News: Abu Dhabi bomb threat: Target recounts ordeal

Target of terrorist attack says timely intervention and care saved family from harm.

The second American targeted in the capital by the mall-stabbing suspect has praised law enforcement officials and investigators for their timely intervention and safekeeping efforts.

"The police dismantled the primitive bomb and ensured that it did not harm my family or neighbours," Dr M.H.H., a 55-year-old American of Egyptian origin, told state news media Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Saturday.
On December 1, an Emirati woman allegedly stabbed to death an American teacher, then left a bomb outside M.H.H.'s home in the Corniche area an hour later. The bomb was, however, discovered by the doctor's 13-year-old son as he headed to the mosque in the evening.
M.H.H.'s wife called him to inform him about the strange object, and they then informed the Abu Dhabi Police. Officials immediately evacuated the family from the apartment, and deactivated the explosive device.


The police later announced that the two victims had been selected by the suspect based on skin colour and nationality, and that the suspect is not related to either of them in any manner.
Dr M.H.H., who works as a consultant physician at a public hospital in Abu Dhabi, praised the high level of professionalism displayed by law enforcement officials in apprehending the suspect.
He added that he had been informed about the investigations throughout, and that his family, consisting of his wife and three children, had experienced much comfort and relief when the suspect had been captured.
The doctor also said that Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, had called to inform him that he was safe, and had assured him that those convicted of the heinous crimes would face swift justice. He said this call had helped relieve the trauma of the ordeal, and had increased his confidence in the UAE's aim to guarantee the safety of all its residents.
M.H.H. had been relocated along with his family to a safe hotel apartment while the investigations were ongoing, and before the suspect was taken into custody.

The late Ibolya Ryan

The doctor said that the acts of terror committed by the Emirati suspect were cowardly, and unknown to the UAE community. Instead, the UAE is an example of hospitality, with a wise government that extends care to all, he stressed.
M.H.H., a Muslim-American, has been working in the capital since 2006. He is a graduate of Medicine from the University of Alexandria in Egypt, and holds degrees in nephrology and internal medicine from the United States. He also worked as an assistant professor at Penn State University in Pennsylvania, and was awarded as its best doctor in 2003.

A still from the video released by Abu Dhabi police shows the makeshift bomb allegedly placed outside the home …