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It's interesting to look back and see former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen transform from a major UAE critic (on national security ground) to a literal foreign agent for the country - testament to either the power of persuasion or pursuit of personal profit. (1 https://twitter.com/BenFreemanDC/status/1281300247432630273
In 2008, as the Bush admin set up a nuclear tech-sharing agreement with the UAE, "Ros-Lehtinen was eager to file legislation... in an attempt to delay it or trigger a revision, according to some observers." (2
https://www.nti.org/gsn/article/us-house-bill-would-set-conditions-on-uae-nuclear-deal/
https://www.nti.org/gsn/article/us-house-bill-would-set-conditions-on-uae-nuclear-deal/
"It could conceivably spook the UAE in to doing more public relations before signing," said nuclear nonproliferation expert Henry Sokolski (3
It did - "We've learned a lot about how to do business in the U.S., whether it's a business deal or whether it's a political deal," Yousef al-Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States, told AP.' (4
https://www.nti.org/gsn/article/uae-lobbies-congress-to-approve-nuclear-deal/
https://www.nti.org/gsn/article/uae-lobbies-congress-to-approve-nuclear-deal/
Ros-Lehtinen, 2009 - “The UAE’s long history as a conduit for Iran’s nuclear weapons program, its failure to fully implement effective export controls, and the danger of [proliferation] in the Middle East make this agreement a dangerous precedent.” (5 https://www.jta.org/2009/05/22/politics/ros-lehtinen-seeks-oversight-on-uae-nuclear-deal
Though the 123 agreement passed, Ros-Lehtinen continued to oppose the Obama administration's efforts at civilian nuclear cooperation as Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee... (6 https://foreignpolicy.com/2011/01/14/ros-lehtinen-promises-to-stop-obamas-civilian-nuclear-deals/
Yet in 2012: "People... need to realise that the UAE has always been there to help the US... [we are] making sure students understand what a critical ally, what a strategic ally the UAE is" she noted at a Miami event w/Amb. Otaiba. ( @TheNationalUAE ) (6 https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/leading-congressional-israeli-supporter-affirms-us-uae-ties-1.357503
'Despite differences... over how to deal with Iran, they praised each other for helping build ties that benefit both Abu Dhabi and Washington.
"She's the biggest supporter of the UAE in the entire Congress," Mr Al Otaiba told reporters.' (7
"She's the biggest supporter of the UAE in the entire Congress," Mr Al Otaiba told reporters.' (7
Ros-Lehtinen resigned from Congress in 2019, immediately signing up with lobbying firm, Akin Gump, telling @politico she “absolutely” plans to work on behalf of foreign governments... “I have great relationships with ambassadors throughout the world.” https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2019/01/07/kyl-returns-to-covington-471777
Unsurprisingly, one of those foreign governments was the UAE, given that the country has long employed Akin Gump to lobby in Washington, D.C. - R-L registered as soon as eligible after a 1-year "cooling off" period requried by law. (8 https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/01/ileana-ros-lehtinen-united-arab-emirates-lobbyist-akin-gump.html
Not that this did much to halt R-L's lobbying activities while she was "ineligible." @MiamiHerald noted "the country’s connections to investment firms that helped finance Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro," despite R-L being an outspoken Maduro critic (9 https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article240931351.html
(10
