UAE ends combat role against ISIS

In spite of US reports to the contrary, the United Arab Emirates have discontinued their combat role in the coalition arrayed against ISIS, according to the Associated Press;

The UAE dropped out of the group of countries conducting airstrikes against IS targets in Syria in December but has remained involved in noncombat roles, the officials said. They spoke only on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced and they were not authorized to speak on the record.

Even after the UAE stopped flying the missions, the U.S. military has continued to suggest otherwise in its daily news releases about the air campaign. Each day it has stated, “Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.”

So, while Jordan sees a need to increase their own activity in the skies over Syria and Iraq, the UAE has abrogated their agreement with Arab allies. Of course, if this had happened during the second Iraq War and an ally had stopped participating, this would be headline news that the Bush coalition was eroding. Instead we find the news on a back page of Stars & Stripes.

Category: Terror War