Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), visited the UAE this week and vowed more support for Abu Dhabi’s war against the Houthis as the US escalates its involvement in the war in Yemen.
In the wake of recent Houthi attacks on the UAE, the US is deploying the USS Cole to the country, and McKenzie said a squadron of US F-22s would arrive next week. “We’re going to bring in a squadron of F-22 fighter jets, the best air superiority fighters in the world,” he said, according to UAE state media.
McKenzie said the F-22s will work with the UAE to “help defend the nation.” In recent weeks, the US helped Abu Dhabi intercept Houthi missiles. He said the USS Cole will “patrol the waters of the UAE, working closely with UAE air defenders to protect their nation.”
The cooperation is framed as “defensive” in nature, but it’s important to note that the Houthis wouldn’t be attacking the UAE if the country hadn’t been waging war on Yemen since 2015. The UAE’s support for militant groups on the ground in Yemen has brought the Saudi-backed government recent success on the battlefield against the Houthis.
McKenzie said the US is also working to give the UAE the ability to hit Houthi drones inside Yemen before they’re launched. “We are working with our partners here in the region and with the industry back in the United States to develop solutions that would work against drones. We would like to work against drones what we call ‘Left of Launch’, [which means] before they can be launched,” he said.
The Biden administration recently approved a $65 million arms sale to the UAE to upgrade Abu Dhabi’s Hawk, THAAD, and Patriot missile defense systems.
Biden has merely rebranded the brutal war against Yemen. Searing piece from @shireen818 outlining Biden's duplicity on the war on Yemen and how he should make proper efforts to keep his word and end it #StopArmingSaudi #YemenCantWait https://t.co/zPVn3P5QWz
— London CAAT (@londoncaat) February 9, 2022
Israel is also looking to bolster the UAE’s missile defenses and is reportedly considering selling Abu Dhabi the Iron Dome. On Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, who is nominated to be McKenzie’s replacement, said Israel’s cooperation with the UAE and other Gulf nations in missile defense is promising.
“That’s probably the area with some of the greatest opportunity: working toward an integrated air and missile defense. I think the addition of Israel… will help with that,” Kurilla said., writes Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com
The Cradle reports that US President Biden held a telephone call on 9 February with the king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
A press statement by the White House disclosed that during the call, Biden promised King Salman continued US support for the war on the Yemen.
“The President underscored the US commitment to support Saudi Arabia in the defense of its people and territory from these attacks and full support for UN-led efforts to end the war in Yemen,” read part of the press release. The White House also accused Iran of “enabling” Yemen army attacks against civilian targets.
The US has consistently provided military and diplomatic support to the Saudi-led coalition throughout the seven years of siege on the region’s poorest nation.
On 3 February, the US defense department announced that US military contractors had received government approval to upgrade the missile systems of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The deal comes amid an increase in retaliatory missile and drone strikes by the Yemen armed forces on targets inside Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are the two most prominent members of the Saudi-led coalition that has been waging war against Yemen since 2015.
According to the United Nations, the war in Yemen has killed at least 233,000 people directly and indirectly due to an increase in the prevalence of diseases as a result of attacks on health facilities and the widespread shortage of food.
During campaigns for the 2020 US presidential elections, Biden condemned the Trump administration for supporting the Saudi-led coalition aggression in Yemen.
Biden also promised to end all forms of US support to the coalition once in office. However, after his election as president, Biden reneged on his promises and continued with the same Trump-era policies that have enabled the brutal attacks on the people of Yemen.