The UAE Is Paying Ex-U.S. Intelligence Officers To Professionalize Their Intelligence Agencies

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis meeting with the United Arab Emirates' Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, UAE in February 2017.

Foreign Policy: Deep Pockets, Deep Cover: The UAE Is Paying Ex-CIA Officers to Build a Spy Empire in the Gulf

They hired Americans to professionalize their intelligence service. But how far can former U.S. spies go?

Not far from the northeastern Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, in a typical modern Gulf villa framed on one side by an elegant swimming pool, Westerners are teaching Emiratis the tools of modern spycraft.

The day starts with the basics: a 10 a.m. seminar on Sunday morning is titled “What is intelligence?” On Thursday, the recruits learn how to operate in four- to six-man surveillance teams. Over the course of the first week, they embark on scavenger hunts intended to hone their problem-solving skills. The following weeks get more advanced — students are schooled on creating cover identities to use when attending galas with diplomats, they are taught how to groom intelligence assets, and they watch skits about recruiting Libyan sources.

The Emirati recruits also train at another site about 30 minutes outside downtown Abu Dhabi called “The Academy” — complete with gun ranges, barracks, and driving courses — reminiscent of the CIA’s “Farm” at Camp Peary, a training facility located in southeastern Virginia.

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Update: Spooks for Hire: UAE Recruits ex-CIA Agents to Build Modern Spy Agency - Reports (Sputnik).

WNU Editor: For these ex-U.S. intelligence officers it is all about the money .... and apparently there is a lot of money to it.

Recycling Those Petro-Dollars

U.S. Plans $7 Billion Missile-Defense Sale To UAE -- Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is planning to sell the United Arab Emirates an advanced U.S. missile defense system valued at up to $7 billion that could be used to defend against Iran, people who have attended briefings on the matter said on Monday.

The Pentagon is set to notify the U.S. Congress of the proposed sale, which would be the first of the so-called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, several people familiar with the matter said.

THAAD is built by Lockheed Martin Corp. Raytheon Co supplies the system's radar.

Once notified of such a proposed arms sale by the administration, Congress has 30 days to review it but almost never blocks.

In any case, deployment of the THAAD system is "at least months away" and could take more than a year, said a congressional staff member familiar with the matter.

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More Info: Missile Defense Scores ... Finally -- Defense Tech

My Comment: This weapon system is still in the developmental stage. It appears that a good number of people are confident that it will work, and that it is money well spent.