The deceitful US

Categories: Wormie Says

The Dubai Ports World and the Greece Vodafone scandals are very good example of the paranoia and megalomanic attitude of the US. These saga exposed the lack of trust and confidence in its allies.

Dubai had hosted a US military airbase for the last 10 years and U.S. warships have called at Dubai's Jebel Ali Port, a massive man-made harbor. They also have trade ties amounting to US$10 billion a year. Dubai Ports World recently acquired the British-based firm, P&O that among others operated 6 ports in the US. This has created a furore and controversy with the US lawmaker when they feared that these ports may become the gateway for terrorists to the US. This is despite a State Department spokesman assertion that "Nothing in this acquisition has anything to do with the responsibility for security in American ports. That remains very firmly in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security." And this is despite Dubai being the first Middle East government to accept the U.S. Container Security Initiative as policy to screen all containers for security hazards before heading to America.

In Greece, a member of the EU, a scandal broke after a story in Athens daily Ta Nea in February reported on a phone-tapping conspiracy described in some quarters as a Greek Watergate. The mobile phones of approximately 100 people whose ranks include journalists and Arabs living in Greece, as well as the country's political and security elite including that of Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and cabinet ministers were monitored after snooping software was illegally installed on the systems of Vodafone Greece, the country's second largest mobile operator. This happened for about a year around the time of the Athens Olympics. Communist MP Liana Kanelli said the material used was "very sophisticated", and that its use pointed to US involvement. Further, a former American diplomat based at the US embassy in Athens, who resigned three years ago, told the BBC he was convinced the Americans were involved because they did not trust the Greek authorities on the issue of protecting the Athens Olympics from any potential terrorist attack.

These two incidences highlighted a few problems with the US. Firstly, it doesn't matter if you are allies or foe, you have to succumb to the US policies. It is always US first and then the rest of the world. All talks about allies and cooperations are sheer nonsence. You are US friend when needed otherwise it is just lip service.

Secondly, it emphasises on the megalomanic attitude of the US. Anything US is good, anything else if bad - allies or not; unless you subscribed to US means. If US intelligence is so good, why the Oklahoma bombings and the tragic and unnecessary 9/11 World Trade Centre bombings?

Thirdly, one wonders whether there is any Arab-phobia or Islam-phobia with US lawmakers. There had been many countries that run port operations in the US including China. Why do these deals get the go ahead when the DP World does not?

Whatever the outcome of these controversies, it is not difficult to see why the US is not the most popular country in the world. Here is a country that professes free trade, human rights, rule of law, democracy but in effect, carried out just the opposite. One wonders if the US is any better on this count when compared to the former Soviet Union. At least Soviet Union's action was consistent with its policies and not hide under a cloak of deceit and propaganda.


Links: Dubai1 Dubai2 Greece1 Greece2