I explained in an earlier blog what was
going on in the Arab port investment blockage. I haven't read the same
material anywhere else.
I said that we fired a shot across the bow of the Arab investment ship. The Arabs lied (using the Western definition of lying) claiming they would end their Israeli boycott if we let them join the WTO.
They (1) haven't ended the boycott, (2) they flaunt their bad behavior by holding a conference in support of the boycott and (3) the WTO is ineffective against countries that only export oil, terrorism and investments. So we closed off one investment (6 American ports) and the message got through.
The Arab stock exchange lost 30% in a week, worth $130 billion. Good work beltway think tanks.