The fight against terror is a vital international mission that all countries must join to the maximum of their abilities. The danger of extremism and deliberate and planned use of random violence to inculcate fear and anarchy is a threat that all civilised nations must resist. Far too many countries that think of themselves as far from violence have found to their horror that the men of violence have been willing to wreak their misery on some of the most peaceful parts of the globe.
The organisations that seek to benefit from the serious damage to global security and peace have to be resisted on many different fronts. Organising effective intelligence and the requisite military or security actions are the most obvious part of the task, but working to stop the terrorists financial support is also a vital part of the task, as is the long-term intellectual battle to regain the initiative from the men of violence.
This vital task has to be top of any agenda when UAE leaders meet their peers around the world. So it was natural that His highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, found a lot of common ground with the new French President, Emmanuel Macron, when they met this week in Paris. Both agreed that extremism and terror threaten the security of the Gulf, the wider Middle East and the entire world, and both agreed that action was needed.
The talks focused on the twin tracks of countering terrorist forces and at the same time drying up their financial and intellectual resources. The French and Emirati leaders share the same position that terror is the greatest threat to global security and peace. In taking this position, they are part of the global front against terror in which many nations are playing an active role.
It is both natural and heartening to see that the French are so willing to play their part in this struggle. They regularly fought on the ground such as in their recent deployment in Mali against Al Qaida, and they also have excellent experience in fighting terror on the financial front, where they can mobilise the skills of the entire European Union.
Any French commitment will be magnified by their active membership of the European Union, and form a significant part of the global mobilisation against terror.
