The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 12th that the United Arab Emirates (WP) reported on the 12th that a report by the US intelligence agency revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had engaged in various activities to intervene in US politics to induce US foreign policy favorable to the country.
The WP briefed senior government officials in recent weeks on a report by the National Intelligence Commission (NIC) under the National Intelligence Service (DNI) on the legal and illegal activities of the UAE, a Middle Eastern oil-rich country, and US ally, to interfere in US politics. said it did.
The report is noteworthy for its focus on friendly countries rather than adversaries, such as Russia, China, and Iran.
Three sources with access to the report said the UAE activities included in the report included both legal and illegal attempts to steer US foreign policy in their favor.
They said the UAE had exploited vulnerabilities in the US government system, such as its reliance on donations, its vulnerability to powerful lobbying firms, and its lax enforcement of freedom of information laws to prevent foreign government interference, in various political engagements.
The UAE, with a population of 9 million, is an Islamic union kingdom that includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai and is one of the United States’ representative allies. There is a US Air Force base in the country, where 5,000 US troops are stationed, and since 2012, it has established itself as the third largest arms importer to the US and has built a strong military power of its own.
The U.S. has decided to sell high-tech military equipment to the UAE, such as MQ-9 drones and advanced F-35 fighter jets, which the U.S. has been reluctant to export for fear of undermining Israel’s military superiority in recent years making ties between to the two countries stronger.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the UAE has spent more than $150 million on lobbyists since 2016 and has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to American universities and think tanks to produce policy documents favorable to the country.
A member of Congress who read the report said, “This report shows how American democracy is being distorted by foreign money, and this should serve as a wake-up call.”
“I am proud of the UAE’s influence and good reputation in the United States,” said Yusuf Al-Otayba, the UAE’s ambassador to the United States, when asked about the report.
“The friendly relationship between the two countries is the product of decades of close cooperation and effective diplomacy,” he added.