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Edited by: Fern Sidman
Qatar, a U.S. ally, has found itself at the center of controversy due to its open and complex relations with various groups and countries deemed extremist or hostile by the international community, as was reported on the CounterExtremism.com website. Between November 20, 2022, and December 18, 2022, Qatar hosted the prestigious International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) World Cup soccer tournament. However, its hosting of this global event drew attention to its political and diplomatic ties, igniting both debate and criticism.
Qatar’s relationship with groups like the Taliban, Hamas, Iran, and other bloodthirsty terrorists and regimes has long been a subject of international concern, according to the report on the CounterExtremism.com website. The country’s approach to these relationships raises questions about its foreign policy priorities and its commitment to regional stability and international norms.
French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné added fuel to the fire in November 2022 when it published a controversial cartoon depicting Qatar’s football team carrying firearms and wearing explosive belts, reminiscent of terrorist imagery, as was indicated in the report on CounterExtremism.com. This cartoon highlighted the paradox that Qatar, as a U.S. ally, maintains relations with groups and countries the U.S. and other nations have accused of supporting terrorism such as Iran.
The Qatari government contends that its engagement with organizations like Hamas is part of an effort to foster peace and provide sanctuary to top Hamas leaders. However, these relations have raised concerns, especially given allegations of financial support to designated terrorist groups that have sworn the destruction of Israel and have in their charter overtly anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup also put its political associations under the spotlight. CounterExtremism.com reported that accusations of hosting members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), al-Qaeda, and the Taliban have further complicated its international image. In July 2021, the U.S. Department of State initiated an investigation into allegations of Qatari financial support for the IRGC as well as Hamas.
In February 2022, Qatar and Iran signed 14 bilateral agreements aimed at enhancing economic, trade, and tourism cooperation between the two nations. CounterExtremism.com reported that this drew attention as it marked Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Qatar—the first Iranian president to do so in 11 years. These agreements raised concerns in the international community due to Iran’s reputation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
In another concerning incident, Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested Qatar to detain Mohsen Rezai, Iran’s vice president of economic affairs, for his alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, as was noted in the CounterExtremism.com report. Despite being subject to an Interpol red notice, Rezai had unrestricted movement while visiting Qatar and even met with high-ranking Qatari government officials.
Furthermore, on February 5, 2023, a Qatari delegation traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, to meet with the Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister, as was indicated in the CounterExtremism.com report. Qatar has played an active role in mediating between the Taliban and the international community, despite no official recognition of the Taliban government in Afghanistan. CounterExtremism.com reported that the Qatari delegation discussed “political coordination, the strength of the relationship, and humanitarian aid” with their Taliban counterparts. Qatar has previously hosted a Taliban political office since 2012, further highlighting its role as a diplomatic intermediary.
Qatar has found itself in a diplomatic tightrope, maintaining close military ties with the United States while facing accusations of supporting terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and Hamas. CounterExtremism.com reported. This dual role has sparked international criticism and complex relationships in the Middle East.
The United States has criticized Qatar for its alleged support of global Islamist terror groups, such as Hamas, offering them a safe haven, diplomatic mediation, financial aid, and, in some cases, weapons. Qatar’s connections to these groups have raised concerns, particularly regarding terrorism-financing operations within its borders. CounterExtremism.com reported that several Qatari nationals have been sanctioned by the U.S. government for their ties to ISIS and al-Qaeda financial networks. Qatar consistently denies supporting terrorist movements and distinguishes between what some countries label as terrorist groups and how they are perceived in the region, the CounterExtremism.com report added.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Middle Eastern governments have also criticized Qatar’s purported support for al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Muslim Brotherhood. While the Muslim Brotherhood does not have an official branch in Qatar, its members, including the late spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi, have resided in the country, according to the CounterExtemism.com report. Qatar is alleged to have provided financial assistance to Egypt’s Brotherhood-led government in 2013, a move that was met with condemnation by Egypt, leading it to label the Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
In June 2017, diplomatic ties were severed by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates over Qatar’s alleged support for global terrorism, according to the CounterExtremism.com report. It was only in January 2021 that Saudi Arabia agreed to allow Qatar to use its airspace and open land and sea crossings, resulting from a Kuwait-negotiated deal. As the CounterExtremism.com report said, this move did not fully address the core issues of the dispute, namely Qatar’s support for terrorism as manifested by Hamas and its connections to Iran. While Saudi Arabia initially lifted its blockade of Qatar, the other countries followed suit and restored diplomatic relations with Qatar, the report added.
Nonetheless, despite these diplomatic challenges, the United States and Qatar maintain close military relations. Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base is home to the largest U.S. military base in the region, housing the U.S. Central Command primarily responsible for anti-ISIS missions, according to the CounterExtremism.com report. The two countries also collaborate closely in global counterterrorism operations. In March 2022, President Joe Biden designated Qatar as a Major Non-NATO U.S. ally, granting the nation preferential treatment on par with NATO allies in securing U.S. weapons and cooperation in defense research, the report said.
While Qatar’s military relations remain strong, some concerns arise from state-run Qatari mosques hosting extremist speakers and religious leaders. Interestingly, few Qataris have left the country to join jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq. However, support for ISIS has been reported as relatively high among Qatari social media users, with a 2014 study indicating that 47 percent of the posts in Qatar between July and October 2014 expressed pro-ISIS sentiments, as was reported by CounterExtremism.com.
In May 2022, the Associated Press reported that Qata was navigating a precarious situation and facing increased scrutiny over its alleged financial ties to terrorism. This scrutiny includes a lawsuit brought by the family of Steven Sotloff, a slain American journalist, as well as a federal investigation into a member of Qatar’s royal family, according to the AP report.
The family of Steven Sotloff filed a federal lawsuit, alleging that prominent Qatari institutions wired $800,000 to an Islamic State “judge” who ordered the murder of Sotloff and another American journalist, James Foley. The AP reported that Sotloff and Foley were tragically beheaded in Syria in 2014, and their murders were widely disseminated in grisly propaganda videos. The Sotloff family expressed their determination to prevent other families from experiencing their suffering.
Simultaneously, federal prosecutors had been investigating potential ties between terror groups and Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani, the half-brother of Qatar’s ruling emir, as was noted in the AP report. This investigation, conducted by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York, centered on whether Khalid Al Thani provided financial support and supplies to Al Nusra, al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, the report added. The exact details of the investigation have not been publicly disclosed.
Qatar’s vast reserves of natural gas have positioned it to support Europe’s energy markets amid Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Additionally, Qatar had a potentially crucial role in President Joe Biden’s previous efforts to revive a nuclear deal with Iran, the AP report said.
While these ties and interactions are essential for both nations, Qatar has long faced criticism for allegedly supporting terror groups in Syria. As was previously mentioned, Qatar has also been scrutinized for its connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, with accusations that it encourages funding for these organizations.
In the Sotloff lawsuit, Qatar Charity and Qatar National Bank are accused of knowingly facilitating funding to terror groups, the AP reported in May 2022. The lawsuit alleges that they provided $800,000 to Fadel al Salim, who reportedly used these funds to create a brigade of Islamic State fighters and became a “sharia judge.” Al Salim is said to have signed the “Legal Retribution Verdict” ordering the deaths of Foley and Sotloff, as well as being involved in transporting the captives before their execution, as was indicated in the AP report.
The ongoing case involving Sotloff’s family is not the first of its kind. In separate criminal cases, two British Islamic State militants responsible for the murders of Sotloff and other American captives have been sentenced, the AP reported. One received a life sentence, while the other faces a similar fate when sentenced in August. These individuals were part of a cell known as “the Beatles,” which was captured in Syria in 2018 and transferred to the U.S. for prosecution, as was stated in the AP report.
The controversy surrounding Qatar’s relationships with diverse actors raises questions about the country’s stance on terrorism, its commitment to international norms, and its alignment with U.S. policies. It remains to be seen how Qatar will balance its diplomatic interests while addressing international concerns and criticisms of its associations with terror groups and regimes.
