The fact that the UAE agreed to accept five Yemenis from the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay must have come as a relief to the American president, Barack Obama. He first promised to close the prison when he campaigned for office in 2008, and he has reiterated that pledge several times, including at his State of the Union speech in January this year. Cooperation from the UAE and other countries will probably allow him to shut the doors on the facility for ever before he leaves the Oval Office in January 2017.
There is no doubt that Guantanamo Bay has been a deep stain on the reputation of the United States and a low point in the way it conducts its foreign policy. Mr Obama has admitted that it is an embarrassment, but it is more than that. It is a palpable reminder that the US is in no position to lecture the rest of the world, as it so often does, on the topics of human rights, personal freedom and the rule of law. Guantanamo Bay’s very existence is a reminder that the Americans abducted people from sovereign countries, transported them illegally across borders and kept them in captivity in a cynically designated offshore facility without charge for as long as 14 years. While it was opened by his predecessor, George W Bush, it stands as a personal failure on Mr Obama’s part that he has taken so long to fulfil his promise.
To be fair, it has been difficult for him to find a home for those among the inmates who, while not convicted of any offence, are known to have links to extremist groups.
The fact that the five Yemenis are now back in the Gulf is important for the rehabilitation process they are undergoing. Although some of the men have been associated with Al Qaeda or the Taliban, they are classified as being of “medium risk” and will be under close scrutiny, required to report to police regularly and prohibited from mixing. But they will be back in an Arab and Muslim country, in relatively familiar surroundings, unlike some other detainees of Middle Eastern origin who were sent from Guantanamo to Uruguay.
Accepting these former inmates demonstrates that the UAE is prepared to step up to the table and play its role both as an ally of the US and as a responsible global citizen. The path to normalisation in this region will be long and difficult, but putting behind us some of the serious missteps that the US made in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks is a positive step.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
BABYLON
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
ARGYLLE
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Company%20Profile
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How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.