Mark Carney’s Liberals are deepening ties to a repressive monarchy arming a murderous militia in Sudan, stoking violence in Yemen and tying itself to Israel.
On Monday the prime minister posted, “Canada strongly condemns Iran’s unprovoked missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates. We stand in solidarity with Mohamed Bin Zayed and the people of the United Arab Emirates and commend defensive efforts to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.” Foreign affairs minister Anita Anand then posted, “I have been in touch with my counterpart H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to express Canada’s condemnation of Iran’s strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, including those affecting the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the UAE.”
The Iranians have denied carrying out attacks.
While ignoring/supporting US/Israeli aggression on Iran, Ottawa has released several statements defending the UAE from Iran’s attacks. In an early March call with Al Nahyan, Carney “expressed Canada’s solidarity with the UAE against Iranian missile and drone attacks on civilians across the Middle East, which both leaders condemned.”
Trained at the British military college in Sandhurst, Bin Zayed has turned UAE into a Zionist outpost. Since instigating the Abraham Accords in 2020 the UAE has established diplomatic relations, appointed an ambassador and signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Israel. Since the US/Israel launched the war on Iran the UAE has doubled down on its Zionist ties. According to the Financial Times and others, Israel sent dozens of soldiers and air defense equipment, including the Iron Dome, Iron Beam laser system and Spectro surveillance, to assist the UAE.
Abu Dhabi is pursuing a highly adventurist policy from Libya to the Horn of Africa. The UAE has followed Israel, which recently became the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Somaliland, in deepening ties to the breakaway republic. Abu Dhabi has sought to restart war in Yemen and has provided arms and other support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, which is responsible for horrific violence.
The federation of seven emirates recently withdrew from OPEC in a blow to Saudi Arabia, which dominates the oil alliance. Long time Gulf Cooperation Council allies, the UAE and Saudis have diverged recently on Sudan, Yemen and Israel. While the UAE doubles down on its Israeli/US ties, the Saudis have refused to normalize ties with Israel and are stepping away from complete dependence on Washington. They recently established a new security alliance with Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt and are seeking to purchase fighter jets from China.
Maybe not as bad as Saudi Arabia, the emirates are highly repressive internally. A recent Amnesty International statement described how “political opponents and activists faced enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention.”
Despite its internal repression, violence in Yemen and arming of the RSF, Carney has turbocharged ties with the UAE. In June UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met four Liberal ministers during a visit to Canada. At the same time the Dubai International Chamber opened an office in Toronto, its first in North America, to facilitate commercial ties between Dubai and Canada. In October Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation minister Evan Solomon attended the GITEX Global expo in Dubai and signed a Canada-UAE memorandum of understanding on AI. The next month Carney visited Abu Dhabi in the first visit to the UAE by a Canadian Prime Minister in 40 years. “The visit of Prime Minister Carney to the UAE marks a new era in Canada-UAE relations, one that will further elevate bilateral ties and promote investment as a driver of innovation, economic growth, and expanded business opportunities,” explained an official statement.
In January, Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu visited the UAE with representatives of 40 Canadian companies. As part of these efforts, there’s a bilateral trade deal in the works and the UAE has said it would invest as much as $70 billion into Canadian projects.
While deepening diplomatic and business ties, Carney’s Liberals have ignored growing calls to halt arms sales to the UAE. As more evidence of Abu Dhabi arming the RSF has emerged, Ottawa continues to okay permits to sell arms to the UAE.
Canadians may support expanding international ties to counterbalance dependence on the USA, but is closer relations with the UAE really a way forward?
Support Yves’ work. Donate Now.
You must be logged in to post a comment.