The Sordid Double Life of Washington’s Most Powerful Ambassador
▻https://theintercept.com/2017/08/30/uae-ambassador-yousef-al-otaiba-double-life-prostitutes-sex-work
The sex crime statutes tend to be employed as a cudgel against political dissidents or people, often foreigners, with limited political power; ruling-class figures, in contrast, operate under a different set of informal rules. “The UAE elite enjoy impunity at home and the full support and protection of the UAE state when they break the law abroad,” said Nick McGeehan, a researcher for Human Rights Watch who works on the Gulf.
In private, Otaiba has made candid admissions about the sex trade in Abu Dhabi rarely seen from high-level figures in the region. In February 2008, “60 Minutes” ran a segment focused on Dubai that touched on sex work and trafficking industries. The next day, a friend from college emailed Otaiba. “I was looking for you on 60 Minutes last night. How big is the prostitution problem?” he wondered, according to a copy of the exchange obtained by The Intercept.
“I mean… why were you looking for me on a subject like that dog,” quipped Otaiba, before getting serious. “Its big but not blatant…meaning they’re not on the street corners.. its under cover in homes and apts.. not in your face type stuff. #Dubai is definitely more visible than abu dhabi.”