Originally Posted by
moocherx
I heard this on the BBC World Service radio coming home from work (in Kuwait).
I wasn't very surprised on the whole, except that the it was Dubai rather than smaller Gulf cities with higher shi'a activism/vocalism.
Finger's crossed it's just a "temporary" status, nothing will happen, and it will blow over. I remember when I used to live in Dubai, a couple of bombs went off. As it wasn't my local Spnney's, you just get on with it as I think most other resident expats would.
Tourism-wise though? Ouch.
Originally Posted by
Basil B
Big possibility,
UAE is a soft target, very liberal in it's attitudes, full of non Muslim expatriates and very close geographically to Iran.
Not so much as "IF" but more like "WHEN"
The shia populations are amongst the most observed by authorities in and beyond the Gulf states -- that and my thought is that the greatest threat of terrorism activity in the UAE (of that which does not amount to a full armed revolution or a state-to-state conflict) comes from a sliver of sunni populations that aren't exactly thrilled that the UAE plays host to a substantial US military presence being used to facilitate operations in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
Remember that OBL's sympathizers are generally far less likely to be shias than sunnis. And remember that OBL's own associates have a longer and bloodier history of going after shias than going after even Americans.
Iran is
not Dubai's primary problem when it comes to the threat of terrorist attacks on people in the UAE -- but that won't stop people from falsely asserting that Iran is a bigger issue than it is. Dubai is -- in more ways than many want to admit -- Iran's back-up financial facility.
Originally Posted by
directorguy_
Dubai is right on the doorstep of Iran. At the same time, Dubai is faily westernized, and is home to many American-run business, as well as Iranian-owned businesses. It doesn't take take a genius to put two and two to realize that Dubai is in a unique pickle, should anything happen.
A unique pickle, but Iran is not the primary risk.