Pak Sahafat – The “Quincy” study center revealed the spending of millions of dollars by the rulers of the UAE to influence the decision-making and policy-making elements of the United States, especially regarding the Middle East.
According to Pak Sahafat News Agency, Emirates Leaks news site wrote: In a report, the “Quincy” Center for Studies pointed out that the documented efforts of the UAE to direct the foreign (regional) policy of the United States in favor of the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf have become a challenge to the national security of this country, adding: According to the center, this threat has now been brought to the attention of the US National Intelligence Council, which relies on information from 18 US intelligence agencies and acts as a bridge between the intelligence community and policymakers, according to a recent Washington Post report.
The report added: The US intelligence community’s concern about the UAE’s efforts to influence Washington’s [regional] policies compiled in a classified report shows that the US intelligence community is closely monitoring Abu Dhabi’s efforts to influence Washington, a trend among journalists and activists, which has been documented in recent years.
In other words, the fear of UAE involvement in Washington politics has now become a national security concern in the American intelligence community.
This scrutiny by intelligence agencies is highly unusual because they are mandated to focus on foreign threats and avoid engaging in activities that could be considered a study of U.S policy or officials.
John Hasson, a reporter for the Washington Post, wrote from an interview with anonymous sources in the American intelligence community who had read the classified report: The activities covered in the report, described by three sources, include illegal and legal efforts to steer US foreign policy in ways favorable to Arab tyranny.
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These sources said: The [report], which covers many US governments, reveals that the UAE has sought to overcome weaknesses in US governance, including a reliance on campaign donations, susceptibility to powerful lobbying firms and weak enforcement of disclosure laws meant to protect against interference by foreign governments.
Also, in a short report, the Quincy Institute has documented more than 10,000 cases of political activity in favor of the UAE in 2020 and 2021.
More than half a billion dollars have been paid in the campaign of companies registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) that work for the interests of the UAE and have been contacted by these companies to more than 100 members of Congress in 2020 and 2021.
While some may interpret these practices as a pay-to-play policy, they are not illegal. Based on the supplementary statement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act where this information was obtained, it clearly indicates that the assistance was not provided by the UAE or any other foreign client.
The UAE is one of the largest foreign donors to American research institutions, which has paid millions of dollars annually to the most influential American think tanks, including the Atlantic Council, the Brookings School, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Middle East School.
In some cases, UAE-funded think tanks appear to have their opinions and writings aligned with the interests of UAE investors.
Think tanks have even written specific reports at the request of the UAE government, and in at least one case, hired a former Abu Dhabi official to prepare a public report for policymakers on US strategies in the Middle East.