The Emiratis have also come in for a lot of criticism for the way in which they have thrown their weight-despite the UAE’s modest size-around the region over the last decade. That is not an excuse, but it is objective reality. Still, a questionable human rights record and growing ties with China does not distinguish the UAE from almost every other country in the Middle East. In addition to human rights concerns, members of Congress and the Biden administration have expressed reservations over Abu Dhabi’s relationship with Beijing. In the State Department’s 2020 country report on Emirati human rights practice, American officials found torture in detention, arbitrary arrest, political prisoners, interference in citizen privacy, and restrictions on press freedoms, among a range of other offenses. While some human rights advocates and members of Congress often seem oddly fixated on the Emiratis, for example, that does not mean the Emirates does not have a human rights problem. forces in Afghanistan, Emirati pilots participated in operations against the Islamic State, and they dealt devastating blows on al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula. The Emirati military has gotten a lot of help from foreign officers among its ranks and not all its branches are top notch, but it is an important security partner to the United States, though problems still buffet U.S.-UAE bilateral relations. Houthi belligerence also raises questions about the faddish idea in Washington that local actors can manage regional deescalation, freeing up the United States to deal with bigger global problems.įormer Defense Secretary James Mattis once famously-or perhaps infamously-referred to the UAE as “Little Sparta.” The remark reflected the fact that unlike other countries in the region, the UAE has developed an effective military force, especially compared to other regional armed forces. Regardless of the proximate cause for the Houthi drone and missile attacks, they pose a significant dilemma for leaders in Abu Dhabi who seem caught between their active-even aggressive-foreign and defense policies of the past decade, and their current efforts to turn inward and focus on domestic development. Several analysts have argued persuasively that the attacks on the United Arab Emirates were in response to recent battlefield setbacks for the Houthis, the result of better coordination between Saudi and Emiratis proxies on the ground in addition to the effectiveness of an Emirati-backed Yemen militia known as the Giants Brigade. 17 killed three people and caused modest damage. Emirati air defenses intercepted the incoming missiles on Sunday, but a drone strike on Jan. Weakest of all countries in the MENA region is Lebanon - sandwiched between Mali and Mozambique in 111th place - with a depleted economy that has precious little to spend on new military hardware and training.Last Sunday evening, while much of Washington was watching the NFL playoffs, Abu Dhabi came under attack from Houthi forces in Yemen for the second time in a week. Years of war have depleted the military resources, economies and available military spending of former regional powerhouses, including Libya and Syria. In North Africa, Algeria remains in the ascendancy over its regional competitors, standing 26th in the world. Global Fire Power uses over 60 factors to calculate the ‘power index’ of any given country - taking in conventional metrics of military capacity, as well as the technological advancements of smaller nations. The three countries all rank above Israel.Īccording to the index, Israel stayed in 18th place globally, having flatlined in military spending and eligible servicemen and women - despite still maintaining strict military service. Iran is still ranked well above regional rivals Saudi Arabia. Under the rule of authoritarian president Abd el-Fattah al-Sisi Egypt has kept military spending going - with sympathetic figures occupying key roles across the economy to ensure army funding is maintained. Turkey has climbed two places in the global rankings, witnessing an increase in citizens available for military service, and a total military personnel of 755,000. ![]() Turkey, Egypt and Iran have the three strongest militaries across the Middle East and North Africa region, according to Global Fire Power’s 2023 Military Strength Rankings announced this week.
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