UAE: The UAE Military Is Recruiting 3,000 Colombians to

UAE: The UAE Military Is Recruiting 3,000 Colombians The UAE has 80,000 square kilometers and have some military forces of around 50,000 troops. Because oil is one of the world’s richest nations. Although only 900,000 native citizens, has a population of 6 million people from countless nations. “What we realized the UAE, and is the reason why they are rapidly strengthening its army incorporating soldiers of different nationalities, is that they have several threats that make them very vulnerable. Our mission further includes different aspects ranging from urban defense against terrorist attacks and control civil uprisings and even be prepared against possible border conflict with Iran. “explains exoficial. One reason why the government decided to accelerate UAE recently hiring former military around the world has to do with what has happened in countries hit by the so-called Arab spring, consisting of civil uprisings that ended with the overthrow governments in several countries in the Middle East. Check this news out. This came through a Google Alert I set up, and I had to translate it in order to see what was up. The above quote is what grabbed my attention. The UAE is planning for a future where refugees and problems are streaming from other ‘collapsing’ countries, or even having to deal with internal rebellion or their own Arab Spring. That, and protecting oil infrastructure and pipelines requires a lot of muscle. Not to mention that if Iran lashes back if they are attacked by Israel, then the UAE might be a potential target. Either way, they are wanting to recruit a bunch of foreign soldiers with combat experience. Now this is a separate deal from the Reflex Responses gig, at least from what I can gather. The UAE military is directly recruiting these guys and paying them pretty good. An active soldier in Colombia earn on average 950,000 pesos a month. Figure down to 690,000 when they are pensioners. Being part of the UAE Army soldier to that pay almost 5 million pesos. The figures are based on range. A lieutenant, who earns approximately 1,400,000 pesos in Colombia, is tempted to go for a salary of 6 and a half million pesos a month. The offer for a colonel in Colombia perceived 5,500,000, can reach $ 18,000. Colombia is probably a little worried that the UAE will draw all of their top tier retired guys, or even motivate some folks to leave the military just to join this crew. I also imagine Colombians will be popular contract soldiers in Mexico, now that Nieto has won and his ‘security adviser’ is a retired Colombian general. lol -Matt Former members of the homeland to the United Arab June 30, 2012 More than 800 former military nation Colombians, many of them elite, have enlisted in the Army in the UAE. We pay up to $ 18,000 a month. One that does not stop bleeding. For the past year, dozens of the best soldiers in the country are leaving the ranks of the Colombian Army. Most of them are seasoned experienced military who fought in elite units and special forces, among others. The reason why many have decided to hang up their uniforms after ten or 15 years of service is as exotic as controversial. Resigned from the army of his country to travel and sign up to join the Army and military in the UAE. The matter has not been away from controversy and in some sectors of the disbanded army has caused discomfort. “They have recruited experienced soldiers in combat, men with years of valuable service and that the Army also has invested heavily in their training. It is certainly a loss for the Army. But there’s not much you can do because it is not nothing illegal, “said to Semana a general. What says the officer summarized the official position of the Armed Forces, who are powerless such recruitment. “The trouble is we can not do anything to retain and prevent the lower request because it is a matter of supply and demand. To go to UAE are paid wages that are five to ten times more than they earn here,” says the general. The closest precedent Colombian military overseas contract led to a series of scandals, due to complaints against a company called ID System that recruited Colombian ex-military to go to work as mercenaries in Iraq. In August 2006, Semana revealed that many of those former members had been deceived by promising wages of $ 10,000 per month, but on reaching Baghdad were paid only $ 1,000. Several of them took away their passports to meet the service time and were stranded in Iraq. Part of the controversy at the time was that these former members were trained Colombian Army installations. “It is very different now to what happened in the past. We are not mercenaries. The contract is people traveling directly to the UAE government. There is a contract, all documents are in order,” said Semana a Colombian Army exoficial is who is in charge of recruitment. “Those who are selected have a resident visa. The contract is with the government, not with a particular company, in which case, according to international standards, they would apply the label of mercenaries. We also use Colombian military installations for do the interviews and selection process, “he says. Since May last year to now 842 former members have traveled to the United Arab Colombians, of which 152 have done between January and June 2012. And it certainly wage differentials are quite large and have become the main incentive for leaving tens rows. An active soldier in Colombia earn on average 950,000 pesos a month. Figure down to 690,000 when they are pensioners. Being part of the UAE Army soldier to that pay almost 5 million pesos. The figures are based on range. A lieutenant, who earns approximately 1,400,000 pesos in Colombia, is tempted to go for a salary of 6 and a half million pesos a month. The offer for a colonel in Colombia perceived 5,500,000, can reach $ 18,000. “Here there is nothing illegal. What we do is offer an economic alternative to the military who choose to enlist,” says the excoronel commissioned by the government of UAE to recruit the Colombians. The mission The UAE has 80,000 square kilometers and have some military forces of around 50,000 troops. Because oil is one of the world’s richest nations. Although only 900,000 native citizens, has a population of 6 million people from countless nations. “What we realized the UAE, and is the reason why they are rapidly strengthening its army incorporating soldiers of different nationalities, is that they have several threats that make them very vulnerable. Our mission further includes different aspects ranging from urban defense against terrorist attacks and control civil uprisings and even be prepared against possible border conflict with Iran. “explains exoficial. One reason why the government decided to accelerate UAE recently hiring former military around the world has to do with what has happened in countries hit by the so-called Arab spring, consisting of civil uprisings that ended with the overthrow governments in several countries in the Middle East. When former members are selected Colombians in Colombia must travel to Zayed Military City, a database of the United Arab Emirates located in the desert, 20 kilometers from the airport of Abu Dhabi. There are a number of screening tests lasting about four weeks, including skydiving practices, field reconnaissance, testing, snipers and hostage rescue, among others. If you pass the tests are employed and if not, return to Colombia. “I retired from the Army as a sergeant after ten years because a friend told me this. This has a quota of sacrifice for one serving for ten months in a row and give him a month off. During this month we give one the ticket to return to Colombia to visit family. The accommodations and food are very good, as well as equipment numbers and weapons. Although it is hard being away from home for me has been very good. I saved 53 million pesos a year, which helped me to buy a house. That would not have been able to do in ten years in the Army, “he told the officer retired WEEK. Although there are many testimonies of former members who claim to be consistent with the fact of wearing the camouflage of another country, some who have returned from there with some reservations. “I returned because I received a paycheck, but after nearly a year had not signed that contract and did not give any guarantee. We are not there or protect facilities caretakers characters. There is a high risk because there are soldiers and we are part of the Army of the United Arab Emirates, and although it was not in my time, one is aware that you can enter combat. It was clear what would have happened if I had touched terminate someone or kill me, “he said a professional soldier. Beyond the clear economic incentive, the concern in some sectors of the Army is that while the former military and are 800 who are in UAE, the government’s goal is to recruit a total of 3,000 Colombians. And that’s a big hole for the Colombian Army, considering that most of the recruits are some of the best soldiers in the country. Story here. == UAE starts up pipeline to bypass Strait of Hormuz Associated PressBy ADAM SCHRECK | Associated Press – 16 hrs ago * Email * * * Share0 * * Print Related Content * FILE - In this Wednesday, May 30, 2012 file photo, a ship docks at the refueling station in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates on Sunday inaugurated a much-anticipated overland oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, giving the OPEC member insurance against Iranian threats to block the strategic waterway. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) FILE - In this Wednesday, May 30, … * Map locates the pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf Map locates the pipeline bypassing … DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates on Sunday inaugurated a much-anticipated overland oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, giving the OPEC member insurance against Iranian threats to block the strategic waterway. The 380-kilometer (236-mile) Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline snakes across western desert dunes and over the craggy Hajar mountains to the city of Fujairah on the UAE's Indian Ocean coast, south of the strait. Until now, all Emirati exports were loaded in the Gulf and then sailed out through Hormuz. Once it is running at full capacity, the pipeline could allow the country, OPEC's third biggest exporter, to ship as much as two-thirds of its peak production through the eastern port city. It is designed to carry at least 1.5 million barrels a day of crude, though capacity is expected to eventually rise to 1.8 million barrels daily. Efforts to bring the long-awaited export route online have gained increased urgency in recent months because of repeated threats by Iranian officials to close Hormuz if the country's own exports are blocked. The narrow strait is patrolled by Iranian warships as well as by the U.S. Navy and its allies. It is the export route for about 17 million barrels of oil a day, or a fifth of the world's oil supply. The chairman of Iran's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday that Tehran has a contingency plan to close the key route, though any decision to shut it rests with the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Gen. Hasan Firouzabadi's comments come two weeks after the European Union enforced a total oil embargo against Iran. The move is part of a series of sanctions meant to force Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment program. The West suspects Iran is aiming to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge. Emirati officials quietly began filling the new pipeline with oil on June 30, according to the UAE embassy in Washington. A statement from the embassy said the project underscores the U.S. ally's "commitment to ensuring the reliable and safe delivery of crude oil ... to global markets." Officials including the Emirates' energy minister gathered in Fujairah for the formal inauguration of the pipeline, said Mohammed Saif al-Afkham, the director general of Fujairah municipality. The International Petroleum Investment Co., the state-run company behind the project, confirmed that the pipeline became operational with the first commercial shipment being loaded onto a tanker for export. The U.S. ambassador to the UAE attended the inauguration, underscoring the project's strategic significance. Ambassador Michael H. Corbin called the launch "a historic step in establishing multiple routes for the vital flow of oil from the Arabian Peninsula." Although several Gulf Arab oil and gas producers fear a shutdown of the strait could block exports, only the UAE and Oman have coastlines on the Indian Ocean side of the strait. Saudi Arabia also can avoid Hormuz by shipping its Gulf fields' oil output through ports on the Red Sea, but it would have to significantly improve its transport infrastructure to get its full production out. U.S. Navy fires on fishing boat near UAE; 1 killed Mon, Jul 16 15:40 PM EDT By Amena Bakr and Phil Stewart DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One person was killed and three others injured on Monday when a U.S. Navy ship fired at an approaching fishing boat off the United Arab Emirates, but officials did not immediately blame terrorism or cite an Iran-link to the still-murky incident. Why the boat approached the U.S. refuel ling ship, the USNS Rappahannock, was still unclear, U.S. officials said. But the U.S. Navy said the small motor boat ignored repeated warnings to halt its approach before a security team fired rounds from a .50-caliber machine gun. Even small boats dwarfed by the size of the U.S. vessel can still pose a threat. Two suicide bombers rammed an explosives-laden boat into the USS Cole in 2000, blowing a massive hole in its side and killing 17 U.S. sailors. But the incident was also reminder of how quickly a confrontation can turn deadly in the Gulf, where tensions with Iran have triggered military buildup by the United States and its allies. Those killed and injured in Monday's incident were not Iranians and it was unclear whether the incident may have been a mere misunderstanding. The UAE state news agency, quoting a government official, identified all of the dead and wounded as Indian nationals. The shooting took place in the waters near the UAE port of Jebel Ali, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement. "The U.S. crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel's operators to turn away from their deliberate approach," it said, adding the incident was under investigation. ACCELERATING DEPLOYMENT The incident came as the U.S. military has bolstered its presence in the region, sending additional fighter jets, deploying a floating naval base and doubling the number of mine-sweepers in recent months. Iran renewed threats on Sunday to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil exports pass, unless sanctions imposed over its nuclear program are revoked. Shortly before news of the shooting incident broke, the Pentagon announced it was accelerating the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, assuring that the United States keeps two of the massive nuclear-powered ships and their entourages of warships in the tense region. Pentagon spokesman George Little was vague about the motives behind the decision to send in the USS John C. Stennis roughly four months ahead of schedule. But he denied it was tied exclusively to Iran. "This is about a wide-range of U.S. security interests in the region. We're always mindful of the challenges posed by Iran but let me be very clear -- this is not a decision that is based solely on the challenge posed by Iran," Little said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Sandra Maler and Cynthia Osterman)