October 12, 2010: Canada is losing the right to use an airbase in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) because they refuse to give UAE airlines additional access to Canadian airports. These "landing slots" are very valuable, and Canada believes it is too high a price to pay to use the UAE airbases to move troops and supplies to and from Afghanistan. Canada is arranging to use an airbase in Cyprus for this, until its forces withdraw from Afghanistan next year. Canada has troops in Afghanistan since 2002. The UAE provides NATO nations discreet access to its airbases and ports to support operations in Afghanistan. But in return, the UAE expects more than just the usual landing fees and other income from handling NATO aircraft and ships. This sometimes leads to intense, and in this case unsuccessful, negotiations.