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Arabia
US pro-democracy group staffer under probe in UAE
2012-04-07
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates authorities said yesterday they were investigating an employee of a US pro-democracy group after briefly detaining him as he tried to leave the Gulf state.
Time to fold up the quangos and bring them home...
Slobodan Milic works for the National Democratic Institute which was last week ordered to close its UAE offices. The Serb was detained at Dubai airport on Thursday evening, questioned and then allowed to return to his apartment in Dubai, NDI said. A UAE official said Milic had been questioned about NDIÂ’s activities and the investigation was continuing.

“We are waiting for the results of the investigation,” the official said, when asked if Milic could leave the UAE. He did not elaborate about the nature of the probe.

The UAE said on Thursday licensing irregularities were behind the closure of “some foreign institutions” in the Gulf state, a week after NDI and German democracy group Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) were told to shut their offices there.

Western-allied UAE allows no political parties and keeps a wary eye on signs of political dissent.

In Egypt, NDI was one of a number of civil society groups raided by police last year. Washington hinted at the time it could review its $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Cairo. That row was defused when Egypt lifted a travel ban it had placed on the groupsÂ’ American staff, whom it accused of carrying out political activities unrelated to their work, failing to obtain proper licenses and receiving foreign funds without CairoÂ’s approval.

NDI is loosely affiliated with the US Democratic party, while KAS has links with Chancellor Angela MerkelÂ’s Christian Democratic Union of Germany.

Another NDI employee, Pat Davis, an American, flew out of the UAE on Thursday, said NDI regional director Les Campbell.
Posted by:Steve White

#4  Now to get fakecharities and NGO's out of the west.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2012-04-07 18:43  

#3  Unexpectedly.

Looks like a deal with the Jailblazers is in the works.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2012-04-07 16:26  

#2  Milic - I thought he played for the Timberwolves?
Snark of the day.
Posted by: Raj   2012-04-07 09:17  

#1  Likee (Arab) Springee?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2012-04-07 03:20  

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