CAP fires 2 staffers for leaks about UAE influence

SANAA, Jan. 19 (YPA) – The center for American Progress(CAP), a non-profit organization,  fired two staffers suspected of being involved in leaking an email exchange that staffers thought reflected improper influence by the United Arab Emirates

According to the Intercept website, the center’s spokesman said that two employees were fired as a result of the leak investigation, but said that the leak was not the reason they were fired

At issue was an internal debate over how to frame CAP’s response to the murder of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was dismembered by Saudi Arabian officials inside the nation’s consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

The Persian Gulf expert at the center, Brian Katulis, revised one of the statements suggesting that some sharp words towards Saudi Arabia to be deleted replacing the words with less severe ones.

The website said that Katulis was the link between the center and the UAE Ambassador to the United States, Yousif Al Otaiba, and worked with him to organize generous trips with Emirati funding to US researchers and experts.

Sameera Hassn