ABU DHABI // The UAE is not deploying military forces to Libya because of disagreements with the west over Bahrain, the former commander of the Air Force said yesterday.
Maj Gen Khaled al Bu-Ainnain said the disagreement stems from a conviction in the Gulf that Iran is interfering in Bahrain's affairs, and instigating protesters. He added that Bahrain's security is a priority for the Gulf and the UAE.
The Gulf countries are certain that Iran is involved in the protests in Bahrain, he said.
"The GCC is supporting Bahrain, and they were not happy at all with the European and American attitude," he said. "They think it's a matter of a civil movement, a matter of democracy. It is much beyond it."
He continued: "What's going on in Bahrain is much beyond our western allies to understand it. It is a complete conspiracy of the Iranians in the region."
Gen al Bu-Ainnain also said the main reason for the UAE's decision not to deploy troops to Libya is "because the Europeans and Americans in particular don't realise the amount of the threat available in Bahrain".
He also said the shifting American response to the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt shows clearly that America is confused about changes in the region.
"Let's go back and see the European and especially the American attitude toward Tunisia, how many positions in a few days," he said. "On Egypt, how many official statements in three, four weeks."
"Almost every week once or twice they changed [their] mind. What does this mean?" asked Gen al Bu-Ainnain. "They don't know what's going on."
So far, only Qatar has pledged Arab warplanes to the coalition that is enforcing a no-fly zone in Libya, where rebel forces have posed the biggest threat ever to Col Muammar Qaddafi's four decades of rule. This is despite the fact that Arab support for the measure was crucial to the UN resolution authorising military action against the forces of Col Qaddafi's regime.
The UAE, along with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led the call for a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians from attacks by forces loyal to the regime. With Turkey, the UAE has deployed humanitarian aid such as food and medical supplies, and has set up camps for refugees along the western border with Tunisia.
Late yesterday night, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Foreign Minister, told reporters that "the UAE is fully engaged with humanitarian operations. The UAE remains committed to the importance of action in support of UN resolution 1973."
Speaking of the situation in Bahrain, Sheikh Abdullah added that "the UAE, and the GCC remain committed to supporting the initiative being led by His Highness Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain. The support from the international community, and in particular the United States, for that process, can only have a positive effect."
Since the passage of the UN resolution, French warplanes have bombed military targets in Libya, and the US has attacked Libyan air defence facilities.
Arab participation in the enforcement of a no-fly zone was seen as crucial by western diplomats and officials who pushed for the UN Security Council resolution. Without Arab support, the resolution could otherwise be seen as a western-backed attack on a Muslim nation. That notion would have played into Col Qaddafi's propaganda.
Gen al Bu-Ainnain said the UAE was initially planning to deploy 24 fighter jets to Libya - two squadrons of Mirage and F-16 warplanes.
But in a statement yesterday, the UAE responded to speculation surrounding its involvement in Libya by saying that its participation is confined to humanitarian aid.
"The UAE is assuming its humanitarian role within the framework of brotherhood and friendship with the Libyan people," Juma al Junaibi, the foreign ministry's undersecretary, said in a statement on Monday night.
Gen al Bu-Ainnain said the UAE may be willing to reconsider that position if the west's stance on Bahrain changes.
"UAE is willing, they have the means, they have the capability, they have the good will towards our Libyan friends and people," he said. "We have no problem at all, this can be changed, maybe."
The general was speaking on the sidelines of a conference at the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research in the capital yesterday.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the former secretary general of NATO, offered a plea at the conference yesterday for Arab nations to lead the coalition against Col Qaddafi.
"The United States and its European allies did not act, and did not want to act without the support of the Arab world, and quite rightly so," said Mr Scheffer, who said he was "making a plea for an active participation by Arab nations in the enforcement of the Security Council resolution."
Gen al Bu-Ainnain compared the chaos that could be sown in Bahrain to Lebanon, and questioned why Iran was painting the Peninsula Shield forces as foreign troops.
"This is not acceptable at all by the Kingdom of Bahrain leadership and by the GCC," he said. "This is an issue of sovereignty."
kshaheen@thenational.ae
osalem@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Ronaldo's record at Man Utd
Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
AIDA%20RETURNS
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yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RESULT
Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
ARABIAN GULF LEAGUE FIXTURES
Thursday, September 21
Al Dahfra v Sharjah (kick-off 5.35pm)
Al Wasl v Emirates (8.30pm)
Friday, September 22
Dibba v Al Jazira (5.25pm)
Al Nasr v Al Wahda (8.30pm)
Saturday, September 23
Hatta v Al Ain (5.25pm)
Ajman v Shabab Al Ahli (8.30pm)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
