United States Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi for talks in the wake of the US-brokered UAE-Israel peace accord. Pompeo landed in the UAE on August 26 afternoon on the fourth leg of his regional tour, after having visited Israel, Sudan and Bahrain in the past few days. His next destination is Oman.

H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, and Secretary Pompeo reviewed a number of regional and international issues of concern in addition to the prospects of further consolidating the strategic relations between the two friendly countries.

Morgan Ortagus, Spokesperson for the US Department of State, told Emirates News Agency (WAM) that there were “incredibly positive conversations going on” between the US, Israel and UAE with regard to selling F-35 warplanes to the latter. She said Secretary Pompeo is here as more agreements have to formalise between the UAE and Israel, but the first step has been taken and other steps will fall in place.

“With respect to the F-35 or any military hardware or infrastructure, it is important to know that the UAE and US’ military and security relationship is robust and has been there for decades. Since the Gulf War, the US had sold military aircraft and hardware, F-16s, and others to the UAE,” she said. “This is not a new relationship; this is a sophisticated relationship that we have had for decades.”
Ortagus is accompanying Pompeo who, in his meetings this week with Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi had been “pretty firm in his commitment to both the UAE and Israel.”

She said, the US was letting all allies in the region know that its commitment to strengthen the UAE militarily is incredibly important.
Ortagus said that the August 13 peace accord showed the UAE’s “strength and power on the international stage.”

She expressed happiness that Israeli and Emirati children will grow up going on vacation in the other’s country and Emirati children will be able to visit the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. It is historic that our children will grow up in a society that is different from the prejudiced one we grew up in, she noted. What is normal is not for people to hate each other, she pointed out, but that there should be peace between Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Earlier on August 25, Mohammed bin Ahmad Al Bawardi, UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs, held a teleconversation with his Israeli counterpart Benny Gantz regarding the peace deal.

Both ministers expressed conviction that this accord will enhance chances of peace and stability in the region. Both looked forward to strengthening communication channels and establishing solid bilateral relations for the benefit of their countries in particular and the region as a whole.

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Carlos was apparently infected, as he was busy treating coronavirus patients. Later, he passed on the infection to his wife and father Jorge. According to reports published in the local media, Carlos was an internist working on the frontline, and he has treated more than 70 patients, in three nursing homes.

Dr Jorge died six days after he was admitted to Palmetto General Hospital. However, Carlos battled coronavirus for more than 42 days, and he finally took his last breath on August 1. At the time of death, Carlos was undergoing treatment at the Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, US.

“He really was a hero to so many people. I didn’t even want him to go to the nursing home and the hospitals because I was terrified. He wanted to be loyal. It was like he was available for them 24/7. He really was the true definition of a hero. I knew that when COVID started, that he was going to be a hero,” said Giselle Vallejo, Carlos’ daughter told the Herald.

Lisette Vallejo, Carlos’ wife who is also a psychiatrist hoped that their kids will follow their father’s footsteps in the coming years, and will serve the nation as doctors.

“I’m going to ask God for strength so my sons can finish medical school and follow in their father’s footsteps. I think that’s what he’d want me to do,” said Lisette.

Amid this chaos, the United States continues to top the coronavirus chaos chart with more than 5 million confirmed cases. The death toll in the country has already crossed 1,70,000, and experts believe that this figure is expected to rise in the coming days as several states are seriously considering relaxing lockdown measures.

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The exemptions to the June 22 Presidential Proclamation 10052, commonly referred to as the H-1B or L-1 travel ban, also includes the family members of H-1B, L-1 and certain categories of J1 visas.

President Donald Trump, in his June 2020 proclamation, banned the entry into the US of workers in several key non-immigrant visa categories, including the H-1B, arguing that they eat into American jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries such as India and China.

The State Department, which issued the revised travel advisory, said that the exemptions have been given under national interest category. In its advisory, the State Department said that H-1B and L-1 visas can now be issued for employees who are “seeking to resume ongoing employment in the United States in the same position with the same employer and visa classification.”

Forcing employers to replace existing employees may cause financial hardship, it said. All those on H-1B visas working in the healthcare sector, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, or to conduct ongoing medical research in an area with a substantial public health benefit – like cancer or communicable disease research – are also exempted from the July 22 travel ban.

Notably in the last few weeks, several lawmakers have written to the Secretary of State to exempt the healthcare sector from the travel ban on H-1B, L1 and J1 visas. Further new factors have been set forth to also allow H-1B visas to be issued when at least two of the five indicators are met, the State Department said.

The factors include the applicant’s proposed job duties or position within the petitioning company indicates the individual will provide significant and unique contributions to an employer meeting a critical infrastructure need.

Another factor is that the wage rate paid to the H-1B applicant meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage rate by at least 15 per cent. When an H-1B applicant will receive a wage that meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage, it suggests that the employee fills an important business need where an American worker is not available, the State Department said.

The exemptions for L1 visas are mostly similar to that of the H-1B. L-1A applicants seeking to establish a new office in the United States likely do not fall into this category, unless two of the three criteria are met and the new office will employ, directly or indirectly, five or more US workers, the State Department said.
The national interest exemptions are also available to their spouses and depended as well, it said. These include those on H-4, L-2 and J-2 visas.

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