US administration reprimanded the UAE for transferring sensitive weapons to militias in Libya
The Times magazine said that Washington reprimanded the UAE after trying to transport one of the American-made Patriot missile batteries to Libya.
This came after a Turkish raid on a military base of Haftar’s forces in September 2019, killing three Emirati officers working in the Russian-made Pantsir missile system.
According to the newspaper, Emirati support of the Khalifa Haftar militia in Libya and Russia raises many American questions.
It is uncontrolled and dangerous behaviour seen by Americans, even under the administration of former President Donald Trump.
The UAE is an ally of the United States and the most prominent importer of American weapons.
Abu Dhabi’s relationship was excellent under the Trump administration. Still, it was continually reprimanded under the surface due to its policy in the region, especially in Libya, and this reprimand is expected to escalate under the Biden administration.
Granting Russia access to American weapons
Two US officials said the UAE had tried to transfer one of the US-made Patriot missile batteries to Libya.
This sparked a rebuke from the United States as the publication violates the export agreement and may give Russia access to the US system.
The Biden administration halted arms deals to the UAE, including the F-35s that Abu Dhabi has sought for many years.
It justified the normalization agreement with Israel by obtaining these aircraft. Still, the Emirati recklessness in the region and the possibility of technology reaching the United States’ traditional opponents may lead to the continued denial of American technology to Abu Dhabi.
The magazine indicated that the United States in the Biden era is pressing the UAE after reports of the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) saying that Abu Dhabi is paying for Russian mercenaries to fight on Haftar’s side.
On several occasions, the UAE has already been reprimanded by the United States for supporting Russian mercenaries.
In December 2020, the American Foreign Policy, which revealed the Pentagon inspector’s report, said, “The UAE does not receive much attention when it is mentioned to US officials on the pretext that the United States has other interests with the UAE.”
The cautious wording in the Pentagon Inspector General’s report that “the United States Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) estimated that the UAE might provide some funding for the group’s operations” is likely a reflection of the political sensitivities related to this issue.
The Trump administration has long been reluctant to criticize US partners in the Gulf, such as the UAE, despite allegations of human rights violations in Yemen’s conflict.
Trump even went so far as to say that the United States has no interests in Libya.
Douglas Wise, who served as deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2014 to 2016, said:
“I would imagine the Defense Intelligence Agency had some solid information about the UAE’s support for Wagner. The agency’s issuance of this report is an easier, less formal and embarrassing way to criticize the UAE for its behaviour than with a diplomatic note or press release from the Defense Department or the White House. He is telling the Emirates that we know.”
And throughout 2020, the American magazine says, experts who follow the conflict in Libya have noticed indications of the strength of relations between the UAE and Russia.
After the Turkish parliament approved in early 2020 a resolution allowing the operating forces to fight on the ground in Libya alongside the mercenaries backed by Turkey, the number of Russian and Emirati cargo planes was most likely loaded with weapons ammunition – destined for eastern Libya and western Egypt increased dramatically.
The UAE, like Russia, supports Haftar, an eastern Libyan tyrant who was previously a CIA collaborator and lived for years in the suburbs of Washington, DC.
Deploying Russian aircraft to support Haftar
What angered the US administration under Trump was in May 2020 when the UAE deployed dozens of Russian fourth-generation fighter jets operated by Wagner in support of Haftar’s forces to prevent the Turkish-backed forces from continuing their advance in the country.
Jalil Harchaoui, a senior researcher at the Paris-based Global Initiative to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, said:
“That act angered many within the Ministry of Defense, but the only aspect that was announced at the time was AFRICOM’s criticism of the Russians and publicly exposing them.”
“The other side, of course, is that the Americans knew very well that Abu Dhabi had sponsored part of Wagner’s mission in Libya,” he added.
