On Monday, June 7th the New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA) held a webinar to discuss the unique relationship between the UAE and the US governments. The panel was moderated by Principal Director, Justin Russell along with expert panelists including: Raed McCracken Jarrar and Jordan Cohen. Raed McCracken Jarrar is the Advocacy Director at DAWN. He is an Arab-American political advocate based in Washington, DC. Since he immigrated to the U.S. in 2005, he has worked as a lobbyist on political issues pertaining to the U.S. engagement in the Arab world. Jordan Cohen is a Policy Analyst at the Cato Institute and a Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at George Mason University. His work focuses on issues related to weapons transfers, alliances, Middle East politics, and the military budget.
The webinar covered the relationship between the UAE and the United States. The relationship between both countries is unique. In many foreign policies circles, the relationship, at best, is referred to as unique or complicated. At worst, it is referred to as co-dependent. Either way, the relationship continues to be a vocal point in the foreign policy of the United States.
In recent years, there’s been pressure on this key strategic relationship. On one hand, the number of cases citing human right abuses perpetrated by the Emiratis continues to grow, and their documented aggression in the region, namely, in Yemen and Lybia continues to draw international furore. On the other hand, the recent Abraham Accords puts them in the spotlight by enhancing a peaceful recognition and dialogue between the US, UAE and Israel.
While the US continues to consider UAE as its strongest partner in the Arabian Peninsula, the relationship between the Emiratis, Russians and China is growing closer and stronger every day. So where does this put the US/UAE relationship? Is the relationship sustainable? Is it a strength or a liability to Washington? What will the relationship look like in the future?
The full discussion is available on the organization’s Facebook page and Youtube channel.
