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Prince Hassan: Arab leaders stole billions from their people

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
From Ynetnews:

Prince Hassan: Arab leaders stole billions from their people​

Jordanian Prince Hassan Bin Talal, who was the Jordanian heir apparent until Abdullah was crowned as king, launched a sharp verbal attack against the leaders of Arab countries during a Kyoto conference.

"The Arab leaders stole billions of dollars from the Arab people and spent it on weapons to fight Israel, which they will never defeat, instead of using the money for health and education purposes to aid their people," he stated.

Speaking at the world conference of the interfaith group "Religions for Peace", Prince Hassan also attacked the Iranian nuclear development program. Hassan spoke against nuclear armament, especially on Iran's part, and said that it needs to be made sure that the nuclear project in Iran does not reach the stage of nuclear weapons. Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami was present at the conference.

Prince Hassan, like Khatami, arrived together with more than 800 religious leaders to the Kyoto conference. One of the conference's aims this year is to formulate an ethical code that will be implemented in cases of violent conflicts across the globe. Representatives from countries like Israel, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and North Korea are taking part in the event.

One of the Israeli delegates in the conference, Rabbi David Rosen, had met with Khatami during the event. He said that "Former President Khatami was extremely polite, he shook my hand and did not mention Israel in his speech at all."

Several debates between Israeli rabbis and Palestinian clerics are set to take place in coming days in a bid to establish a mechanism that would enable cooperation between religious leaders. The Palestinian delegation is headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' representative and head of the sharia court, Tayer Tamimi, along with Catholic Patriarch Michel Sabbah.​
Good.
 

egroen

Member
I liked Khatami, thought he made some inroads but then Iran want the complete opposite direction with this new president. I hope Khatami stays involoved.

-Erin
 

Yerda

Veteran Member
Jayhawker Soule said:
"The Arab leaders stole billions of dollars from the Arab people and spent it on weapons to fight Israel, which they will never defeat, instead of using the money for health and education purposes to aid their people," he stated.
It amuses me slightly that a monarch is peeved about leaders stealing from their peoples. So, what else do we expect from tyrants?
 

Djamila

Bosnjakinja
I agree with the message, but the messenger is a joke.

The Jordanian royal family is perhaps the best government in the Arab world in most every sphere we're able to measure.

I would only say, though, that if the Arabs received even a small fraction of US military aid to Israel, they'd have been able to fund education and health care as well.
 

Djamila

Bosnjakinja
And one more thing... the Arab world is not nearly as backwards as people in the West seem to think. People don't eat with their fingers in Tehran, or walk barefoot through Damascus. These cities are some of the oldest, most dignified, and well-cultured cities in the world.

Even the poorest of the poor in the Arab world are amazing in many ways, by world standards. Sana'a, Yemen, for example is one of the most striking, proud, and beautiful cities I have ever seen. I'd rather be poor in Sana'a than rich in Moscow anyday:

dsc003am5.jpg
 

Ody

Well-Known Member
Djamila said:
I would only say, though, that if the Arabs received even a small fraction of US military aid to Israel, they'd have been able to fund education and health care as well.

Based on thier spending practices, that isn't how that money would be used.
 

Djamila

Bosnjakinja
As far as I'm aware, Arab countries spend much less on their military as compared to countries like the United States? I believe they're even behind Europe, are they not?
 

Djamila

Bosnjakinja
From Global Security. Military expenditures:

USA: $466.0 billion
Saudi Arabia: $18.3 billion
Iran: $9.7 billion
Israel: $8.97 billion (Not including US subsidies)
Egypt: $4.04 billion
Oman: $2,424.4 million
Kuwait: $1,967.3 million
United Arab Emirates: $1.6 billion
Iraq: $1.3 billion
Syria: $921 million
Jordan: $757.5 million
Qatar: $723 million
Bahrain: $526.2 million
Yemen: $482.5 million
Lebanon: $343 million

Now these are kind of meaningless until I can find GDP statistics, so give me some time. :)
 

Djamila

Bosnjakinja
Oh crap! I thought it said on it.

This is military spending as a percentage of each country's overall spending.
 

Islam

Member
The jordanian ruling family? U have got to be kidding me? They are the worst ruling family! Maybe according to the West they are the best for the fact that they bend over for Israel and so on .. but for the Arabs theyre the worst. Hundreds of Islamists are in there prisons just for saying there opinion. Heck even the new law they apsed regarding terrorism is a violation of the human rights (according 2 the human rights itself)
 

Ody

Well-Known Member
Islam said:
They are the worst ruling family!

Naah, Papa Doc and Baby Doc beat them hands down, then the Tsars, etc, etc.

François Duvalier, Jean-Claude Duvalier

AKA 'Papa Doc' (François); 'Baby Doc' (Jean-Claude).
Country: Haiti.
Kill tally: 20,000-60,000.
 

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
Djamila said:
And one more thing... the Arab world is not nearly as backwards as people in the West seem to think. People don't eat with their fingers in Tehran, or walk barefoot through Damascus.
What's wrong with eating with one's fingers or walking barefoot?

And one more thing... not everyone in the West thinks that the Arab world is backwards. :)
 

ayani

member
Djamila said:
And one more thing... the Arab world is not nearly as backwards as people in the West seem to think. People don't eat with their fingers in Tehran, or walk barefoot through Damascus. These cities are some of the oldest, most dignified, and well-cultured cities in the world.

Even the poorest of the poor in the Arab world are amazing in many ways, by world standards. Sana'a, Yemen, for example is one of the most striking, proud, and beautiful cities I have ever seen. I'd rather be poor in Sana'a than rich in Moscow anyday.

here, here Djamila. the west would be blessed to learn more about the beauty, history, and people of the middle east. heck, the world beyond its borders! it's a shame, but sooo few americans have any kind of working knowelege of basic geography. "yemen? is that, like, in china?"

:cover:
 

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
RFP, I'm a member! :)

Criticism of the Arab world has to come from Arabs (just as criticisms of Israel has to come from Israelis/Jews). This article gives me some hope. Thanks Jay. (Tho I hope the prince has good body guards. :()
 
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