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UAE will remain a safe haven

Yemen is a lost cause for the Houthis, so this is their attempt to spread their brand of violence into the UAE

The Houthis are mistaken if they think they can rattle the UAE with drone and missile attacks.

They are also wrong about an escalation of the conflict as the UAE has held its nerve while retaliating swiftly and effectively in Yemen. The terror group’s missile launchers in Yemen were taken out within an hour of Monday’s attack, the third in three weeks.

Quick and targeted retaliation keeping in mind the civilian population in Yemen ensured there was no collateral damage. The terror group may be risking it all by believing there is nothing else to lose in a war they have already lost.

Their rule by terror has few takers. But they want a global audience to take stock of the damage they can cause on peaceful countries like the UAE, which is also among the safest in the world.

Diplomatic Adviser to the President Dr Anwar Gargash dismissed these provocations and said they would not change the grim situation on the ground in Yemen or the stability of the UAE which is firm and steadfast in its approach to violence of any kind. “Provoking us will not work and whoever puts the UAE to the test will fail,’’ he said in a tweet.

Terror organisations resort to threats and provocations when they realise the ground is slipping under their feet. Yemen is a lost cause for the Houthis, so this is their attempt to spread their brand of violence into the UAE.

What they should realise is that they will sow the wind and will reap the whirlwind. While the Houthi attacks on the UAE will get an instant response like today, the country is also aware of the people in Yemen who have borne the worst of Houthi atrocities since the illegal takeover in 2014.

Retaliation will be instant yet measured keeping in mind the innocent civilian population in the country. Millions have been left homeless and thousands have died in the conflict raging in Yemen.

Hunger and starvation are rampant in the country. According to some estimates, 15.6 million people now face extreme poverty. The UN says Yemen was one of the poorest countries in the world even before the civil war broke out.

Life expectancy in the country is below 64, which is ranked 179 out of 189 in the human development index. But the Houthis choose to ignore the lives of their people as they embark on this campaign of hatred on countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia who have sent millions in humanitarian aid.

On Monday, the UAE defence systems didn’t let even one missile slip through. The latest provocation received the response it deserved. The larger plan would be to respond to the Houthis' sectarian and hateful ideology. This would include diplomatic pressure, imposing sanctions on the terror organization, and making their leaders pay for their crimes against humanity.