WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama met for more than an hour Abu Dhabi's crown prince on Monday and discussed the conflicts in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Libya, and the United Arab Emirates' need for military equipment, the White House said. Obama and Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al-Nahayan “reaffirmed their mutual commitment to close defense and security cooperation,” the White House said in a statement after the meeting. The UAE is part of the US-led coalition fighting the Daesh (the so-called IS) militants in Iraq and Syria, and is also part of the Saudi-led alliance engaged in air strikes in Yemen against the Iran-allied Houthi militias. “The leaders discussed the ongoing need for expedited provision of essential military equipment and supplies to the UAE” in the context of the fight against Daesh and US support for the Yemen operations, said Alistair Baskey, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. Obama also discussed the framework deal reached with Iran and world powers earlier this month with the crown prince, the White House said. Obama will meet with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council at the White House on May 13 and at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, on May 14 to discuss the issues roiling the Middle East. — Reuters
