Al Qaeda in Yemen is weaker than it has ever been as the UAE’s military training and counterterrorism operation continue to battle the terrorist entity in the country, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash told reporters on Monday.
Mr Gargash said the UAE’s fight against Al Qaeda in Yemen – also known as AQAP – represents the country’s wider policy towards the region.
“Our fight with regards to extremism and terrorism is basically at the core of foreign policy, and for us, we don’t look at this simply as a Yemen issue, because the issue of terrorism is a major problem not only in the Arab world but beyond,” he said.
The UAE continues to work on the ground with Yemenis to help eliminate terrorist strongholds but has limited its presence on the front lines, instead it hands responsibility to UAE-trained local military units.
The country intervened, as part of the Arab coalition, on behalf of the internationally recognised government of Abdrabu Mansur Hadi to fight the Iran-backed rebels. The Houthi insurgency in 2014 and 2015 allowed AQAP to fill a power vacuum and gain ground in the east of the country.
Brig Gen Musallam Al Rashedi said on Monday that despite gains, the battle against Al Qaeda in Yemen required the continued support of the Yemeni people. Brig Gen Al Rashedi commanded the UAE special operation task force in 2015 and 2016.
“You can’t kill your way to victory against AQAP in Yemen with drones and raids, the secret to winning is in the hearts and minds of the people of Yemen that will allow us to win this forever”, he said during a press briefing in Dubai on Monday.
The UAE, as part of the Arab Coalition and in coordination with the US, has trained approximately 60,000 Yemeni fighters to battle the terrorist group. They are able to combine local knowledge and methods with counterterrorism strategy.
By training tribes and militias who are local to areas where the terrorist insurgency has the most influence, the UAE has been able to implement a counterterrorism programme that has proved more effective, the official said.
The task force has killed around 1,000 core members of AQAP, including 13 out of the 18 most wanted leaders.
He said the terrorist organisation is so compromised that it is unable to export its ideology to the region, let alone maintain its presence in Yemen.
“We are denying them the oxygen, so to speak, to exist. Most importantly for everyone outside Yemen, we have hampered their ability to export terrorism, they can’t go anywhere to conduct their operations,” Brig Gen Al Rashedi said.
The UAE’s counterterrorism goal, the officer said, was not only to cut off supply routes and recapture strongholds but to maintain control of those areas and prevent militants returning.
“They key is to have the Yemenis do it themselves, we can’t stay in the long haul in Yemen, they won’t do it if we don’t win their hearts and minds, at the grassroots and government level, they have to step up and do it," he said.
AQAP’s presence in the Arab world’s poorest country, has resurfaced twice in the last ten years, and both in response to political instability.
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Mr Gargash, echoed the sentiment, saying the UAE backs a political solution in Yemen, which will be pursued during peace talks in Geneva on September 6. But he remains apprehensive on the Houthis intent, saying they are likely to hamper any efforts.
“We still believe the main obstacle to a political solution is the Houthis, they have undermined all the previous initiatives by refusing to pull-out of militias and heavy weapons from urban centres to start the political process,” Mr Gargash said.
The UAE and the Arab Coalition recently ceased its military offensive on Hodeidah, a strategically important city still under rebel control, to allow UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to negotiate a settlement.
The Arab Coalition says it adhered to the ceasefire in part to support the political process, which continues to be their ultimate goal, but also to limit the humanitarian cost of the battle in Yemen’s largest port city.
More than 600,000 residents remain in the Red Sea city where men have been forcibly conscripted by the Iran-backed rebels or coerced to cooperate with the Houthis.
According to Mr Gargash, the Houthis used the ceasefire to further entrench themselves in the port city by digging trenches and deploying militias among the civilian population. He said the coalition’s approach to the offensive, “was sensitive, and I would say at our own cost.
“We could have done this very quickly in terms of a quick operation, but we understood this is a population of 600,000 and we are not going to be drawn into a street to street fight,” the minister said.
The UAE continues to apply pressure on Hodeidah, believing that further compromising the Houthis position will bring better results in the peace talks.
Mr Gargash said that the humanitarian toll of the civil war has always been a heavy factor in weighing up battle scenarios. He said civilian affected by fighting was “an unfortunate burden of war.
“I accept the coalition is criticized for some of the humanitarian weights of this war, but all parties need to accept their part in what we are doing today. Having said that, we are doing what we can to support the humanitarian’s situation in Yemen,” he said.
The minister also urged international organisations and media to look at the Houthis as well.
“I also urge various friends and NGOs and others in the international community to scrutinize the details of the Houthis as well not just the coalition, look at the million mines planted by the Houthis, look at the large mobilization of child soldiers, look at the indiscriminate attack on Saudi cities,” he said.
Although he didn’t explicitly touch on the incident, the coalition received heavy criticism last week after an airstrike in the Saada area of north Yemen caused a number of civilian casualties, including of children.
At the time, coalition spokesman Col Turki Al Malki said that the attack in Saada was launched against Houthi rebels responsible for firing a missile at the southern Saudi city of Jazan the previous day.
The coalition referred the incident to its special investigative panel soon after the reports by relief organisations working in Yemen, an official told the Saudi Press Agency said Saturday.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
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Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
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Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
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Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
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Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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RESULTS
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
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TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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