But what will they want in return? Or will they help out from the kindness of their hearts? This request could end up being a pivotal element in the effort to make Western finance fully Sharia-compliant.
"US seeks 300 billion dlrs from Gulf states: report," from AFP, November 20 (thanks to all who sent this in):
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) – The United States has asked four oil-rich Gulf states for close to 300 billion dollars to help it curb the global financial meltdown, Kuwait's daily Al-Seyassah reported Thursday.Quoting "highly informed" sources, the daily said Washington has asked Saudi Arabia for 120 billion dollars, the United Arab Emirates for 70 billion dollars, Qatar for 60 billion dollars and was seeking 40 billion dollars from Kuwait.
Al-Seyassah said Washington sought the amount as "financial aid" to face the fallout of the financial crisis and help prevent its economy from sliding into a painful recession.
The daily said the United States plans to use the funds to help the ailing automobile industry , banks and other companies suffering from the global financial turmoil....
The daily also said that the United States has asked Kuwait to forgive its Iraqi debt estimated at around 16 billion dollars.
A catch 22 situation. The resurgence of Islam is truly global. Jihad, sharia are now becoming common talk. Muslims are getting away killing and bombing non Muslims. The rich Arab Muslims are living a lavish lifestyle contrary to the Koranic precepts and will not bother giving one penny to aid many of their destitute Muslim brothers. No, when earthquakes hit or tsunamis hit, such as the one in Indonesia and the quake in Pakistan not one aid was sent from the Rich Islam Gulf states. It is better that they are poor so they do not have resources to spread violence, hate and murder non Muslims.
http://www.islam-watch.org/MuminSalih/Islam-Never-this-Good.htm
Where did the United States of America go? Everything built up so painfully and with such great sacrifice over hundreds of years given away with both hands - like Mardi Gras beads tossed from a garish float.
"But what will they want in return?"
Indeed. Does anyone know the terms?
Here's something we could offer in return: we promise not to vaporize the Kabaa....for now.
For some reason this comes to mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkD-Mrg1BOQ
Did I read that right? We OWE Kuwait for the Iraq war? Shouldn't they owe us? Or did we just save their asses for free?
Lets see now,congress said just yesterday that they where not going to make funds available to the ailing auto industry;never mind all the other industries that are hurting as much if not more. But of course many of these little guys can't afford powerfull lobbyists, and fleets of corporate jets to fly around in so they can ask for handouts from the American People. I hate to say it, but it stinks from top to bottom. And now the power brokers are trying to get money from the people who never offer a hand out in this world without big ropes attached. Did both these decisions pass each other in the night? One said yes to the bailout, and another said no--which is it?
That's CRAZY!! I don't believe it! That would be like the USA electing a Bolshevik to the Presidency...oh wait...never mind!!
The price of oil having fallen to the extent it has, good luck with that!
This is insane. Who proposed this rediculous idea? Who is carrying it out? Congress is going to pass this? I really feel as though the citizens of the U.S. should have a say in this. I mean, and NOT through our talking heads in congress. No. This is just not good at all! We will be slaves to these countries before we know it! Oh, this makes me as nervous as it does angry. There has GOT to be something we can do...
Walterc - It's IRAQ that owes Kuwait the $16B. Frogiving that would presumably help "stabilize" Iraq and be good for "our" side. Or something.
If I am correct, didn't the West detect the oil under Saudi sands, extracted it and shipped it to customers? If it wasn't for the Western science and technology, the Kingdom would still be a nomadic, primitive, stagnant society.
Didn't we just bail them out from the Iraqi war machine?
Why are we bothered to even ask? Are we gluttons for punishment?
Here it comes, we get Shari'ah-Compliant Finance and anti-defamation of religion laws, and they get higher crude oil revenues. Fair exchange, no?
This is scary. Of course there will be strings attached.
China already owns a lot of U.S. debt, doesn't it?
Didn't Gordon Brown recently go, cap in hand, to the Saudis?
I'm trying not to freak out at the possible implications of this but it can't be good, can it?
I posted this personal anecdote some time back but perhaps it bears repeating here as providing some insight into what may be going on (at least I hope so)...
I lived in LA during the 80s and 90s, at a time when the Japanese were buying up large amounts of downtown commercial properties and American business. I was quite concerned about this until I talked to a banker friend of mine who said "Don't worry about it son. Those properties aren't going anywhere. The purchase loans are collateralized by overinflated Tokyo real estate prices, and when the bubble bursts you'll see a very interesting thing happen. Watch and learn." This made no sense to me at the time. The Japanese real estate market did, indeed, tank a few years, and in the ensuing panic the downtown properties were put on the market by their Japanese owners, but usually to be bought back by the same people who had sold them at a fraction of the original sale price. End result - the properties returned to their original owners after a short change of ownership on paper, but accompanied by a large transfer influx of money from Japan. Morality issues aside, the lesson was there were more forces going on than were apparent to the casual observer.
The relevance to the current situation with the ME countries is, who is taking whom for a ride? What mechanisms are being put in place by the negotiators on both sides that they view as being respectively favorable to them? What's used as collateral? Is it hard physical assets, defense or basing agreements, trade agreements, or of interest to readers of this column, an agreement to clamp down on internal criticism of Islam or U.S. support for UN actions for censorship of same? What mechanisms exist that would permit manipulating this situation to our advantage (like I said, morals aren't part of this discussion)? Ideas anyone?
Thanks, Eastview, those are good points. I guess only time will tell.
(Is anyone else having sign-in problems with TypePad? Argh!)
"Is anyone else having sign-in problems with TypePad? Argh!"
Yes!!! (*&$&((^#@!~%&%$
Yes, I had problems with the TypePad sign in (due to the changeover from TypeKEY to TypePAD).
I had to close out of the DW site, then re-open to be successful. Hope that helps.
Oh good (re typekey turning into typepad) - it's not just me.
Each day we keep inching closer and closer to well...1861.
We must get off Arabian oil. I would even make an alliance with the "green" wackos at this point if it meant we stopped this insane influence the Arabians have over our leaders. If we keep up the Arabian oil trade we will lose our freedoms in the end.
We have to make a choice: Freedom or Arabian oil. If we choose freedom we will have to suffer for the short term, but in the end we will win. If we accept Arabian oil, we enjoy wealth for the short term but in the end lose. It really is that simple.
I see it differently, as US taking payback for all the aid it's given to date.
Would you believe it?
A bailout of the USA by muslim countries?
Allahu Akbar!
The United States has asked four oil-rich Gulf states for close to 300 billion dollars to help it curb the global financial meltdown
....................
Are we completely insane? And Britain's Gordon Brown has done much the same.
Here's a headline you never saw:
BERLIN, 1933
The United States has asked the National Socialist government in Germany for 30 million dollars to help it with the great depression at home.
President Rooseveldt went hat in hand to German
Chancellor Hitler, following the lead of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who met with Herr Hitler last week...
We could just immediately cut off all foreign aid to everyone but Israel, and suspend all payments to the U.N. and all its sub-entities. That may not add up to $300M, but it might make a start. Charity begins at home!