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Subscribe to RSSWorkers at a United States pro-democracy group were detained by the United Arab Emirates government, according to a report - a move that echoes a clampdown last month by Egypt that drew criticism from Washington.
Foreign Policy reported that the UAE government detained foreign employees of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and prevented at least one of them from leaving the country.
It said the director of NDI's Dubai office, Patricia Davis, an American, and her deputy director Slobodon Milic, a Serbian national, were stopped at the Dubai airport by UAE government authorities as they tried to leave the country.
It quoted a State Department spokesman saying Davis’ detention had been brief. There was no word on whether Milic was eventually allowed to leave. There was no immediate response from the department to msnbc.com.
A crackdown on the organization was announced by the UAE last week, coinciding with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s peace visit to the Middle East. The New York Times described that move, and its timing, as “a surprising act of diplomatic defiance”.
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After seeing the 'democracy' we brought to Afghanistan and Iraq, can you blame them?
Gulf Times (Qatar) UAE shut the foreign groups over licensing issues (licensing irregularities)- a week after 2 Western pro-democracy told to shut offices (Abu Dhabi)-NDI's license to work in Dubai abruptly cancelled- the other Konrad Adenauer Shiftung (KAS- German)similarly askied to leaveUAE-they violated the terms oftheir license and without a license.Abdul Rahim al-Awadlin-Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs of UAE. CIA is recruiting journalists in some places causing an uproar. (like recruiting doctors in Pakistan with fake Hepatitis A shots)
The CIA is going to have to go to Plan B. The "Pro Democracy Group" cover is wearing very, very thin.
This is the chance you take when you meddle in the affairs of foreign governments.
Why did Bushes, Clintons and co intervened with Iraqi wars, former Yugoslavia, Checnya and other places isolating the US?
Even allies like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan, UAE and other Sunni rulers backstabbed US, Britain and other allies at each and every step!
Most of the dirty work by the US were done for them.
Why not leave Syria and Iran alone?
Let Saudis and co handle them.
Slobodom, from Serbia ????? Working in UAE with U.S. CIA ??????? I wonder who pays him for his "Democracy work". And I also wonder if that work has to do with detonators and sniper rifles?
JIM MARSHALL, REST in PEACE. Keep on rockin the heavens and say hi to Jimi for us.
Does anyone know anything about the NDI? Didn't they just get thrown out of Egypt.
Doesn't say anything about Egypt, but that's no surprise. They wouldn't want their image ruined. It's a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that stirs the pot and then gets out when it gets too hot and people start getting hurt or killed in the crackdowns.
http://www.ndi.org/whoweare
Anyone see a story from MSNBC on the current developments in the Trayvon Martin case since NBC was caught editing the 911 tape ??
No. Where did you see that? I'd like to check it out.
Pfft, not like any of us should believe them about that case now since they've proved themselves major liars...
NBC also got caught editing theTrayvon Martin audio too. They've siad they are sorry, but should have their license revoked. But, then Obama will need them to help with his re-election attempt, so the license will be okay.
Just right-wing conspiracy crap. Those who distort information always accuse others of distortion.
They tried to make it look like Zimmerman brought up the fact that SLIM was Black. When in truth the operator asked him what race is he . NBC is helping divide the country. Promoter Racial tension. stoking the fires and it could very easily become violent?
-_- They need to let them go...they are just informing the people that they should have the right to vote in whomever they think is the right choice to lead their country.
5 to 1 odds that the "Democracy workers" were C I A. The Serbian one a hitman.
Oh yeah, and when do we get that right here in the USA? You vote for whom ever the wealthy corporations and individuals tell you to! Both political parties candidates are chosen by the economic elites with money and resources. You have only a choice between which millionaire or billionaire will get a chance to oppress you.
Except in the UAE, there are no elections and no voting.
Its about time the US stopped coddling pipsqueak potentates and protecting every itty bitty area of the world in return for ? We have sufficient resources at home AND more importantly if all of these countries want to survive they have to sell their goods and services so why are we running after them? We have increased their wealth exponentially literally gifted them everything they have. Perhaps less than 3 decades ago they were nomadic bedouins running around in the desert. If they do not sell to the US directly or indirectly who will they sell to ? What has happened is that a few greedy powerful 'brokers' have set up a system where they can get rich at the expense of the US citizens at large by creating an environment that pushes prices up and controls the flow of goods through dedicated cartels and corporates. There is of course a lot more average Joe will never understand or fathom but then that is why we are in the situation we are...
It is absolutely astounding that Americans and apparently Serbians think they can go any where they wish and assert some self-perceive right to speak freely.....We can do that in America but it certainly does not mean we have any right to go elsewhere in the world and have that right....Seriously, if the Emirates Government is worried enough to detain folks then I'm thinking they were up to no good causing trouble where none exists.
We don't want them back here....Isn't there some way the State Department could arrange for the Emirates to hold these community organizers for an indefinite time.
I am always amazed by the naive comments made on these boards by seemingly educated individuals..
The American people on average have no idea how much of their freedom has been given up over the last thirty years.. dismal as it is.. the United States government exports war for oil and enslaves it's citizens to ever deepening taxation and overbearing police power.
We sit in our seemingly comfortable homes and give a tsk tsk tsk when a neighbor or acquaintance feels the heavy hand of a government bureau.. be it IRS FBI BATF or any other of a multitude of agencies acting on the whims of of an APPOINTED director.
Exodus....I agree that the American people are in the dark about how the world works around them but disagree that the United States exports war and enslaves it's citizens to taxation and overbearing policy for oil.
We are indeed enslaved but not for oil rather to molify the uneducated masses in our own country. The massive amounts of economic resources going to those in our own country to educate and offer opportunity and services that are all too often shunned or abused. We provide a free and fair education system and yet our dropout rates hover around 25%... To me that is astounding considering the massive resources paid into our education systems by federal, state and local governments. It is time that the federal Government stops taxing us for responsibilities of the States and gets back to the business and promise of the Federal Government. Education is just one example of over reaching and controlling policy that creates hardship on states to perform for their unique demographics.
The world is not as much our enemy as our own Government in trying to control the masses by throwing money at the poor and disenfranchised.
80 percent of world Islamic radicaism and terrorism problems and economic mess we (most non-oil nations) are in are due to Sunni Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Pakistan and other Sunni nations!
Bushes, Clintons, oil companies and Jewish lobbies have been dancing and doing dirty jobs for them.
Let democracy, secularism, human rights and so start from Saudi Arabia and their pals. They are the worst violaters of each and everyone of them world has ever seen.
100% of TERRORISM is the result of US MEDDLING in the affairs of others.
Pro Democracy Group, now there's a contradiction if ever there was one. Instead of sponsoring NGO's all around the world the United States should try a little democracy right here in the USA. Like allowing more than the two corporate political parties to participate in the election process, or allowing everyone to participate in the same socialist economic system the corporations and wealthy individuals enjoy. The United States and democracy should never be used in the same sentence.
Good, kick them out and ban them too, they are trouble makers and instigators. That's telling the US directly to go f*88 yourself.
These "pro democracy groups" and nothing but a front for the CIA, which is involved in meddling in the affairs of other countries.
I'm real curious about the "drew criticisms from Washington" comment. I would like to know the sources, and basis for this criticism. I guess I gotta ask the question, how would we respond to Russian communists coming into our country and promoting an overthrow of our government in favor of Communism?
There you go!!
Just try THAT little bit of "free speech" in the good 'ol land of the free...
see how quickly you will labeled as engaging in unamerican activity and quickly bustled off to a government "holding" facility.
The answer to why American's are Stupid. According to Gallup poll, as of 2012, only 79% of Americans know the Earth revolves around the sun... and they elected Bush twice...
Well no one can argue Americans are complete F*** IDIOTS....