Canada figet seh dem Arabs no haffi consult before dem act

[evanovitch]

di defence minister had to tek a long go rung route fi nyam thanksgiving dinna wid dem soldiers in di UAE...dem been refusing di UAE request fi more flights into Canada fi dem national airline...one ting lead to anodda n wile di minister was airbourne dem tell him seh him cannot enter dem airspace atall atall atall

den him seh dem fi move out allllll dem soldiers post haste....

dat is wat westerners no understand bout ovah deh so...wile westerners at least mek di motion fi consult dem Cabinet etc r dem populace, di UAE etc is run by wat one man seh an if him seh no, is no, an dat no go dung juss so...

waiting to see who blink fuss....

[evanovitch]

Re: Canada figet seh dem Arabs no haffi consult before dem act

OTTAWA — A trade war between the United Arab Emirates and Canada hit new heights Tuesday with unnamed UAE officials blaming Canada for distorting information and Conservative sources attacking the Gulf state for “blackmailing” Canada into offering it more lucrative airport slots.

The conflict embroiled Defence Minister Peter MacKay and the Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk who were visiting the troops in Afghanistan over the weekend when the UAE refused to allow their plane to enter the country’s airspace and land at Camp Mirage, the Canadian base outside Dubai.

The minister’s plane was diverted to Rome but other military flights to and from the base have not been affected, sources confirmed.

Before boarding, MacKay announced Canada would abide by a UAE request and leave Camp Mirage.

<span style="font-weight: bold">The UAE is evicting the Forces from the base because the Canadian government refused to grant the country’s national airlines additional flights to Canada</span>.

The military plans to vacate in early November and will sustain the Afghan mission out of Germany instead, a source said.

Airline analyst Joseph D’Cruz estimates the move could cost Canadian taxpayers more than $50 million.

Public money would be spent to protect Air Canada from a very serious competitive threat from UAE airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways, which have large, brand new planes to carry passengers to the Gulf and beyond, he said.

Since 2003, each airline has been allowed to fly to Canada up to three times each week. But the UAE wanted dozens more flights to allow its airlines to service Calgary and Vancouver as well as Toronto.

Transport Canada refused.

“It would make a significant dent to Air Canada’s business to India and Pakistan,” D’Cruz said.

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said if the UAE carriers were granted more slots it “would merely be used to carry travellers to third countries without a corresponding benefit to Canada.”

Air Canada is not the only airline fearing Emirates and Etihad want to steal much of its business. Air France and British Airways are also planning to seek help from the European Union to curb the UAE threat.

Fen Hamson, the director of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, said Emirates and Etihad are seen as heavily nationalized carriers because they don’t pay any landing fees.

Hamson believes that despite the perception Canada escalated the conflict by pulling out of the base, the Canadian government was right to “send a strong message” that linkage tactics in international negotiations are wrong.

“<span style="font-weight: bold">It is difficult doing business in that part of the world because they don’t play by the same set of rules,”</span> he said.

Liberal transport critic John McCallum said the feds had bungled the relationship with the UAE and predicted Canada would pay the price by forgoing billions in investments from the Gulf state