Association between Arabs and Iran is long and strong, says a UAE paper

A leading UAE paper today criticised a US warning to Arab companies about the "risks" in doing business with Iran.Commenting on the remarks made by Stuart Levey, Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the US Department of the Treasury, Dubai-based Gulf News criticised the US official, saying he "apparently believes Arab businessmen and bankers are incapable of differentiating between legitimate and illegitimate trade"."We have come to acknowledge, but not to accept, US extraterritoriality.For long we have known the US has taken it upon itself the right to interfere in another nation's affairs. The US assumes that what is good for America is good for anyone else - and no one must dare contradict, otherwise they will suffer the consequences", said the paper in today's editorial comment.The paper pointed out that US politicians, and sometimes business persons, will travel abroad as invited guests and happily berate leaders there for some deed of omission or commission - as perceived by them. "That such rants might fly in the face of good manners does not seem to worry them. That their suggestions on foreign policy or foreign trade, or any other area of endeavour for that matter, might contradict long-standing agreements between neighbours is of little concern to the American officials", the paper said, adding that What is far more important to them is the message: "Do as we say or the consequences will be severe." And when you are the only superpower, leaders of other nations will pay heed for they are more than aware of what those consequences can be, it added.Stuart Levey, said the paper, has the temerity to take upon himself the cloak of the harbinger of doom and gloom. For he has warned Arab companies of the "risks" in doing business with Iran. Apparently he believes Arab businessmen and bankers are incapable of differentiating between legitimate and illegitimate trade."What arrant nonsense. The association between the Arabs and Iran is long and strong and will always be so. To claim Arab traders are naive and gullible is as offensive as it is untrue. If Levey is trying to scare the Arab and Gulf countries into acquiescence to US demands he is going about it entirely the wrong way", said the paper.