Emails Expose How Saudi Arabia and UAE Work the U.S. Media to Push for War

‘A highly influential top Emirati diplomat heaped praise on a prominent Washington Post columnist for writing pro-Saudi propaganda, a leaked email shows.
Yousef al-Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States, applauded journalist David Ignatius for his writing on Saudi Arabia. Ignatius is notorious for his fawning coverage of the kingdom, promoting its supposed efforts at reform and taking its line on regional conflicts without a shred of skepticism.
The relationship between the UAE’s man in Washington and one of the Beltway’s top pundits is especially notable in light of the conflict that has erupted in the Persian Gulf. A steadily escalating rift between the Gulf states escalated into an all-out media war this June, leading to the alleged hacking of a Qatari state media source, and of Otaiba’s personal email account. Before long, the conflict morphed into a siege, as Saudi Arabia and its ally the UAE suspended diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, and even imposed a de facto blockade on the country.’
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