17 vocateurs behind who conspired against this country - a country which had harboured no ill towards anyone nor had discriminated against any other because of race or place of origin. This country had for so long been afflicted by foreigners who squandered its resources over a long period of time and who continually trafficked illicitly in our country’s honour, assets and economy. However, our ship managed to sail on and is now being piloted by a wise captain – a leader who made the historical decision during the Ramadan/October war (1973) to effect an oil embargo against the enemies of the Arabs at a time when hesitation and fear were at their peak, a leader who proclaimed ‘Arab oil is not more precious thanArab blood’, a dictum that found its way to the very heart of millions of Arabs; a leader who now finds himself at the helm of this country, the engineer of its renaissance. Dear Brothers, It is no secret that I am one of the greatest advocates of unification. Once, in 1973, I said to H.H. Shaikh Zayed, President of the State, that this country had to be united. He wisely responded saying, ‘Do not jump ahead of time. With time shall come the desired unity.’ And here we are, after all that time and after all the difficult choices we had to make – we have, indeed, taken the necessary steps towards unity. It is your right that all facts to be brought into the open, especially after we have shown a great deal of tolerance towards many who were not worthy of our trust. We have not been like
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