Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Fresno City Gets Extension in Herndon 4-Story Apartment Case

2 days ago

With Major Heat Risk Forecast, This Is a Good Weekend to Stay Indoors in Fresno

2 days ago

Trump Says Intel Has Agreed to Deal for US to Take 10% Equity Stake

2 days ago

Epstein Associate Maxwell Says She Never Saw Trump Behave Inappropriately

2 days ago

Pew: US Immigrant Population Declines for First Time in Nearly 60 Years

2 days ago

Powell, Citing Jobs Risk, Opens Door to Cuts but Doesn’t Commit

3 days ago

FBI Agents Search Ex-Trump Adviser Bolton’s Home, Source Says

3 days ago

Gaza City Officially in Famine, With Hunger Spreading, Says Global Hunger Monitor

3 days ago

Gavin Newsom’s Redistricting Plan Is on Its Way to Voters. What You Need to Know

3 days ago
Powerful Emirati Crown Prince Entangled by Mueller Report
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
April 19, 2019

Share

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — One of the most powerful leaders in the United Arab Emirates has found himself entangled in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian interference in America’s 2016 election.

“The Emiratis saw an opportunity for a do-over with the Americans with a new, incoming administration with a president they personally knew. They didn’t take into account that other institutions, like the military, the State Department, Congress, would all have an opinion too.” — Ryan Bohl, an analyst with the Austin, Texas-based private intelligence firm Stratfor
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, believed to be the Emirates’ day-to-day ruler, is the only world leader included in Mueller’s cast-of-characters index near the end of the 448-page report. His inclusion, stemming from his mysterious role in a 2017 meeting between a Trump associate and a Russian middleman for Vladimir Putin in the Seychelles, stands out from otherwise glancing references to the wider Mideast.
But left unsaid — or possibly redacted — is what motivated the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, to insert itself as a middleman in contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia. However, the report’s release comes as the UAE backs Trump’s maximalist policies against Iran and as Emirati officials have been on a blitz of meetings with American officials, showing the importance they still place on their relationship with him even as faces opposition.
“The Emiratis saw an opportunity for a do-over with the Americans with a new, incoming administration with a president they personally knew,” said Ryan Bohl, an analyst with the Austin, Texas-based private intelligence firm Stratfor. “They didn’t take into account that other institutions, like the military, the State Department, Congress, would all have an opinion too.”
Emirati government officials did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press about Sheikh Mohammed’s inclusion. However, it comes the same week that Sheikh Mohammed, 58, found himself included in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list.

A Brief Glimpse Into the Deal-Making

The ranking shows what has been known regionally for some time: that Sheikh Mohammed wields tremendous influence both home and abroad.
Sheikh Mohammed’s 71-year-old half-brother, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, remains the Emirates’ president and ruler and ruler of oil-rich Abu Dhabi but has been rarely seen since suffering a stroke in 2014. Sheikh Mohammed also maintains a tight relationship with neighboring Saudi Arabia’s own upstart crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
In a country where leaders rule absolutely, the Mueller report provides a brief glimpse into the deal-making and connections of the UAE. It puts Sheikh Mohammed at a luxury hotel in the Indian Ocean Seychelles islands in January 2017, just before Trump’s inauguration, with his adviser George Nader. Nader is a Lebanese-American businessman convicted in a Czech Republic court in 2003 of multiple counts of sexually abusing minors, later would cooperate with Mueller’s investigation.
This meeting put Kirill Dmitriev, the head of a Russian sovereign wealth fund close to Putin, face to face with Erik Prince, the founder of the private military firm Blackwater who had ties to Trump officials, according to the report. Dmitriev earlier had asked Nader for access to Trump transition team members, the report said. While initially distrustful of meeting Prince, Nader reportedly made a point to stress that Prince’s sister, Betsy DeVos, would become Trump’s education secretary.

Photo of Mueller Report
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is photographed Thursday, April 18, 2019, in Washington. Pictured is a section regarding Michael Cohen. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

Redactions Around Blackwater Founder’s Activities

“Dmitriev told Nader that Putin would be very grateful to Nader and that a meeting would make history,” the report said.

It’s unclear what implications Prince could face over the Mueller report. A request for comment to Prince’s new firm, Frontier Services Group, was not immediately answered.
What happened at the Jan. 11, 2017, meeting that Dmitriev, Nader and Prince attended remains unclear, in part due to a series of redactions in the report. However, in the released material Prince reportedly told Dmitriev to warn Putin not to get Russia involved in Libya’s still-ongoing civil war.
The Washington Post broke news of the meeting in April 2017. Prince, who reportedly has helped the UAE form its own mercenary forces, later told Congress the meeting was happenstance and that “I didn’t fly there to meet any Russian guy.” That’s directly contradicted by Mueller’s report, which says Nadler set up the meeting with Prince ahead of time.
It’s unclear what implications Prince could face over the Mueller report. A request for comment to Prince’s new firm, Frontier Services Group, was not immediately answered.
The rest of the Mideast gets far less attention in Mueller’s report. There’s mention of a U.N. Security Council vote calling on Israel to stop building settlements in Palestinian territory, a vote which former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn made calls to Russian officials about and later lied to investigators. Saudi Arabia is mentioned only in context of Trump showing staffers on Air Force One a resignation letter from then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

UAE Plays Oversized Role in Report

However, the small UAE plays an oversized role in the report, as it does in Mideast politics due in part to its closeness to America. Some 5,000 American troops are stationed in the country, while Dubai’s Jebel Ali port remains the U.S. Navy’s busiest foreign port of call.
What’s public from Mueller’s report does not elaborate on Sheikh Mohammed’s role in the Seychelles meeting. However, Sheikh Mohammed also had sought a meeting in the U.S. with Trump transition officials before he entered the White House.
But Sheikh Mohammed undoubtedly welcomed Trump’s hard-line approach to Iran after President Barack Obama’s administration signed onto Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. And while Sheikh Mohammed hasn’t been back to the U.S. for some time, the UAE’s foreign minister and its minister of state for foreign affairs both have traveled to Washington in recent days. Trump also spoke by phone to Sheikh Mohammed on Thursday night after earlier vetoing a bill that called for the U.S. to pull its military support from the Saudi and Emirati war in Yemen.
“For now, the Emiratis know they have a strong ally in the White House,” Bohl, the Stratfor analyst, said. “What would be much more notable if we see them trying to reach out to potential Democratic successors as a backup plan for Trump.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Fatally Shoot Man Armed With Knives After Standoff

DON'T MISS

Why Epstein’s Furious Grip on Washington Holds

DON'T MISS

US Envoy Meets Netanyahu on Lebanon and Syria, Israeli Officials Say

DON'T MISS

Gerry Spence, Renowned for Courtroom Victories and Unique Style, Dead at 96

DON'T MISS

Pentagon Working on Plans for Military Deployment in Chicago, Washington Post Reports

DON'T MISS

Widespread Protests Held in Australia to Support Palestinians

DON'T MISS

VP Vance Says Russia Has Made Significant Concessions Toward Ukraine Peace Deal

DON'T MISS

Israel Strikes Yemeni Capital Sanaa

DON'T MISS

Howard University President to Step Down This Month

DON'T MISS

Hollywood’s Biggest AI Debut? Las Vegas Sphere’s ‘Wizard of Oz’

UP NEXT

Pentagon Working on Plans for Military Deployment in Chicago, Washington Post Reports

UP NEXT

Widespread Protests Held in Australia to Support Palestinians

UP NEXT

VP Vance Says Russia Has Made Significant Concessions Toward Ukraine Peace Deal

UP NEXT

Israel Strikes Yemeni Capital Sanaa

UP NEXT

Hegseth Authorizes Troops in DC to Carry Weapons

UP NEXT

Texas, Florida Seek to Join Legal Challenge to Abortion Pill

UP NEXT

Wrongly Deported Migrant Abrego Released, May Be Detained Again

UP NEXT

Judge Blocks Trump From Withholding Funds From Los Angeles, Other Sanctuary Cities

UP NEXT

California Cities Lack Unified Response On Homeless Encampments

UP NEXT

Trump Crime Crackdown Deploys Troops in Washington’s Safest Sites

Gerry Spence, Renowned for Courtroom Victories and Unique Style, Dead at 96

12 hours ago

Pentagon Working on Plans for Military Deployment in Chicago, Washington Post Reports

12 hours ago

Widespread Protests Held in Australia to Support Palestinians

12 hours ago

VP Vance Says Russia Has Made Significant Concessions Toward Ukraine Peace Deal

13 hours ago

Israel Strikes Yemeni Capital Sanaa

13 hours ago

Howard University President to Step Down This Month

13 hours ago

Hollywood’s Biggest AI Debut? Las Vegas Sphere’s ‘Wizard of Oz’

13 hours ago

Fresno State Bulldogs Can’t Find Answer for Daniels in Loss at Kansas

1 day ago

Hegseth Authorizes Troops in DC to Carry Weapons

1 day ago

Texas, Florida Seek to Join Legal Challenge to Abortion Pill

2 days ago

Fresno Police Fatally Shoot Man Armed With Knives After Standoff

Fresno police officers fatally shot a 35-year-old man armed with knives Saturday afternoon after a standoff at an apartment complex, authori...

6 hours ago

Fresno police fatally shot Joseph Merical, 35, on Saturday, August 23, 2025, after a standoff at a west Fresno apartment complex. (Fresno PD)
6 hours ago

Fresno Police Fatally Shoot Man Armed With Knives After Standoff

U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry March 28, 2017 and obtained by Reuters July 10, 2019. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
12 hours ago

Why Epstein’s Furious Grip on Washington Holds

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack attends an interview with Reuters in Beirut, Lebanon July 22, 2025. (Reuters File)
12 hours ago

US Envoy Meets Netanyahu on Lebanon and Syria, Israeli Officials Say

Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos arrives at court with lawyer Gerry Spence. June 28, 1990. (Reuters File)
12 hours ago

Gerry Spence, Renowned for Courtroom Victories and Unique Style, Dead at 96

The Pentagon building is seen in Arlington, Virginia, U.S, April 6, 2023. (Reuters File)
12 hours ago

Pentagon Working on Plans for Military Deployment in Chicago, Washington Post Reports

Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in the 'Nationwide March for Palestine' protest in Sydney, Australia, August 24, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
12 hours ago

Widespread Protests Held in Australia to Support Palestinians

Firefighters work at the site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the village of Sknyliv on the outskirts of Lviv, Ukraine August 21, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 hours ago

VP Vance Says Russia Has Made Significant Concessions Toward Ukraine Peace Deal

Smoke billows from the site of Israeli air strikes in Sanaa, Yemen August 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
13 hours ago

Israel Strikes Yemeni Capital Sanaa

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend