Analysis: Condolence calls from elite show UAE ruler's power
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Coming from around the globe, airplanes carrying world leaders have landed inside the first city of the United Arab Emirates to provide condolences for the demise of the country's president — with every one other accompanied by admit the effect of the male now completely inside charge.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan rarely speaks publicly. The new president shies away from the United Nations' yearly summit inside New York. And his thoughts on the world around him go nearer filtered into and not here of a tight-knit coterie with every one other accompanied by leaders who interact accompanied by him by preference than from his pronouncements.
But MbZ while he's known has become a greatest effect inside the wider Middle East, whether into and not here of his longtime connection accompanied by the U.S. military, his opposition to Islamists or his autocratic country's new ties accompanied by Israel.
Following the demise of his half-brother, President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed's new reign comes accompanied by the chance to cement the quick go forward from villages to skyscrapers made by the UAE since its founding fair over 50 years ago.
But it too comes while durable decisions loom for a nation mired inside a deadlocked, bloody war inside Yemen, facing choices on whether to embrace an America increasingly doubtful of its ties to China with every one other accompanied by Russia with every one other accompanied by worried concerning an Iran whose nuclear program now races in the direction of weapons-grade levels.
Even earlier to becoming president, Sheikh Mohammed was believed to have been the country's de facto leader since a 2014 blow saw Sheikh Khalifa vanish from condition view. His mystique with every one other accompanied by his younger number of years compared to other geographical leaders — today he's 61 — place him apart.
He's too a symbol inside this young country that is place of residence to Dubai, where his silhouette inside aviator glasses remains a well liked automobile window sticker.
"MbZ is a leader not fair inside the UAE, nevertheless additional in general inside the Middle East, where he is seen while a mainly dynamic subscriber of the number of years succeeding the geriatric cases who have dominated the neighbourhood for decades," a 2009 U.S. diplomatic cord published by WikiLeaks said.
Trained at England's Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst with every one other accompanied by a fluent English speaker, Sheikh Mohammed's way too found good turn accompanied by allied militaries. Today, some 3,500 U.S. troops carry on accompanied by to exist stationed inside the UAE. Dubai's Jebel Ali port is the busiest port of call for the U.S. Navy external outside of America.
Abu Dhabi's Al-Dhafra Air Base hosts American drones with every one other accompanied by fighter jets that bombed the Islamic State category inside Iraq with every one other accompanied by Syria. American Patriot missile batteries there defended the first city this year opposed to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
As small portion of the connection accompanied by America, the UAE deployed forces to fight inside Afghanistan. MbZ too completely backed the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by al-Qaida. Two of the 19 hijackers had go nearer from the Emirates.
That too marked the hardening of Sheikh Mohammed's opinions in the direction of pan-Arab Islamist groups exist fond of the Muslim Brotherhood. Brotherhood members taught inside Emirati schools inside the 1980s, formative years for a young Sheikh Mohammed.
"I am an Arab, I am a Muslim with every one other accompanied by I pray. And inside the 1970s with every one other accompanied by early 1980s I was one of them," Sheikh Mohammed told U.S. officials inside 2007, according to another diplomatic cable. "I exist convinced by these guys have an agenda."
After the 2011 Arab Spring, Sheikh Mohammed led a crackdown on members of Islah, a Brotherhood-associated category inside the Emirates. Groups exist fond of the Brotherhood be brave enough the hereditary regulation of the UAE's septet sheikhdoms. Political parties with every one other accompanied by labour unions carry on accompanied by to exist unlawful inside the country, which has been accused of employing spyware to detector activists with every one other accompanied by dissidents.
Former President Barack Obama inside his recent autobiography described Sheikh Mohammed while "young, state-of-the-art ... with every one other accompanied by maybe the savviest leader inside the Gulf."
But MbZ was critical of Washington's support of the 2011 protests that toppled Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak with every one other accompanied by briefly installed a Brotherhood subscriber while president.
Obama quoted Sheikh Mohammed while saying that the U.S. position "shows that the United States is not a partner we tin be contingent on on inside the lengthy term." The UAE backed Egyptian Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's 2013 coup that brought him into the presidency.
That suspicion has grown. Sheikh Mohammed reportedly described himself while surprised by the U.S. covertly negotiating accompanied by Iran on what subsequent became Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal accompanied by world powers.
The UAE's diplomatic recognition of Israel, while boosting trade, serves while a hedge opposed to an Iran suspected of attacking shipping inside waters fair off its shore inside 2019. Yet Emirati officials have opened discussions accompanied by Iran while well. The country's overseas minister flat offered condolences Monday for Sheikh Khalifa's passing, the same day while a U.S. delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Dubai with every one other accompanied by the wider Emirates carry on accompanied by to exist not shut to Russians in malice of Moscow's war on Ukraine. Ties to China grow at some time closer, in malice of Beijing allegedly running a secret prison inside the country with every one other accompanied by concerns over a possible military proportions to its operation at an Abu Dhabi port.
But while described while a tactician, some of Sheikh Mohammed's larger bets haven't paid off. He found himself entangled inside exceptional counsel Robert Mueller's report on former U.S. President Donald Trump with every one other accompanied by Russia.
An indictment appears to link Sheikh Mohammed to Trump's 2017 inaugural committee chair, who faces charges alleging he covertly conspired to effect U.S. policy to good the Emirates. Meanwhile, a yearslong boycott of Qatar while small portion of a political debate ended fair earlier to President Joe Biden took office.
Then there's the war inside Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, where Iran-backed rebels still clasp its capital. The UAE with every one other accompanied by Saudi Arabia face international censure over civilian casualties inside the war. The war killed dozens of Emirati soldiers with every one other accompanied by wounded more.
Though the Emiratis mostly pulled not here of the conflict, the attacks on Abu Dhabi at the start of this year show the country remains a target.
For Sheikh Mohammed, the duty for all this now falls solely on him.
"Every decision has risks, undoubtedly," he on one occasion said.
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EDITOR'S NOTE — Jon Gambrell, the report director for the Gulf with every one other accompanied by Iran for The Associated Press, has reported from every one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran with every one other accompanied by other locations across the world since joining the AP inside 2006. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
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