Why isn't this over the line?

I freely admit that I don't understand some of the rules here, especially when it comes to criticizing the government. That fact and the fact that it isn't my country leads me to stay out of politics for the most part. But with recent controversy about what one of the newspapers published, I have to say that I don't understand how this statement from this interview is ok:

They [the Arab governments] are not proper governments. Divided into two camps, they either receive financial aid from the US or receive security protection. They can't say no to their master.

Isn't just flat out stating that the UAE government (along with all the other Arab governments) is illegitimate and is simply a puppet of the US? Please note: I am NOT saying that the UAE government is illegitimate and a puppet of the US. But I don't see any other way that Abdul Bari Atwan's statement could be interpreted. Am I missing something here?