(Taliban handout via EYEPRESS). As the Taliban seek international recognition, the group has used the resurgence of the terrorist group as a bargaining chip for more financial aid, according to Qatari officials, reminding other. The decision sharply curtails a policy that has long been a pillar of American higher education. Foreign Affairs. [78], Qatar has continuously hosted Hamas politburo since 2012, when Khaled Meshal, Hamas' political leader, fled Syria for Qatar. Indian ambassador to Qatar meets senior Taliban leader in Doha - India You accept the use of cookies as per our, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs, Afghanistan demonstrates why its time for a clear Syria policy, starting with northeast Syria, As Qatar becomes a non-NATO ally, greater responsibility conveys with the status, Policy on donor acceptance and disclosure. Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco is a researcher of the Strategic Studies Department at Trends Research & Advisory. [48] The jihadist group, established within the framework of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's plans for an Islamic State in the Levant, has parted ways from ISIS in 2013 due to leadership conflicts. An agreement and final communique signed on 5 January 2021 following a GCC summit at Al-'Ula marks the resolution of the crisis, with precise details to be released later. It became a household name when it started the famous al-Jazeera television network. [29], In July 2017, the US and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding to combat the financing of terrorism, making Qatar the first country in the region to sign the executive program with the United States to fight terrorism financing. [3] Qatar uses it to vet passengers flying internationally. Ally Qatar Shelters Jihadi Moneymen", "Unified Record of Persons and Entities designated on Sanction List", "Terror financiers are living freely in Qatar, US discloses", "Congress Goes After 'Frenemies' Turkey, Qatar", "Analysts: Qatar supports Gaza not Hamas", "What Drives Diffusion? "90 percent of that relief would have gone to borrowers making less than$75,000 per year," Biden said. In December 2013, Egypt designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Saudi Arabia and Qatar see Afghanistan primarily as a security and humanitarian concern, however, their approaches toward the country differ. Al-Subaiy was a previous employee of the Qatar Central Bank. [83][84], However, attempts to smuggle dual-use substances that could be used to produce explosives into Gaza have been detected and reported more and more frequently over the past years, and have raised concerns that foreign aid directed to the Gaza strip may be used by Qatar to finance Hamas. However, it is also worth remembering that as little as three years ago, Baradar was released reportedly at Washington'sbehest from a prison in Pakistan, where he had been detainedin 2010 by Pakistani intelligent forces workingtogether with theCIA. For now, with a deeply uncertain situation for the people of Afghanistan, Qatar and Turkey are among those talking to the Taliban for many in the outside world; while China and Russia also compete for future access in Kabul. "However, if that role amounts to a point where any country including Turkey becomes the sponsor establishing a Sharia regime which is brutal in its practices Turkey should not want itself there," he adds. By Qatar International Travel Information I asked him: "Are you from the other side?' Women should cover their hair at all times, especially when in a . [87][88][89], At the September 2014 congressional hearing, Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations testified. Qatar, the tiny but wealthy Sunni Muslim Gulf state, has become famous for punching above its weight. Qatar was unable to pressure the Taliban into making meaningful concessions while the Taliban took back Kabul and got the US to withdraw its troops. Last week, Turkish officials held talks with the Taliban lasting over three hours, as chaos gripped Kabul airport. "[1] Accusations come from a wide variety of sources including intelligence reports, government officials, and journalists. [66], On May 27, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region and supporting terrorist groups. June 30, 2023, 6:00 a.m. The Twitter feed of Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Lolwah Alkhater, reads like a conveyer belt of retweeted tributes from world powers. In an interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN, the Emir stated he does not consider those organizations to be terrorists. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good evening, everyone. Video, Florida murder suspect arrested after 40 years, Designer can refuse gay couples, top US court says, Australia begins world-first MDMA therapy for PTSD, Sex life of rare 'leopard-print' frog revealed, Finland minister resigns over Nazi references, Rescuers amputate leg of woman stuck in travelator. Egypt Today staff Sun, 30 Jul 2017 - 03:57 GMT 71 entities named terrorists by Egypt, KSA, UAE and Bahrain - Photo by Egypt Today [45][64] Al-Kawari, another Qatar-based financier and lead actor in Madid Ahl al-Sham, was also designated by the US Treasury for collecting financial support for al-Qaeda and for his role as "an al-Qaida security official". Officials in the small, gas-rich state of Qatar in the Gulf have provided the lifeline for countries trying to exit. Undoubtedly, solidifying itsexistence is the most important motive behindQatar's foreign policy, Steinberg believes. Qatar's unique role in Afghanistan America's ignominious exit from Kabul has been a diplomatic boon for tiny Qatar Sep 11th 2021 | DUBAI I T TAKES AN hour to drive to the shimmering towers of. For example, Qatar did not want the Taliban to hoist its flag at its headquarters in Doha or to call the building the representative office of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.". So the opening of the Taliban office has brought Qatar the international limelight it craves. And it has been involved actively in the Arab Spring uprisings, supporting the armed rebellions in Libya and Syria. The Taliban made millions from the World Cup by providing construction equipment to build stadiums in Qatar, The Telegraph understands. Ally Qatar Shelters Jihadi Moneymen, "Qatars Emir Visits Gaza, Pledging $400 Million to Hamas", "A Survey of Global Terrorism and Terrorist Financing", "Congress Goes After 'Frenemies' Turkey, Qatar, "Qatar Is a U.S. Taliban representatives secretly arrived in Qatar about three years ago to talk to Western officials. Afghanistan..mysterious fate, Turkish-Qatari agendas to turn country [57][58][59] Qatar has also paid conspicuous ransoms ranging from few million to hundreds of million dollars- to return hostages kept by al-Nusra. Nonetheless, Qatar has continuously supported it through ransom payments and fundraising campaigns as a strategic ally in Syria, committed to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, was trained by the ISI . The talks are to take place in Doha, the capital of the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. They wanted the release of five Taliban figures held at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for the freedom of US soldier Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, believed to have been held by the Taliban since 2009. Yet given Pakistan and Qatar's extant relations with the Taliban, the two countries appear to be the main winners in this shifted balance, and whichever one is chosen as the primary mediator will have a significant role in . While there is no clear answer to that question, a loosely-defined consensus seems to have gradually emerged about the need to pursue low-key interactions with the Taliban to address security and humanitarian concerns. On the one hand, it significantly helped Doha cement its status as an ascendant regional power and reputation as a reliable partner for the US and Europe. Greenwald said the liberal establishment has "explicitly adopted the view that people who they disagree aren't people who IRS Supervisor Agent Gary Shapley told John Solomon during an interview that aired Thursday on the "John Solomon Reports" podcast that he uncovered evidence of Hunter Biden participating in a "pretty classic tax evasion scheme" but the documents never made it to the FBI of the U.S. Attorney in President Biden spoke Friday afternoon to discuss the Supreme Court's decision that his unilateral student debt relief plan is unconstitutional. Hampered by a United Nations (UN) visa ban and the UN General Assemblys rejection of the Islamist regimes request to have one of its ambassadors take over the countrys seat at the UN, the Taliban still rely heavily on the Doha political office to conduct diplomatic activities outside of Afghanistan. The Emir told CNN, "We don't fund extremists. The Afghan government was keen on opening an office for the Taliban in Turkey or Saud Arabia, because it thought those countries were more influential and had a closer working relationship with Kabul. After years of strained relations, UAE-Qatar ties have improved recently, with UAE-Qatar leaders speaking of a shared desire for appeasement rather than confrontation. For the most up to date guidance on Qatar's COVID-19 policies, please see the Qatar Ministry of Public Health's Travel and Return Policy website.. Prof Han says this amounts to a least worst option, what he calls the most "collaborative approach". Flight lands in Qatar after Taliban cleared Americans and others to All GCC states have come to terms with the reality of Taliban rule in Afghanistan since August 2021 and must pragmatically deal with the situation on the ground. Climate change ravages Sri Lanka's shores, Germany: 2 teens' ecstasy deaths prompt debate, US Supreme Court guts affirmative action at colleges, Uruguay drought: Capital hit by water shortages. But in the wake of Arab Spring, its Gulf rivals accused it of siding with Islamists. Why Does Qatar Support Known Terrorists? | The New Republic June 26, 2023 6:00 PM. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he viewed messages from Taliban leaders with "cautious optimism". He sent hundreds of thousands of pounds to fighters in Syria. After nearly 12 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan, long-awaited peace talks with the Taliban are set to begin. After the Sept. 11 attacks, another senior Qaeda operative, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who may have been the principal planner of the assault on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, was said by Saudi intelligence officials to have spent two weeks in late 2001 hiding in Qatar, with the help of prominent patrons, after he escaped from Kuwait. Mindful of the decades-long meddling in the countrys affairs, large swaths of the Afghan political spectrum grew distrustful of Saudi Arabias ambitions, and the kingdom was relegated to the sidelines of Afghan politics. Just a day after his meeting with the top Taliban security figure, Sheikh Mohammed paid an official visit to Qatars Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Jassim Al Thani, demonstrating that Afghanistan could offer the conditions to bring further rapprochement between Abu Dhabi and Doha. They knew that the Americans in particular were eager to secure a peace deal that would allow Nato a dignified exit from Afghanistan and leave the country more stable and peaceful. [61][62][63] Several prominent figures, from Egyptian cleric Wagdy Ghoneim to wealthy Qatari Abdulaziz bin Khalifa al-Attiyah, overtly endorsed the campaign on their social media profiles. There are now more than 20 relatively high-ranking Taliban members who live here with their families. Against the backdrop of the Taliban takeover in mid-August 2021, Saudi Arabia has played a pivotal role in pressuring OIC and IsDB members to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance to the country. [71][72] The airstrikes were condemned by Al Jazeera, who broadcast images of civilian casualties. [5] Despite Qatar's efforts to arraign prominent terrorist financiers, some designated terrorists and terrorist financiers lived with impunity in Qatar[4] until 2015. The twists and turns of Saudi Afghan policy. In addition, measures to monitor and restrict overseas activities of Qatari charities were significantly tightened. [49][50] Several members of the group, which had tried to overthrow Gaddafi since 1994, had solid ties to al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, another aspect remains unclear: How much influence does Qatar have on the Taliban? But both are taking a gamble too - which could even stoke old rivalries further afield, in the Middle East. IranSource provides a holistic look at Irans internal dynamics, global and regional policies, and posture through unique analysis of current events and long-term, strategic issues related to Iran. But the number of Taliban representatives and their activities in Qatar have gradually increased. If Afghanistan is to teach us anything, the Biden administration should not ignore Syria by having a non-existent policy. The United States and the Taliban officials resumed talks in Qatar on Thursday to firm up a deal enabling the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban security . [104][105][106][107], According to The Washington Post, the United Arab Emirates planted false evidence before the crisis. Saudi Arabia resumed engagement with Afghanistan in the wake of MBSs nomination as crown prince in 2017 (a redefinition of the kingdoms succession line also marked policy changes). Saudi Arabia urges Taliban to protect lives under 'Islamic principles As long as these endeavors are geared toward the essential needs of the battered Afghan population and are solidly anchored on humanitarian grounds, the international community should not let Gulf partners alone shoulder the burden of providing the bulk of humanitarian relief to the country. Qatar has also never officially recognized the "Islamic Emirate" proclaimed by the Taliban in 1996. Friends, enemies, neighbors? I have my own way of thinking." The richest country in the world per capita has developed a working relationship with a particularly wide range of governments and groups, from Hezbollah to the. [73], In 2017 the government of Qatar sentenced 25 ISIL sympathizers, most of them Qatari citizens, to life in prison, with a minimum term of 25 years. Qatar has longstanding ties with the Taliban. Trump later said the leaders had all pointed to Qatar as the main funder of extremism. Africa? [45] He also provided assistance to an al-Qaeda courier who was transporting several thousands of dollars to al-Qaeda's officials. [48][58], In addition to ransom payments, the Qatar government as well as Qatari citizens have sponsored large-scale fundraising campaigns to solicit "support for the procurement of weapons, food and supplies for al-Nusra in Syria" which have often relied on social media. Hamas, as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, was in February 2015 also declared a terrorist organization. Qatar was a safe-haven for terrorists: counterterrorism expert He contradicted secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who asked the quartet to moderate its blockade on Qatar as it was harming US operations against ISIL. 08:09 - Source: CNN CNN A US delegation was set to meet with "senior Taliban representatives from Kabul" in Doha, Qatar, this weekend, a State Department official said ahead of the. In the past, the relationship between Qatar and the Taliban has not been entirely free of conflict. Here's what we know: The day after the Afghan president fled and the Taliban installed themselves in the presidential palace, uncertainty reigned. [9] These laws included rules on targeted financial sanctions and became effective in February 2020. From the 1979 Soviet invasion to the 2001 US invasion, history shows that armed escalation has knock-on effects that resonate well beyond Afghanistan. A Timeline Of Afghanistan's 4 Decades Of Instability : NPR According to analysts, it has developed close intelligence ties with some Taliban-linked militia. As a confidence-building measure, providing protection to those Taliban leaders participating in peace talks and finding them a permanent address became a priority for the US and the Afghan High Peace Council. By Geeta Mohan: Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met head of Taliban's political office Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in Doha on Tuesday and held discussions on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. While in Doha, the Taliban have in general been careful about their activities and appearances. Taliban political leader Abdul Ghani Baradar (L) was based in Doha until he returned to Afghanistan last month, Tens of thousands of people evacuated from Afghanistan were first flown to Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, Qatari mediators tried to broker a peace deal between the former Afghan government and the Taliban, The Taliban are said to be in talks with Qatar and Turkey about the management of Kabul's aiport, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected criticism over Turkish contacts with the Taliban, Mr Erdogan said the Taliban's approach to women's rights would be taken into consideration in future negotiations, The surprising truth about frozen fruit.