US show of solidarity heralds a new era in bilateral relations
Washington’s high-powered contingent is a tell-tale sign of its willingness to bolster ties
US delegation led by Vice-president Kamala Harris visited Abu Dhabi on Monday to offer condolences following the demise of UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 73, on May 13 and greet his successor, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The high-level delegation also included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns and Climate Envoy John Kerry.
The high-powered contingent is emblematic of the significance that the US attaches to the UAE, and its keenness to iron out differences with its “most important and dependable” ally in the Middle East.
Harris told reporters ahead of the trip: “The United States takes quite seriously the strength of our relationship and partnership with the UAE.
“We are going there then to express our condolences but also as an expression of our commitment to the strength of that relationship.”
The US-UAE diplomatic ties date back to the inception of the emirates in 1971.
The US is the third country to establish formal diplomatic relations with the UAE and has had an ambassador resident in the UAE since 1974.
The friendly relations have transformed into meaningful partnerships and govern to government ties in areas of trade and commerce, security, counterterrorism, energy cooperation, technology, space research, nuclear energy and climate change. The 1990 Gulf War saw bilateral security cooperation broadening significantly between the two countries. UAE armed forces took part in the ‘Desert Storm’ operation to liberate Kuwait from Iraq’s Saddam Hussein’s military aggression alongside the American forces.
Recognising shared strategic interests and priorities, the UAE and the US signed a formal defence cooperation agreement in 1994, which paved the way for joint training and exercises, the prepositioning of US military equipment in the UAE and the transfer of advanced weapons systems, according to the US State website.
In Afghanistan, UAE special forces fought alongside US and coalition soldiers in Afghanistan for more than a decade. The UAE Air Force committed F-16s to support the Nato-led security mission in Afghanistan between 2012 and 2014.
The UAE is one of three countries and the only Arab nation to participate with the US in six coalition actions over the last 30 years: Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Bosnia-kosovo, the 1990 Gulf War and the fight against Daesh.
Over the last two decades, the contours of the US-UAE ties were essentially shaped by common concerns and shared interests on the issues of security and stability in the Middle East. The growing influence of Iran and its proxy wars in Yemen, Lebanon and Syria are a common concern for both the US and the UAE.
In Yemen, the UAE forces that were fighting to Iran-backed Houthi rebels, are also key counter-terrorism allies of the Us-led coalition in fighting the Yemen faction of Al Qaeda.
In Syria, the UAE was a contributing member of the Global Coalition Against Daesh and the UAE Air Force F-16 pilot Major Mariam Al Mansouri became the first Emirati woman to fly combat missions, hitting Daesh positions in Syria.
However, with the change in American political landscape under President Joe Biden, and the “Pivot East” policy embraced by the White House, the US-UAE relationship started to show signs of strain. There even came a rare admission by UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba, who voiced concerns that the bilateral relationship is under stress.
“Today we are going through a stress test but I’m confident that we will get out of it and get to a better place,” Al Otaiba had said soon after the UAE abstained from a UN Security Council vote against Russian military operation in Ukraine.
Abu Dhabi had made its displeasure clear after Washington resumed talks with Iran to revive the nuclear deal during Trump’s regime in 2018.
It is also unhappy with the Biden administration for lifting terror tag on Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who launched successive missile attacks on the UAE a couple of months ago.
But, if the US’S latest show of solidarity and support to the UAE at a time of grief is anything to go by, it’s clear Washington is willing to mend ties with “Little Sparta”.
Over the last two decades, the contours of the US-UAE ties were essentially shaped by common concerns and shared interests on the issues of security and stability in the Middle East