WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – A classified U.S. intelligence report states that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a close ally of the United States in the Middle East, has engaged in an extensive effort to influence U.S. political decisions.
The Washington Post reported Saturday that the UAE’s efforts include legal and illegal measures to try to influence the country’s foreign policy in ways that would benefit the UAE. The Post based its reporting on conversations with three people who have read the report.
The report found that the UAE worked throughout multiple administrations to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the U.S. government, including a reliance on campaign contributions, its predisposition to lobbying firms and lax enforcement of disclosure laws that are designed to prevent foreign interference in U.S. affairs.
The National Intelligence Council compiled the report, and top U.S. lawmakers were briefed on it in recent weeks to help their decision-making in the country’s policy toward the UAE and Middle East, according to The Post.
It further stated that the UAE has spent over 154 million dollars since 2016 on lobbying and millions more on donations to U.S. universities and think tanks, many of which create papers that support the Arab country’s interests.
A U.S. lawmaker said the large spending shows how foreign money can influence U.S. democracy, saying it should serve as a wake-up call.
“A very clear red line needs to be established against the UAE playing in American politics,” said the lawmaker. “I’m not convinced we’ve ever raised this with the Emiratis at a high level.”
There is no prohibition in the United States on lobbyists donating money to political campaigns.
National security staff is aware of some of the activities that the report describes, but these operations have been able to be in effect because the federal government has not reformed foreign influence laws or provided more resources to the Justice Department, the newspaper reported.
Experts who spoke to the Post were surprised that the U.S. government critically examined the activity of a close ally.
The UAE allegedly hired three former U.S. intelligence and military officials to help the Arab nation survey “dissidents, politicians, journalists and U.S. companies” by breaking into computers in the U.S. and other countries.
The men admitted to giving the UAE advanced hacking technology in federal court last year. They gave up their security clearance and paid about $1.7 million to resolve criminal charges, but were not given prison time.