US intelligence report shows UAE efforts to meddle in American political system: Washington Post

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. 

U.S. intelligence has previously found interference in elections and the country’s political system from adversaries like Russia and China. 

National security staff are 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 Post reported. 

The UAE has spent more than $150 million on lobbying since 2016 and hundreds of millions more on donations to U.S. universities and think tanks, many of which create papers that support the UAE’s interests. 

One lawmaker who the Post spoke to said the large spending shows how foreign money can influence U.S. democracy. 

Another example of the UAE’s influence campaign includes hiring three former U.S. intelligence and military officials to help the UAE conduct surveillance on dissidents, politicians, journalists and American companies. All three officials admitted to providing sophisticated hacking technology to the UAE in court last year, the Post reported. 

The UAE has been the third-largest buyer of U.S. weapons since 2012 and has fought alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, according to the Post. 

The Hill has reached out to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for comment. 

The Post reported that Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the U.S., said he is “proud” of the UAE’s standing and influence in the U.S. He said it is the product of close cooperation and effective diplomacy and reflects common interests and shared values.