KUWAIT TIMES: MIAMI: The Emir of Dubai has sought President George W Bush's help in getting US courts to dismiss a child-slavery lawsuit against him, according to court papers filed recently. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktum, ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates nation of which the city is part, wrote Bush in February about the lawsuit. The suit was filed in December by a group of parents charging the Emir of enslaving thousands of children to breed, train and ride camels for the racing circuit.
Warning that the lawsuit was "causing an unnecessary interference" in US-UAE relations, and recalling that the UAE is "a key partner in the global war against terrorism," the Sheikh asked for Bush to get involved in the case. "I would therefore appreciate your personal attention to ensuring the United States government's support for dismissal of the entire case," wrote the Emir of Dubai in a two-page letter that his defense lawyers presented in court on May 25. He said the lawsuit "may complicate our ongoing and already effective efforts to resolve the issues addressed in the litigation." Dubai emir asks Bush to dismiss slavery suit (more)
Mark Alexander
