As the late, great Paul Harvey often reminded us, it’s not one world. If there is anything that should remind us, every day, of how correct that statement is, it is in the United States’ dealings with the nations of the Middle East – specifically, the Muslim world.
During the recent peace talks, aimed at bringing the Israel/Hamas war to an end, Qatar acted as an intermediary. But that country has a long history of financing not only Hamas, but other terrorist groups as well, including Al Qaeda and the Taliban. In fact, Qatar maintains a quite interesting contact list, which they claim makes them valuable as intermediaries.
In recent comments to CNN, Qatar’s prime minister reflected on his country’s unique ability to “convene between conflicted parties and understand the grievances.”
Of course, Qatar’s ability to perform that job rests on a hefty rolodex of international contacts, including some of the world’s most notorious terrorist groups. At first glance, this wouldn’t strike the average reader as much of a problem. The United States doesn’t negotiate with terrorist groups, which means it must employ someone else to mediate. Why shouldn’t that someone be Qatar, a Major Non-NATO Ally in good standing with Washington?
Here’s the question: Why should Qatar, given that very “hefty rolodex,” be in such good standing with Washington – especially when one examines the list of groups they not only talk to, but also finance?
The only problem is that Qatar has spent decades harboring, financing, or promoting many of the terrorist groups it engages. At best, the Qataris come to the negotiating table with biases. At worst, they’re doing the terrorists’ bidding.
At worst, they are bankrolling those terrorists.
Much ink has been spilled since October 7, 2023, about Qatar’s longstanding relationship with Hamas. The story, in a nutshell, begins in 1999 when Hamas was shopping for new headquarters after Jordan expelled the group from its territory. Qatar offered Hamas leaders sanctuary, but Hamas picked Syria instead. Still, Hamas maintained contact with Qatar throughout the first decade of the 21st century before eventually opening a political office in Doha in 2012.
The same year, Qatar solidified its financial relationship with Hamas when the former emir — the first foreign head of state to visit Gaza under Hamas rule — pledged $400 million to the impoverished enclave. By October 2023, that sum had soared to approximately $1.8 billion, plus millions more that Qatari leaders allegedly sent to Hamas via a “ discreet ” funding channel. American and Israeli intelligence officials, past and present agree that Qatari cash enabled Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 people in Israel.
Yes, you read that correctly. Qatar provided financial support for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. There’s a lot more at the link above.
Read More: Hegseth Takes Unaimed Fire After Announcing the U.S. Will Train Qatari Pilots in Idaho
Watch: President Trump, Flanked by Qatari Leaders, Touts Middle East Peace on Asia Trip
It’s hard to fathom the double-dealing going on here. The most charitable we can be with Qatar is to presume they are playing both sides, trying to be the last one the crocodile devours as much of the Muslim world grows more and more radicalized. The least charitable we can be is that Qatar is doing this deliberately and willingly, and that they are not being honest and forthcoming with the United States, with Israel, or, for that matter, most of the civilized world.
President Trump has made much of his good relationship with Qatar’s leaders. This is a question that he should bring up with them, as soon as possible: Why is Qatar funding heinous terror groups? The United States has very little leverage in this part of the world, but this is a case where what influence we do have should be brought to bear, to pressure Qatar to stop this despicable double-dealing. Diplomacy, after all, is often a process of saying “nice doggie, nice doggie” until you can find a rock. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to remind Qatar that the United States has some big economic rocks to wield.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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