Hillary Clinton complains of closure of NDI office in Dubai

The Dubai office of the National Democratic Institute has been closed down by the UAE government. Clinton said that she regretted the decision after meeting with foreign ministers of the Gulf States in Saudi Arabia.

Clinton remarked:"We are as you know, as anyone who has visited the United States, strong believers in a vibrant civil society ... I expect our discussions on this issue to continue," A German pro-democracy think tank was also closed in Dubai.

Foreign funded advocacy groups have been prosecuted in Egypt as well including the NDI. They were going to be charged but the intervention of the U.S. enabled the group to return to the U.S. For more see this article.

While the NDI does try to promote democracy, more accurately its mission is to help create a government that is favorable to U.S. interests. It is hardly surprising that governments of whatever stripe might consider them agents of a foreign government. They are! For more on the NDI see this article. The NDI is funded by the U.S. government.