The acknowledgement by the White House and Pentagon late Monday represent a widening American involvement in Yemen’s years-long war, a conflict that President Joe Biden declared nearly a year ago 'has to end'
US Army personnel near a Patriot missile battery at Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi. File pic/AP
The US military launched interceptor missiles during an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that targeted the United Arab Emirates during a visit by Israel’s president, the second-such time American troops have opened fire, officials said.
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The acknowledgement by the White House and Pentagon late Monday represent a widening American involvement in Yemen’s years-long war, a conflict that President Joe Biden declared nearly a year ago “has to end.”
While the US has ended offensive support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen’s exiled government, their involvement in defending UAE comes as rebel Houthis have declared Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi a target. Al-Dhafra has some 2,000 American troops.
Press secretary Jen Psaki said the US military “responded to an inbound missile threat on the UAE. “This involved the employment of Patriot interceptors to ... (support) efforts by the armed forces of the UAE,” Psaki said. At the Pentagon, press secretary John Kirby said “U.S. Patriots were fired, but it was the Emirati surface-to-air missiles that actually engaged the targets.” Biden also mentioned the attack during a visit by Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, saying, “America will have the backs of our friends in the region.”
The Emirati military, as with an attack last week, did not acknowledge American military opened fire.
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