ABU DHABI/WASHINGTON: The United Arab Emirates, one of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East, is deploying its military against al-Qaeda in Yemen, and in the process providing what some see as a badly-needed new template for counter-terrorism in Arab lands.
UAE special forces are orchestrating the hunt for al-Qaeda in remote deserts and mountains, adding the capability of Arab troops seasoned in war zones like Afghanistan and Somalia to a campaign long the preserve of the US and Yemeni militaries.
While the UAE helped to eject al-Qaeda from the southern coastal city in April, militant threats persist - the latest attack was claimed by Islamic State, in Yemen a lesser force than al-Qaeda.
The Emiratis deployed initially against a different foe - Yemen’s Houthi group, joining a Saudi-led campaign last year to try to reverse a bid for national power by a group seen by many Gulf Arabs as a proxy for regional arch-rival Iran.
The war weakened the Houthis, but in the resulting turmoil al-Qaeda swept across the eastern side of the country, seizing more land than it had ever held and raising tens of millions of dollars from running Mukalla, the country’s third largest port.
The UAE’s al-Qaeda push meets a demand made repeatedly by Washington that Gulf Arabs do more to ensure their own security.
But a so-called "Obama Doctrine" of relying on local allies instead of big US military deployments abroad to fight militant jihadis has been seen as stumbling in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, despite funding and training of local partners.
Yemen may prove a happier example, its supporters hope.
The UAE response is to use special forces to try to sharpen a long-running push against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), seen as one of the jihadi network’s most capable.
The Emiratis are working with the United States to train, manage and equip Yemeni fighters in that effort, signalling they have the stamina to stick with a campaign that could last long after the separate confrontation with the Houthis is resolved.
The ability to run combined air, sea and land operations, deploy forces clandestinely and endure scores of troop losses has won acknowledgement from Western states long despairing of the fractured Yemeni army’s ability to tackle al-Qaeda.
Retired General Anthony Zinni, former chief of US Central Command, told Reuters the UAE was "a top military" in the region and "exponentially more capable than its size might indicate".
"It has also shown the ability to hang in there despite casualties. (The UAE) has proven its willingness to fight alongside the US and coalitions."
After months of preparation the UAE orchestrated the ousting of al-Qaeda from Mukalla by Yemeni allies in a complex operation backed by US intelligence support and aerial refuelling.