From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 7, 2016
Biden in UAE vows to destroy Islamic State
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleA day before visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, Biden starts his Mideast trip in the United Arab Emirates with a vow that the United States and its allies would “squeeze the heart” and destroy the Islamic State group.
Biden speaks before several hundred US airmen as drones rolled the down the runway at the Al-Dhafra Air Base, a major desert outpost near the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi.
“We have to squeeze the heart of Daesh in Iraq and Syria so they can’t continue to pump their poison in the region and around the world,” Biden says, using an Arabic acronym for IS, a militant group he dismisses as “criminals and cowards.”
The Emirates is the first stop on a regional tour that will also take in Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. His wife, Jill, is accompanying him.
The trip will include talks on US economic and energy interests, as well as security concerns about Iran and Syria, the White House said.
Earlier in the day, Biden visited Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, pausing outside to remove his black dress shoes in keeping with Islamic custom.
He examined a wall in the ornate mosque bearing the 99 names of God written in Arabic before stepping outside to wave at visiting tourists kept a short distance away.
Biden is not expected to offer any new initiative on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when he travels to Israel and the West Bank. The White House has said it does not believe either side has the political will for reviving the peace process.
— AP
The Times of Israel Community.