Page 3 - Aruba Today
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U.S. NEWS A3
Tuesday 8 March 2016
Biden vows US, allies will ‘squeeze the heart’ of IS on trip
JON GAMBRELL countries and the Islamic Joe Biden, the U.S. Vice President shakes hands with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Associated Press Republic have been high Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces at the
AL-DHAFRA AIR BASE, since January, when Saudi Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, March 7, 2016.
United Arab Emirates (AP) officials executed a Shiite
— U.S. Vice President Joe cleric and protesters later (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Biden began a Mideast overran two of the king-
tour Monday vowing that dom’s diplomatic posts in
the United States and its Iran.
allies would destroy and Saudi Arabia and the Emir-
“squeeze the heart” of the ates also are involved in a
Islamic State group, while war in Yemen against Shi-
thanking both American ite rebels there who have
airmen and Emirati troops. received Iranian support,
Biden spoke before hun- raising fears of a regional
dreds of airmen as jets war. This has drawn some
roared down the runway support away from the U.S.-
at Al-Dhafra Air Base near led coalition battling Islam-
Abu Dhabi, a main launch- ic State militants.
ing point for operations in Late Monday, Biden met
Syria and Iraq targeting the with Abu Dhabi’s crown
Islamic State group. prince, Sheikh Mohammed
The Emirates is one of the bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He
most important U.S. military is scheduled to meet with
and political allies in the Dubai ruler Sheikh Moham-
Persian Gulf. It is also a ma- med bin Rashid Al-Mak-
jor commercial hub that in- toum, who is the federa-
cludes the business-friendly tion’s vice president and
port city of Dubai. prime minister, on the trip as
Flanked by an F-22 Raptor well. Despite the regional
and an F-15E Strike Eagle challenges, Biden struck an
fighter jet, Biden applaud- upbeat tone, applauding
ed Emirati authorities for the U.S. troops’ sacrifices
their “stepped up and ex- while vowing to destroy the
panded” role in the anti-IS Islamic State group, which
campaign. he dismissed as “criminals
“You capture the images and cowards.”
that provide us with intel- “We have to squeeze the
ligence we need to target heart of Daesh in Iraq and
the enemy to protect our Syria so they can’t contin-
forces,” Biden said, as un- ue to pump their poison in
armed drones sat and tax- the region and around the
ied on the runway outside world,” Biden said, using
near radar planes and re- an Arabic acronym for the
fueling aircraft. group.
“You control the skies of The Emirates is the first stop
Iraq and Syria. As a matter on a regional tour that will
of fact, you all control the also take in Israel, the West
skies in the whole damn Bank and Jordan. His wife,
world,” Biden added to Jill, is accompanying him.
cheers from the gathered The trip will include talks on
airmen. U.S. economic and energy
The seven-state Emirates interests, as well as security
federation, which includes concerns about Iran and
the Gulf commercial cen- Syria, the White House said.
ter of Dubai, is one of the Biden is not expected to
largest oil producers in offer any new initiative on
OPEC. It hosts regional of- the Israeli-Palestinian con-
fices for numerous Ameri- flict when he travels to Is-
can companies in indus- rael and the West Bank.
tries including aerospace, The White House has said
energy, technology and it does not believe either
hospitality. Dubai state- side has the political will for
owned airline Emirates is reviving the peace process
the largest operator of Chi- as the last year of President
cago-based Boeing Co.’s Barack Obama’s adminis-
777 wide-body jet. tration winds down.
Biden’s remarks, however, Earlier Monday, Biden vis-
did not touch on the wor- ited Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Za-
ries of Emiratis and Saudi yed Grand Mosque, paus-
Arabia over regional Shiite ing outside to remove his
power Iran. Tensions be- black dress shoes in keep-
tween allied Sunni Arab ing with Islamic custom.q
