Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, received a phone call on Tuesday from US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin. Mr Austin expressed his gratitude to the UAE for its support of the recent operation to fly US citizens out of Afghanistan. The UAE used its aircraft and <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2021/08/28/inside-the-abu-dhabi-humanitarian-camp-for-afghan-evacuees/" target="_blank">humanitarian compound</a> to help with the extraction of US citizens as well as other nationalities, diplomats, humanitarian workers and Afghan refugees. The Emirates also helped them in their onward journeys. Mr Austin said the UAE played a significant role in ensuring their safe evacuation. The Pentagon completed its mission from <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2021/08/31/celebratory-gunfire-in-kabul-as-us-completes-withdrawal-and-taliban-enter-airport/">Kabul</a> airport late on Monday, bringing to an abrupt end to its two-decade military intervention in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/afghanistan/">Afghanistan </a>and leaving the country once more in the hands of the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/2021/08/18/taliban-in-afghanistan-who-is-in-charge/">Taliban</a>.