Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Keep Your Friends Close

By Ken Silverstein

When reading this:

A video tape smuggled out of the United Arab Emirates shows a member of the country’s royal family mercilessly torturing a man with whips, electric cattle prods and wooden planks with protruding nails. A man in a UAE police uniform is seen on the tape tying the victim’s arms and legs, and later holding him down as the Sheikh pours salt on the man’s wounds and then drives over him with his Mercedes SUV.

In a statement to ABC News, the UAE Ministry of the Interior said it had reviewed the tape and acknowledged the involvement of Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, brother of the country’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed. “The incidents depicted in the video tapes were not part of a pattern of behavior,” the Interior Ministry’s statement declared…The government statement said its review found “all rules, policies and procedures were followed correctly by the Police Department.” ABC News

It’s worth remembering this:

“UAE is a committed ally in the war on terror. They are a key partner for our military in a critical region…“They’re sharing intelligence so we can hunt down the terrorists.” — President Bush, March 10, 2006.

3 comments:

Steve Schuler said...

How many times must one sleep with the devil before the marriage is consumated?

Jodie said...

Maybe it takes one to know one.

Douglas Underhill said...

“The incidents depicted in the video tapes were not part of a pattern of behavior,”

No, they are a pattern of deep *belief*. Unsurprisingly for those who are keeping score, their government and our government worship the same idol.

Security.

And they put their existential trust in the same true savior.

Violence.

Hallowed be its name.