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UAE troops will not take part in war: Mohammed

DUBAI - General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, yesterday said that the UAE contingent in Kuwait would not participate in a war against any country, but would stand ready to defend Kuwait's territorial integrity.

"The UAE, under the leadership of the President, His Highness Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, opposes war under any pretext and will not participate in it. However, our forces in Kuwait are to defend Kuwait's territorial integrity," said Gen. Shaikh Mohammed in remarks made here yesterday shortly before the departure of the second batch of the UAE contingent in Peninsula Shield Forces. The UAE troops will join contingents of their AGCC countries that are currently being deployed in Kuwait as part of the country's obligations towards a sisterly AGCC member state. "On the orders of President Shaikh Zayed, the Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the UAE was the first AGCC country to respond to this defence obligation towards Kuwait as part of our commitment to the joint defence pact," said Gen. Shaikh Mohammed as he bade farewell to the troops. Lt.-General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, and Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Information and Culture, were also present.

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