This weekend, buyers from across the Gulf states and the Middle East will descend on a huge arms fair in Dubai. Sheikhs, emirs, princes and kings will be buying anything from specialised sniper ammunition by the ton, to the highest-tech surveillance gear and even the odd British Aerospace gunboat or Eurofighter.
The Arab world will use the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX), to tool up for a coming confrontation with Iran, and to arm Sunni insurgents to fight Iran’s allies in Iraq, the Shia militias.
How awesome is that? Tooling up the Middle East for an expanded war into Iran. I couldn’t find many details on the upcoming event. Perhaps it’s this one:
Security and Safety ME 2007
* Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
* Country: United Arab Emirates* Start date: Sunday, October 28 – 2007
* End date: Wednesday, October 31 – 2007* Website: http://www.adnec.ae
http://www.ameinfo.c…
While we may not have much info in this upcoming conference, we only need look back to the super-swanky arms bazaar last February 2007. Man, was it a hit. Arms shopping is very sexy stuff:
Shop till you drop. Two women walk past tanks as they attend the opening of the IDEX Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi 18 February 2007. The Middle East’s biggest arms fair, IDEX-2007, opened today in the United Arab Emirates with hundreds of manufacturers displaying state-of-the-art weaponry to oil-rich monarchies that are keen on upgrading their armed forces.
http://www.spacewar….
It looks like a beautiful place, Abu Dhabi, rich and modern as all get out. Yeah, they got the filthy lucre alright. Weren’t they the ones who wanted to control our ports and buy 20% of the NASDAQ stock exchange?
The exhibition in 2007 attracted more than 630 companies from 49 countries, representing a 54% growth on the previous year.
What can you say? Arms sales and security are flat-out growth industries, anymore. I bet Lockheed, Boeing, Northrup, Raytheon, et al are making a killing of planetary proportions on all this action.
These countless exhibitions offer the entire security package. You think we have Homeland Security problems? Just look to the burning horizon of the Middle East, and consider the investment opportunities. Next January’s Intersec Exhibition is going to be chockablock with the world’s Global Security and Safety leaders meeting to press the flesh with other lucre-packing-lugals.
Global Security and Safety Leaders to Converge On Dubai in January
Steep rise of 60% in the rate of booking for Intersec Middle EastIntersec Middle East has attracted involvement by key security, policing, safety and fire & rescue solution providers, reflecting a remarkable growth rate of more than 60% as compared to the booking rate for the exhibition in July 2007. The annual trade fair and conference is recognised as the ideal regional platform for debating and providing solutions for security, fire, police health and safety concerns which set international standards for monitoring commercial developments.
Organised by Messe Frankfurt, the world’s second largest exhibition organiser, Intersec Middle East is scheduled to take place from the 13-15 January 2008 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates.
Ines Gruslinger, the show manger of the event proclaims that, “Intersec Middle East in 2007 attracted over 16,000 visitors from 79 countries, and 98% of the exhibitors stated that their overall objectives in terms of establishing contacts for future sales had been met or surpassed. The 10th edition of this prestigious networking event will present an ideal opportunity for industry related companies to showcase to a global audience of commercial and government buyers, launch new products, source distribution and business partners, and reinforce existing business relationships.”
Over the past eight years $277 billion has been allocated to defence and security in the GCC and the projected growth of the security systems and equipment market, especially for safety, within the UAE is estimated to be 25% per year over the next five years.
Lt. Col. Aqil Mustafa Al-Jenahi, Director of the Mechanical & Technical Dept., Dubai Police HQ, General Department of Operations, cited that “The Dubai Police HQ has been supporting Intersec Middle East for years and regards the show as a very important source for Police & Homeland Security equipment in the region. The Dubai Police also organized outside demonstrations for the first time at Intersec Middle East in 2007 and used the show as a platform to show its services to the Intersec visitors, media and specialized audiences.”
I think when they say, “specialized audiences” they mean wealthy lugals who want to keep hold of their loot. Don’t expect any free-speech zones popping up unexpectedly amongst the restive populations anytime soon. Those probably weren’t “anti-government” demonstrations organized by the police. 25% annual growth means they mean business. You don’t fuck with the lucre-packing lugals. With oil above 80 bucks a barrel, they can afford it. And as for the exhibitors, it surpassed their wildest dreams. Who says disaster capitalism isn’t profitable? Who says ending the Iraq debacle is a good idea?
Meanwhile, back at home, so what if the value of our money, homes, jobs, and institutions goes down the shitter. Let’s just have a giant yard sale, liquidate the whole American project, and re-invest elsewhere. Isn’t that what we’re doing anyway? What in the world are people so angry about?
Norman Podhoretz just can’t figure it out:
Mr. P. gave a cogent presentation of his views about WW IV, Islamofascism and his high regard for G.W. Bush’s approach to the matter and the audience listened in respectful silence. Come the Q and A, things were different.
I don’t know if I’ll get the order of all these incidents correct, but: The first question dealt in part with the need for an investigation into the real story behind 9/11. This, at least, was hooted down but not before the young man quickly asked how it felt for N.P. to be “a suspect” in the matter. He continued to go on until finally shushed by security (or someone)….Soon after, someone asked about the deposing of the Shah back in the 50s. N.P. admitted the CIA was involved but said that he wasn’t interested at the moment in ancient history….
A man in the front row, taking off on N.P.’s comment that it might be necessary, in his view, to bomb Iran in order to keep them from attaining nuclear capability said why not go after Saudi Arabia, since they were the ones behind 9/11. He became so irate that a staff member had to go over to quieten him. As I remember, it was about then that things pretty much fell apart. A lady stood to say that she had over a hundred relatives in Iran: Why do you want to kill them?! Another woman called him a fascist and a murderer. Somewhere around this point, N.P. said that he had lived on the Upper West Side for over twenty years and was now being reminded why he moved away….
I bet Nancy Pelosi would know what to do with such dirty fucking hippies. Arrest them for vagrancy! We’ve got business to do.
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Come with leather?
And what is the cupholder count, please?
Oh and is ammo included?
The home of Haliburton? The friends of Bill Clinton? The place where Bin Laudin went to recuperate? The guys that sell the gun to terrorist states? According to HRC it’s the Iranians who are supplying weapons to kill our soldiers. These guys are our pals.
didja see any of those S. African ones with the 6-round mag? Left mine in New Orleans. Actually, dropped it when it got too hot.
the curriculum for combat arms classes the India IDEX and the Dubai IDEX were the finest showcases of the latest stuff. The dealers would email him photos and specs too of anything he wanted more info on. The Moscow Airshow is pretty good shopping too but not quite as good shopping as the Dubai and India IDEX.