A few days ago Qatar’s prime minister announced that their Persian Gulf kingdom, which hosts Hamas’ political leadership, is “doing our best” to convince the terrorist group to free the hundreds of hostages it is believed to be holding after it’s vicious and barbaric surprise attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023.
Qatar paid the highest ransom ever known for the return of members of their own ruling family - the Al Thani's, back in 2017.
Not only was one billion dollars paid to the kidnappers but at least $125 million more was doled out for ‘side payments’-contractors and middle people from Iraq and Syria representing various violent groups. The players list included: Al Qaida, Hamas, Al Nusra, Kataib Hezbollah, The Muslim Brotherhood among the ‘Terrorist Top Ten’.
28 members of the royal family of Qatar, who ignored warnings about going falcon hunting in southern Iraq, ended up being the hunted. One of the main reasons Qatar was sanctioned, borders were closed and diplomatic ties were severed by its neighbors, was because they all objected to this complex hostage negotiation and payment back in 2017. They suspected it was also a cover for supporting various Iranian backed militias.
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani, second left in front row, welcomes released kidnapped members of Qatar’s ruling family at the Doha airport, Qatar April 2017
The US, Australia and Canada still have hostages taken by some of these same groups the Al Thani's negotiated with, and gave money to support. The Qataris have become adept at cultivating contracts and contractors in all sectors. They are now involved in ‘brokering’ talks with Hamas and the hostages they took from Israel.
Meantime, the violent extremist groups are laughing, all the way to the banks. What and how the banks, including 'respectable' commercial institutions such as HSBC, launder this blood money is yet to be seriously investigated.
It is also important to note that all GCC countries are basically theocracies. Sharia law applies and is enforced. People have been arrested for holding hands in public. Expats have been deported for kissing on the beach, hugging in a restaurant. Citizen vigilantes and religious ‘police’ with their cell phone cameras, are everywhere.
Doha has hosted not so secret/top secret meetings between the US State Department and the Taliban. The Taliban still has an office in Doha flying their Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan flag out front which so infuriated former President Hamid Karzai back in 2013. As the world knows, the Taliban controls Afghanistan since 2021, and harbors terrorist groups from all over the Middle East and Central Asia.
Taliban offices in Doha, Qatar
Meanwhile the US ostensibly called for an end to supporting these violent extremist/terrorist groups in 2017. Yet the US still fulfills contracts for weapon sales to Qatar (albeit most contracts were signed before the Trump presidency). A 12 billion USD deal-with Boeing company to benefit most-for the sale of fighter jets to Qatar does make for conflicted messages in terms of where the USA stands in terms of “supporting terror networks” and enterprises.
One of the late Senator John McCain’s legacies is that he dealt in a bi-partisan manner when it came to pushing his political cohorts to remove embargoes, sanctions, impediments to weapons deals around the world. Whether it was to former adversaries including Vietnam, Libya, Iran, eastern European countries, Saudi Arabia, conflict areas including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Sudan and oh yes....Qatar; Senator John McCain was there. www.dw.com/en/us-senate-refuses-to-block-saudi-arabia-arms-sale/a-19567173
“The full arms sale, of over $20 billion for 72 F-15QA fighter jets, was notified in November 2016. This means it had already been authorized by congress and the executive branch, when President Obama was in office, before the Trump administration came into office.” (deals with Qatar)
People also forget that a larger $21 billion agreement was made back in November 2016, in the waning weeks of the Obama administration.
In addition, the six billion dollar release of funds to Iran under the Biden administration, in a ‘prisoner exchange deal’ made in August 2023; provides more potential financial backing for state sponsored terror militias (Hezbollah) which may prove to be connected to the October 7, 2023 violent attacks on Israeli citizens and visitors. Or new attacks which are following in the north of Israel as of October 15.
The U.S. commander at Al-Udeid Air base Qatar, said there are "no plans to change our posture in Qatar" amid the mounting crisis in the Middle East due to the horrific surprise attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023-including the torture, murder and severe injuries to infants, children, elderly and civilians.
While meeting with Al Thani in Doha last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed appreciation for Qatar's work to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza — calling Doha a "very close partner" on a broad range of issues.
Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, in January 2022-with US President Biden at the White House
A spokesman for Hamas said Monday, October 16, that the group was prepared “to murder the hostages on camera in response to ongoing Israeli airstrikes”.