UAE says it supports all nations affected by terrorism

Amid an escalation in militant attacks across the globe and the threats posed by Islamic State, the UAE has said it supports all countries hit by terrorism irrespective of the source as the oil-rich nation called on the global community to unite against the menace.
"The UAE supports humanitarian cooperation with countries facing terrorism and extremism wherever it is found and of whatever source," said a report released by the UAE ahead of its 44th National Day tomorrow.
The report prepared by the WAM news agency talks about terrorism in reference to the horrific Paris attacks last month that claimed 130 lives.

The report quotes President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on terrorism in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.
"The President reaffirmed these principles following the recent terrorist attacks carried out by Daesh (ISIS) in Paris, stressing the UAE's full support for France as one of its strategic partners.
"He added that the UAE condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as a phenomenon that targets the security and stability of the world, stressing that such criminal acts require cooperation and solidarity at all levels to eradicate them," it said.

The report quotes Sheikh Khalifa in calling on the international community to unite in the face of extremism in all its forms, whether ideological sympathy or support or criminal acts.

Being an important oil-rich country, UAE's stance on terrorism is significant, especially its reference to support for countries facing terrorism irrespective of the source.
In August, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UAE, both countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and came down heavily on countries sponsoring terrorism. They asked all states to dismantle terror infrastructure.
The report also makes a reference to UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan's speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Abdullah had said the Arab and Islamic identity of the UAE is the source of its progress and openness in the world, and that while the UAE might be small in its surface area, it is large in its influence on the course of world development.

The threats and dangers posed by terrorist organisations, particularly ISIS and others linked to al-Qaeda, are not confined within any geographical borders, but go beyond the entire region, posing a threat to all countries and communities, he had said.
The report also talks about the UAE's stance on various
regional conflicts and its policy on those issues in the past year.
In this context the UAE's role in the Yemen crisis, Iraq and the Israel-Palestine conflict are discussed extensively.
Describing the UAE's involvement in the conflict in Yemen as the greatest political challenge yet to have been faced by the country, the report said the developments in Yemen have posed a real test for the UAE's political leadership.

"It is an issue that threatens to compromise security and stability not only in the UAE, but also throughout the entire Gulf region and the Arab world. It has, therefore, been necessary for the country's armed forces to become engaged in deterring aggression in the pursuit of victory," it said.
"The events in Yemen represented a coup against the legitimate authorities... Yemen is an integral part of the Gulf and Arab entity, and we must not allow any harm to befall it, as that would inevitably compromise the security of our nation," it says.
The UAE, a federation of seven small Gulf states including Dubai and the oil-rich capital of Abu Dhabi, is one of the most prominent members of the Saudi-led coalition, which aims to roll back gains by the Shiite rebels and their allies in the deeply impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.

The Saudi-led and US-backed coalition, made up mainly of Gulf nations, has been launching airstrikes against the rebels since March. But the UAE is the only country that has acknowledged having troops on the ground in Yemen in the conflict.
With regard to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the report said, "On November 29th, the Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, President Sheikh Khalifa called on the international community to rescue the peace process and take appropriate procedures to stop Israeli violations against the Al Aqsa Mosque, by obliging Israel to commit to serious negotiations towards a two-state solution.
"He reiterated the UAE's consistent and principled position in supporting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the need for full international recognition of an independent and sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital," it said.