MJC

Is it just me or does no-one else see the huge irony that one of the biggest jewish run conglomerates in the world serves up lattes and the like to a whole host of Israeli hating Arabs?

Just a thought!

Starbucks factfile
Started by Howard Schultz, $6.4 billion global company today, with more than 90,000 employees, 9,700 stores, and 33 million weekly customers.
Howard Shultz, the chairman of Starbucks is an active zionist.
In 1998 he was honoured by the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah with "The Israel 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Tribute Award" for his services to the zionist state in "playing a key role in promoting close alliance between the United States and Israel". The Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah funds israeli arms fairs chaired by the butcher of Jenin - General Shaul Mofaz, and the zionist propaganda website honestreporting.com

W10

Not ironic, just UAE

Money over principle anyday.

MJC

Or even more likely, they have no idea!

Desert Dweller

You can add Coca Cola and Marks and spencers to the list too. And Fleishman and JC Penney I think.

Years ago going into Muscat we had our clothes labels checked to see if they had M&S in them- how things have changed!

W10

Lets not give them the benefit of the doubt MJC.

The UAE would sell its collective grandmother for a commercial opportunity. I mean, it only took them 21 days to criticise Israel, and even then they never mentioned a thing about the US.

But to be fair - the UAE did give $30m of aid (about $70m less than they managed for the Pakistan earthquake mind, and about an hours extra profit from the increased oil prices the conflict caused)

Cynic? moi

shiva

The question isn't why it took 21 days, but what will be the cost to the UAE if they start pissing of America again, thats the really sad and disturbing point.

also dont forget the plane loads of aid ( so far nearly 500 tons, including blankets, food, 26 ambulances and medical supplies), the ship on its way with 2500 tons of aid, the demining operation (a $50 million project admitedly not a new project), the hospitals supplied etc.
Sheikh Zayed started a policy of non financial aid to countries to avoid corrupt politicians nicking aid money which his son and the rulers of the other emirates are now continuing. So the total aid given to the people of Lebanon amounts to far more than $30 million

Autonomy

W10 - reading all your posts on this site the exact same phrase can and should be leveled against yourself... you are a highly principled person and you disagree with a lot of things here yet you choose to stay for the money.

Money Over Principle Anyday.

W10

To an extent you could be right, but...

1, It's not a long term plan
2, I have a self-justification through my profession
3, I'm pretty sure I'll be leaving next year

W10

So with that aid, possibly $35 million? Does that include the official charities - which have been taking money and aid from the public??

I'm not saying they aren't doing something. I'm just saying that as the UAE has benefitted massively financially (to the tune of over a billion dollars in extra profit I believe) then it is their moral responsibility (as they managed to abdicate that politically) to do a lot more.

Call it guilt money if you like - Saudi has got the idea. We did nothing to object, so here's $1bn in temporary capital to prop up the banks and $500 million in cash.

The real bottom line is, that the 1, biggest wigs here don't have giant shag palaces in Beirut like they did in Pakistan and 2, it was shiites being killed and made homeless.

shiva

those figures are for govt only, and 500 tons of aid costs a might more than 5 million.

Ok it could still be more and as for the saudis well i'm a tad suspicious about their motivation, they are the dodgiest bunch of all, even a pro arab/ME person like me struggles to find good in that system. What will they expect in return? when it comes to moral responsibility all govts the world over sadly choose that as the first thing out the window!

they probably do have acccomodations there as they have almost everywhere ( pakistan was probably more about their falcon hunting trips) and i dont agree re the shiite line, if that were so why demine that area?

All I'm saying is that for a small world power (very small) they give a reasonable amount (could still be more as you would no doubt agree). And they cant really speak up on an international level, christ the world got pissed when they bought P&O what would happen if they were to condem Israel in the UN

W10

Saudi was probably more about saving face as they had openly criticised Hezbollah for the first week.

The UAE may be a small nation, but it is one of the only countries in the world without any debt...thus it is one of the richest nations in the world.

They have more than property out there, there is one bigwig who has allegedly built an airport in Pakistan with a runway long enough to land his 747.

TA5

They also armed the Taliban (UAE and Saudi Royal Families), but you won't hear about that from them.

shiva

With American weapons!

Taliban, CIA trained, US supplied and financed, the great US force for freedom against he soviets!!!
Nice one guys. You backed another winner there, along with other greats like Sadam, Noriega, etc.
Its probably best at this juncture if you keep out of this as you will once again display your outstanding level of ignorance.

Zannie

So did the USA during the Russian occupation of Afganistan.

sassy

Ooops!! TA5 hehe