The ruler of Dubai urged the incoming U.S. administration to use ""brain"" instead of ""brawn"" in solving world crises, in a clear dig at the outgoing administration of President George W. Bush, TehranTimes reported.
""I say to the new (U.S.) administration that crises are not solved by wars, force and arms ... God gave us brains and brawn,"" Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-Maktoum said, addressing a World Economic Forum event in the booming Persian Gulf emirate.
Sheikh Mohammad, who is also the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, a staunch U.S. ally, named a number of conflict areas where the Bush administration had resorted to force, including Iraq, and Afghanistan.
""In Afghanistan, the situation has not improved at all,"" he said.
""If we had helped the poor and provided education to the needy (in war-torn places), we could have overcome many of those crises where huge amounts of money have been spent (on armed force),"" he said.
""Had it been spent on the U.S. economy, it would have been the strongest in the world,"" he added.
""Therefore, we call upon the new administration to use brain,"" he said, referring to the incoming administration of Barack Obama, who made history on Tuesday by becoming the first black person to be elected American president.