The London lobbyists spinning for UAE

The London lobbyists spinning for UAE:



"Last month, the UK Defence Secretary called the United Arab Emirates "one of our closest allies and partners." His statement comes from a long tradition of sucking up to the oil rich Kingdom.



But why is the UK partnering so closely with what Nick McGeehan, Human Rights Watch researcher on the Gulf, recently called "a black hole" for human rights?" (He, and his organisation, were later permanently banned outright from entering the country).



Another human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, used the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend to release their own report into the moral depravity of the ruling Bin Zayed family. The autocrats are blessed that nearby Saudi Arabia and Iran take most of the criticism over human rights issues. Many are aware of the regional superpowers disdain for freedom of expression, but aside from occasional furores over UAE's mistreatment of migrant labourers – almost no Western coverage demonstrates the Bin Zayed's silent capacity to viciously take out their political opponents. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the dirty secret of the Gulf, where freedom of expression is little more than a sick joke."



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