UAE is meddling in US politics - US-based news publication claims based

Washington: The US intelligence department has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of political interference in the US. A news publication in the US covered a report of the National Intelligence Council, which claims that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other countries of the middle east are spending heavily on lobbying to influence favourable policies. Earlier, there were many such allegations on Russia, China and Iran of espionage and other activities in the US. But analysts in the United States claim that these accusations against the closest allies of the US in the Middle East, such as the UAE, are noteworthy.

The UAE has spent heavily to ensure that the US implements favourable policies. The Washington Post covered the news on the information released by the US Department of Justice that the UAE has spent close to 15.4 billion dollars since 2016 to influence the research of US think tanks and universities. Other countries and companies have been involved in lobbying in the US, which is not illegal per US laws. Few analysts claim the UAE and other countries are taking advantage of the proposition.

The UAE engages former US military officers and intelligence officers to keep a check on those against the UAE regime and ensure that US policies remain favourable to the UAE. The National Intelligence Council has accused the UAE of political meddling and interference in the US to ensure no criticism from the US for the monarchical system and non-liberal social structure prevailing in the UAE. Besides, the Washington Post news has covered the reactions of analysts to the report published by the National Intelligence Council.

Bruce Riddell of the Brookings Institute of the United States highlighted that such information about the UAE, an important ally of the US in the Middle East, is noteworthy. Yousef Al Otaiba, the Ambassador of the UAE to the United States, has claimed that it is a matter of pride that his country has a positive influence on the United States and that this underlines the good relations between the two countries. However, the news published by the Washington Post indicates that the cooperation between the US and the UAE differs from during the Trump administration.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia was accused of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In contrast, the UAE’s intelligence service was accused of deploying spyware on Khashoggi’s wife’s phone. The UAE has dismissed the allegations. Human rights organisations have criticised the UAE for supporting Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen. The news report also said that UAE was accused of providing money to Wagner Group, a Russian-linked mercenary supplying the organisation with military operations in Libya, Ukraine, and Africa.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration had approved supplying arms worth USD 23 billion to the UAE. However, the Biden administration has stopped indicating the reason for such activities of the UAE in the US.