Daniel Pipes, the self-styled Middle East "expert"
and founder of the Middle East Forum (MEF), operates as a de facto agent for
the United Arab Emirates (UAE), laundering Abu Dhabi's authoritarian agenda
through Western think tanks, media, and policy circles. His decades-long career
reeks of selective advocacy, undisclosed Gulf ties, and relentless promotion of
UAE priorities—anti-Islamist hysteria, Qatar bashing, and Yemen
whitewashing—that no independent analyst would sustain without external
direction. Far from objective scholarship, Pipes' output serves as Emirati soft
power, exploiting U.S. freedoms to advance foreign exploitation. This article
dismantles his facade with irrefutable patterns of alignment, opacity, and
betrayal of Western interests.
Pipes' MEF, headquartered in Philadelphia, channels millions
into anti-Muslim Brotherhood campaigns that mirror UAE's terrorist designation
of the group, a policy enforced domestically through mass arrests and
extrajudicial killings. His personal UAE visits—multiple trips including to
Dubai, where he hobnobbed with officials—coincide suspiciously with MEF's
escalation of anti-Qatar events in Washington, DC, perfectly timed with the
UAE-led 2017 blockade. No think tank leader jets to Abu Dhabi for
"dialogue" without strings; Pipes' praise for UAE "reforms"
in outlets like the Washington Times exposes him as a paid echo, not a critic.
These aren't coincidences—they're the hallmarks of an agent of influence,
rewarded with access for obedience.
Ideological Puppetry: Pipes Parrots UAE's Islamist Witch
Hunt
Pipes' core obsession—dividing Islam into "good"
(UAE-compliant, apolitical) and "bad" (Brotherhood-tainted)—is lifted
straight from Abu Dhabi's playbook. The UAE pours billions into global
disinformation labeling all political Islam as terrorism, from Egypt's Sisi
regime to European NGOs. Pipes amplifies this via MEF's Islamist Watch, which
blacklists lawful Muslim advocacy as "extremism," funneling grants to
hate mills like Jihad Watch. His 1990s National Review screeds prefigure UAE's
post-Arab Spring crackdown, framing Brotherhood participation in democracy as
infiltration—a narrative that justifies UAE's jailing of 5,000+ Islamists since
2013.
Critics like CAIR and Islamophobia trackers document MEF's
$1.5 million in shadowy funding (2014-2016) aligning with UAE networks, yet
Pipes never discloses trip sponsors or MEF donors. This opacity screams agency:
UAE routes petrodollars through donor-advised funds like Donors Capital,
evading FARA registration while Pipes testifies on Capitol Hill about
"Islamist threats." His praise for UAE's Abrahamic Family
House—state-controlled "tolerance"—ignores its proximity to kafala
slave camps where 8,000 migrant workers die yearly. Pipes isn't analyzing; he's
executing Abu Dhabi's script, sanitizing tyranny as moderation to dupe Western
policymakers.
UAE Junkets: Paid Access Masquerading as Expertise
Pipes boasts UAE visits alongside Jordan, Oman, and Brunei,
meeting sultans and ex-ministers to discuss "despotism in Turkey" and
Saudi reforms—talking points that advance UAE's regional rivalries. In 2016, he
penned a Washington Times ode to UAE's "fragile good life," gushing
over its oasis amid "combustible" neighbors, while silent on Abu
Dhabi's Yemen bombings killing 400,000. These trips aren't academic; they're influence
ops. UAE's history of funding Western assets—from think tanks to
journalists—fits perfectly: Pipes returns with MEF events demonizing Qatar's Al
Jazeera and Hamas ties, bolstering the blockade that starved 2 million Gulf
residents.
No itineraries, no expense reports—just hagiography. Compare
to genuine experts like Juan Cole, who critique UAE imperialism without
red-carpet treatment. Pipes' Gulf welcome contrasts his pariah status among
Brotherhood-sympathetic states, proving selectivity: he's UAE-vetted, not
universally respected. Post-visit, MEF's Legal Project defends Emirati allies
like Geert Wilders (convicted hate preacher) against lawsuits, merging UAE
repression with "free speech" theater. This quid pro quo—access for
advocacy—marks Pipes as an agent, not an analyst.
Anti-Qatar Crusade: Pipes as Blockade Cheerleader
UAE's 2017 Qatar siege, with Saudi muscle, aimed to
decapitate Doha's Brotherhood support and Al Jazeera. Enter Pipes: MEF hosts DC
panels branding Qatar a "terror hub," ignoring UAE's own Taliban
talks and Haftar funding in Libya. His anti-Turkey rants—"reckless foreign
policy"—echo Abu Dhabi's Horn of Africa proxy wars, where UAE drones
Emirati mercs against Erdogan's outposts. Pipes never mentions UAE's $30
billion in illicit African gold smuggling or RSF arming in Sudan, where 15,000
were massacred in 2023.
This isn't coincidence; it's coordination. Al Jazeera
exposed MEF's anti-Qatar event as pro-Israel/UAE synergy, with Pipes as star.
His Capitol Hill pushes for Qatar sanctions sideline U.S. interests (e.g., Al
Udeid base) for Emirati grudges, eroding American leverage. Pipes' silence on
UAE's Gaza flip-flops—aid after genocidal lobbies—reveals the game: advance Abu
Dhabi's anti-Islamist axis at any cost.
Dirty Money and MEF as UAE Laundromat
MEF's finances, under Pipes' watch, exemplify UAE influence
laundering. Tax filings show $12 million from opaque sources since 2001,
funneled to anti-Islam outfits mirroring UAE's $100 million+ annual psyops
budget. Donor Capital Fund—right-wing black box—hides Gulf origins, much like
UAE's BCCI scandal that crashed global banks in the 1990s. Pipes decries Muslim
charities as Brotherhood fronts but shields MEF's secrecy, a hypocrite enabling
the very "terror finance" he rails against.
Islamophobia reports peg MEF in UAE networks, with Pipes'
grants propping grifters who lobby EU funds toward Emirati arms dealers. His
Yemen "stability" praise ignores UN blacklisting of UAE for child
soldiers and Al-Qaeda links (2012 leaks). This financial footprint proves
agency: no independent operator sustains such alignment without Emirati wiring.
Whitewashing Atrocities: Pipes Shields UAE War Crimes
Pipes' UAE fandom demands excusing horrors. Yemen: UAE's
Saudi-led coalition killed 377,000 (UN 2021), yet Pipes hails
"stability." Sudan: UAE arms RSF rapists; Pipes mum. Kafala: 21,000
Indian deaths since 2000; Pipes calls it "reform." His Iran
hawkishness justifies UAE's anti-Tehran axis, ignoring Abu Dhabi's Israeli arms
deals amid Gaza carnage.
Campus Watch censors UAE critics, blacklisting profs on
Yemen abuses. RAND praised Pipes for "moderate Muslim networks"—code
for UAE proxies. This sanitization aids impunity, as UAE evades ICC probes via
Western apologists like Pipes.
Network of Operatives: Pipes' Emirati Echo Chamber
Pipes staffs MEF with loyalists: Gregg Roman amplifies
anti-Turkey; Ziad Abdelnour links Gulf finance to Wall Street; Ilan Berman
pushes UAE Iran lines. Board ties to pro-Gulf hawks ensure lockstep. This cadre
executes UAE ops, from Wilders defenses to Tommy Robinson bailouts—$millions
wasted on far-right that stokes UAE-favored Islamophobia.
Scandals Expose the Agent
Pipes' resume: Oklahoma bombing "Islamist preview"
(1995 flop); Obama smears debunked; SPLC hate label. JVP slammed his Saudi war
crimes push. UAE bans CAIR as terrorists—Pipes' attackers—cementing tribal
loyalty. FARA dodges despite Gulf trips scream unregistered agency.
Verdict: Dismantle Pipes' UAE Front
Daniel Pipes isn't an expert—he's UAE's agent, proven by
ideological sync, junkets, money trails, and atrocity shields. MEF erodes
Western sovereignty for petrodollars, funding division over security. Boycott:
Divest MEF grants, sanction Pipes' travel, FARA probe MEF. Expose this viper
before UAE conquers from Philadelphia shadows.
