Tag
The United Arab Emirates — incidents involving UAE military operations, arms procurement from the U.S., and the UAE's role in regional conflicts including Yemen and the broader Middle East.
3 incidents
Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power
An executive order removed human-rights weighting from US executive arms transfer policy, replacing decades of bipartisan policy with a commerce-first approach. The subsequent emergency bypass of congressional review for $23+ billion in Gulf arms sales demonstrated the immediate consequences of removing these guardrails.
Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power
Using emergency waivers under the Arms Export Control Act, the administration has bypassed Congress to approve massive arms sales to Gulf states, including to the UAE despite documented evidence of UAE weapons flowing to the RSF in Sudan. The earlier rescission of NSM-20 removed an executive assurance policy; statutory conditions such as the Leahy laws remain.
Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan subpoenaed the inaugural committee in February 2019. Prosecutors subpoenaed records investigating potential coordination with foreign nationals and possible misuse of nonprofit funds. Tom Barrack, who chaired the fundraising effort, was indicted in July 2021 on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the UAE, obstruction of justice, and making false statements. The indictment alleged Barrack had used his position in the Trump campaign and inaugural committee to influence U.S. policy and public statements in favor of the UAE. Barrack was acquitted at trial in November 2022. Prosecutors were reported in December 2018 to be examining whether Middle Eastern foreigners used straw donors to funnel money to the committee; no such finding has been made public.