Recommendable!
Unfortunately, Iran is not the only state sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East!
"Qatar’s Role as a Mediator Is Meant Less to Resolve Conflict and More to Win Immunity and Escape Accountability for Action
After nearly two years of frustration about Hamas foot-dragging and the terror group’s refusal to release the Jewish hostages it cages and starves in underground tunnels, the Israeli Air Force struck Hamas targets in Doha, striking not only Doha-based Hamas leaders but also some from Turkey who reportedly had flown in that morning for discussions. U.S. officials quietly say Israel informed the White House in advance of its strikes. Qatar either declined or otherwise failed to fire its U.S.-provided defense [???]. ...
Frustration with Qatar has mounted significantly in recent years as many in the United States, Israel, and Qatar’s Arab neighbors complain about the tiny Persian Gulf state’s efforts to promote Islamist groups that incite, if not directly perpetrate, terrorism.
Qatari officials regularly show critics letters and documents from the White House and State Department dating back to the George W. Bush administration that thank Qatar for its partnership and mediation. It is true that Qatar mediates between the United States and Israel, on one hand, and groups with which Washington and Jerusalem have no direct relations, but Doha has never been a neutral negotiator. Senior Qatari officials have always wanted Islamist ideologues to win and liberal democracies to lose. ...
Qatar has not always been such a malign actor on the world stage, however, nor is it homogenous. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has ruled the country for twelve years; the rial stops with him. He has absolute control over every policy. Much of the destabilizing policies in which Qatar now engages date to his rule. His mother, Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, the head of the Qatar Foundation and one of the three consorts of former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, sets in practice the ideology and provides the resources. As one of the most artificial countries in the Middle East and one that, unlike Bahrain, cannot trace its identity or legacy back to ancient times, Sheikh Tamim and Sheikha Moza have sought to use a radical exegesis of Islam to make Qatar’s mark on the world stage. Qatar is also one of two states that embrace the Wahabi approach as their official religious practice. Unlike Saudi Arabia, however, Qatar cannot claim to be the birthplace of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792), nor is it the custodian of the two holy mosques. Being more supportive of extremist causes than the Saudis gives Qatar a perverted sense of legitimacy. ..."
Qatar Should Seize the Opportunity for a Fresh Start | American Enterprise Institute - AEI
