Mohamed bin Zayed: Armed Forces' arrival a new chapter in nation’s glory

ABU DHABI, 8th November 2015 (WAM) - His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has applauded the UAE Armed Forces who arrived home yesterday after handing over responsibilities to a new batch in Yemen, and conveyed to them the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his commendation for their sacrifices, loyalty and gallantry. Below is the full text of Sheikh Mohamed's statement: "My gallant sons and my brothers of the UAE Armed Forces, I salute you all and convey to you the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is very proud of your sacrifices for the UAE security, of your protection of its interest and of your support to our brothers and friends by ensuring security and by standing in the face of any threats by terrorist groups and by contributing to regional and global peace and stability. The participation of our gallant armed forces as part of Saudi-led Operations, Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope, adds a new chapter to our nation’s glory, to the history of the UAE military, renowned for sacrifices and achievements and to the history of our country in support of the righteousness, a legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This participation played a decisive role in defeating plots of sectarian and rebellious militias against the legitimate government in Yemen and in preserving Yemen’s Arabic identity, maintaining its role as a strategic depth for the GCC countries, not as a source of threat and dangers as the rebellious gang planned it to be. Their conspiracies back-fired right from the beginning when the Arab Coalition was formed to regain legitimacy and to liberate Yemen from such bandits. The coalition has sent a key message that Arabs still have the will and ability to work together to maintain their sovereignty and unity and will go up against any attempt to interfere in their internal affairs under any slogan or pretext. As we welcome home the first batch of our heroes who participated in the operations to regain legitimacy in Yemen, and send a new batch to continue the task, we hold our heads high in pride of our armed forces’ achievements in Yemen. They carried out all tasks efficiently and exhibited bravery, dignity and professionalism. They also earned world’s respect for keenness to guarantee the safety of the civilians. On this day, we pray to Allah the Almighty for our martyrs who granted us the strength and determination to win and to defeat the aggressors. Our hero martyrs did us proud. We also salute their families whose exemplary patience, fortitude and patriotism inspired this generation and the generations to come. I say to them with confidence: The bloodshed of your sons will not gb4e vain. The rebellious militias in Yemen have paid the price through our forces’ devastating air and land strikes. We will continue our endeavours to liberate Yemen and to rebuild it for our brothers the Yemeni people who aspire to freedom, development and stability and to turn the page on those who threaten its unity and identity. Our gallant soldiers’ epics in Yemen have been playing a vital role in the victories made by the Arab Coalition and they make every Emirati proud of their armed forces who will do what it takes to defend the homeland and to drive the danger away from its borders. Our armed forces operate in professional manner under all conditions and in all environments and shoulder their national responsibilities with great courage and dedication. Of great significance is the UAE Armed Forces’ contribution in liberating the Marib Dam which was re-built by the late Sheikh Zayed bin sultan Al Nahyan as a symbol of development, from the forces of evil and destruction. Our forces regained that landmark from the bandits of evil and deceitful sectarianism to show that the UAE, all the time, ensure that good prevails over evil and development over destruction. To my sons and brothers who already began their tasks in Yemen in place of the returning forces, I am confident that you will continue the saga with the determination and dedication. It is a trait in the Emirati fighter every time and everywhere. This is the average Emirati who is raised to defend a brother and to help a needy person no matter what sacrifices they have to make. While working with the other Arab Coalition forces to complete the task of cleaning Yemen from remnants of rebellious militias, remember that you are you are carrying with you the ethics and values of the UAE and your forefathers’ legacy. I am confident you will perform your national role with courage. After all, you are the proud graduates of the Zayed school, in which, we learned to adhere to our principles and to side with the righteousness. We haven’t gone to Yemen in pursuit of selfish interests. We haven’t attacked any one and we never beat drums of war. The war was imposed on us after all peaceful solutions were exhausted and after Yemen fell to the grip of armed militias with destructive sectarian agenda, not only for Yemen, but for the whole region. Our participation in the Arab Coalition came as part of a national mission, dictated by our national and humanitarian responsibilities, in response to a request by the legitimate government in Yemen and in implementation of the international legitimacy resolutions. My sons and brothers, the gallant soldiers of the armed forces, The excitement I see in the eyes of our heroes while performing their national duty and while hurrying to take part in the battle for righteousness in Yemen makes me more confident that soon we will be celebrating liberation of the whole of en. This also deepens my confidence in the present and future of our country which is endowed with brave soldiers who settle for nothing less than victory. Our armed forces have proved their mettle in all operations they took part in, right from Kuwait's liberation, peacekeeping operations in different areas of the world, the active role in the international coalition against Daesh and the Arab Coalition in support of legitimacy in Yemen. Such activities are based on a strategic vision to provide full support to our armed forces and to upgrade their capabilities. Our armed forces will always remain a fort for the UAE, a shield for the Arab nation and a force of stability and peace for the region and the world at large. On this occasion, I would like to extend my thanks to all civilian institutions and individuals for their efforts in easing the suffering of our brothers in Yemen through renovation of vital infrastructure there, including schools, airports, sea ports, power stations, as well as the humanitarian assistance by the Emirates Red Crescent which facilitated the return of displaced people to their homes and enabled them to resume their life. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395287666564.html