia inusual. Al Qaida ha sido activo en años haciendo amenazas públicas contra los Estados Unidos y Europa. Esta amenaza particular es interesante porque el portavoz no nació en Arabia Saudita, Irán o Irak. Nació en los Estados Unidos.

El portavoz de Al Qaida es Adam Gadahn. Él no crece un musulmán, ni hizo crecer hasta en una ciudad musulmana-dominante. Creció en una granja en California y fue criado cristiano. Se convirtió al Islam a los 17 años. Ahora él está luchando contra el país de su nacimiento.

El reciente video protagonizada por Gadahn alienta a los inmigrantes musulmanes en particular, especialmente en ciudades como París, Detroit y Londres, que tienen los inmigrantes musulmanes grandes poblaciones; muchos de estos recién llegados han tenido dificultades para encontrar un empleo decente.

Gadahn no es nueva para el terrorismo. Ha sido querido por el FBI desde 2004. Esto no es el primer video de Al Qaida que ha aparecido en.

Los Estados Unidos no está haciendo mucho para evitar la producción de futuros terroristas de Al Qaida. Es no hacer nada para impedir que los extremistas mezquitas propagación; de hecho, hace justo lo contrario. FEISAL Abdul-Rauf, que se espera que lleve a la mezquita de la zona cero, tiene lazos con el Islam radical y grupos terroristas como Hamas y Al Qaida (a través de la Perdana paz organización Global, que ayudó a financiar la "Flotilla de paz", copatrocinado por el IHH, presuntamente involucrado con los grupos terroristas), pero el Gobierno no sólo es no tratar de evitar su construcción, está pagando Rauf para viajar al extranjero para recaudar dinero para financiar el proyecto. Las acciones de los Estados Unidos están mostrando al mundo que no va a hacer nada para detener la propagación del terrorismo islámico.

No hay que demonizar a musulmanes. La Constitución garantiza la libertad de religión, y la mayoría musulmanes vivan sus vidas en paz sin intención de realizar actos de traición; Sin embargo, porque sabemos que hay extremistas islámicos en este país intención de dañar a este país, tendría sentido para desalentar el comportamiento extremista y no recompensa personas sospechosamente mirar que tengan vínculos con el terrorismo. Estados Unidos debe desalentar, no alentar, futuros portavoces de Al Qaida desde se cultivan a nivel nacional.

Estados Unidos tiene un montón de problemas. A fin de restaurar América, le ayuda a estar informado. Brooke Lorren ha compilado una lista extensa de Glenn Beck recomendaciones de libro que puede enseñar acerca de la historia, América hoy y cómo mejorar el futuro de Estados Unidos.