The UAE is not generally hostile to the United States, and while most people do not always recognize who or what the UAE are, they all seem to know about the manic, over-the-top construction efforts that range from man-made islands to what will soon be the world’s tallest building.

They can also get the job done. Associated Press reports that the UAE Navy—sometime in August, although the news broke today—seized a ship correctly suspecting the vessel was a North Korean ship smuggling weapons into Iran.

No surprise: it was. Although no nuclear materials were found, the ship was indeed loaded with a variety of RPGs, fuses, and other illegal gear labeled as machine parts. That was hardly the only deceoption. Seems that the ship, the ANL Australia is a vessel owned by an Australian subsidiary of a French company, sailing under the Bahamian flag with material exported by an Italian company with offices in China. Okay, well, the important thing is the UAE Navy figured it all out in time.

Gormogons Spotlight On: UAEThe prohibition against Iran taking in weapons is, of course, a condition established by the UN, who have already resolved to do nothing except find a way to make kids touch themselves. Lots of luck.

Indeed, it isn’t that Iran needs RPGs, fuses, and other weapon materials: they have plenty of their own already that international monitors know all about. So why do this? Because the powder and propellants in RPGs and weapon fuses go into making roadside bombs exactly like the kind that have killed over 40 Americans in Afghanistan this month alone. They use the cheap, Korean stuff for those, keeping their own legitimate stash of weapons right where intelligence agencies can see them. We did a similar thing with Dad’s beer when we were kids. Leave his cans where he could see them and count them, but drink your own secret stash.

Nice work, UAE. Somewhere in Afganistan, there is a Marine who has never heard of your country, but who will one day soon go home intact to a joyful family due to your intervention. You have our thanks.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.