UAE-US RELATIONS: Security Relationship
The UAE occupies a critical strategic position on the Arabian Gulf, where nearly one-quarter of the world’s oil is produced and shipped.
An important step in the bilateral relationship was the 1994 Defense Cooperation Agreement. Today, the UAE provides UN, US, EU and NATO forces unprecedented access to ports and territory, overflight clearances and other critical and important logistical assistance. The UAE has also hosted and participated in joint military training exercises with US forces.
Military Assistance and Cooperation
The UAE deployed forces and/or provided assistance in:
- Operation Desert Storm/1990 Gulf War
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan
- UN Operations in Somalia
- UN Operations in Kosovo.
Supporting the New Iraqi Government
The UAE has provided important support, ranging from free medical treatment, hospital reconstruction and humanitarian supplies to police training.
In concert with regional neighbors, the UAE government is confident that peace, security and stability in the region will not be achieved without a united Iraq. Any calls to divide Iraq or dismantle it on geographic or communal grounds will not be in the interests of its people.
US a Major Defense Supplier to UAE
The UAE has turned to the United States for enhanced defense capabilities, strengthening the cooperative defense relationship. Significant equipment programs include Apache helicopters, F-16s and cargo aircraft.
Shutting Down Terror Finance Networks
The UAE has frozen the accounts of known terrorists and enacted aggressive anti-money-laundering initiatives. New counter-terrorist financing laws and regulations have been introduced and enforced.
Protecting US-Bound Shipments
Dubai is the sixth largest port in the world for container traffic and the first Middle East entity to join the Container Security Initiative (CSI). A multinational program to protect global trade from terrorism, CSI stations US Customs officers inside Dubai's ports.
Preventing the Spread of Dangerous Nuclear Materials
Dubai was the first Middle East entity to join the Department of Energy's Megaports Initiative, aimed at stopping illicit shipments of radioactive material. In June 2005, the UAE committed to adhere to the International Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.
Iran
The UAE and the United States share a deep concern over Iran’s nuclear development and its impact on peace and stability in the entire region. Located as close as 35 miles across the Gulf, the UAE and Iran have historic ties, including a significant trading relationship.
The UAE, with the Gulf Cooperation Council, wants the entire region to be free of weapons of mass destruction. |
