WEB DESK
President Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary arrived in the United Arab Emirates today for talks with one of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East.
Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to the region as Pentagon Chief, is expected to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan and US embassy representatives.
In late January, Trump and the Crown Prince spoke by telephone and the White House said they had discussed a proposal for safe zones for Syrian refugees displaced by the conflict.
Mattis, a retired Marine general who is reviewing U.S. war plans against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, is a familiar figure to Gulf Arab rulers.
The United Arab Emirates is also a key U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda in Yemen.