US-Qatar Relations a Risk to Anti-IS Coalition

[unhappycamper]

http://watchingamerica.com/WA/2014/10/20/us-qatar-relations-a-risk-to-anti-is-coalition/

The Wall Street Journal quoted American and Saudi officials, stating that relations between the two countries are a “problem.” Doha is playing a two-faced game — it declares it supports the fight against the Islamic State, but transfers funds to the Islamic State group and other organizations.

US-Qatar Relations a Risk to Anti-IS Coalition
Published in (Israel) on 11 October 2014 [link to original]
Translated from Hebrew by Maya Ehrmann. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
Posted on October 20, 2014.

According to American and Arab officials, the close relations between the U.S. and the Kingdom of Qatar endanger the stability of the global coalition against the Islamic State group. This morning (Saturday), the Wall Street Journal quoted a number of senior officials, claiming that the kingdom’s close relationship with terrorist groups in the Middle East is a “problem” in dealing with the Islamic State group, which conquered territory on a wide scale in Iraq and Syria.

Following the launch of the Arab Spring in 2010, the U.S. strengthened its cooperation with Qatar. During this time, American authorities used Doha as a channel of communication to radical groups in the region which Washington wanted to weaken. According to officials, these close ties led to doubts about Doha’s sincerity. Besides the Islamic State group, some of the groups mentioned as an example by officials included Hamas and Jabhat al-Nusra, an organization which operates in Syria and is linked to al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Last month, Qatar confirmed that it helped release the 45 Fijian soldiers held captive by Jabhat al-Nusra. According to various reports, the Kingdom’s authorities paid approximately $20 million for their release. The American Department of the Treasury already voiced concerns regarding transfer of funds of this sort — department officials claim that a Qatari businessman transferred $2 million to a senior Islamic State group commander in Syria last year who is in charge of recruiting foreign fighters to the organization. Additionally, over the summer, Secretary of State John Kerry tried to use Qatar as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to Israeli, Egyptian and Saudi officials, Washington’s dependence on Qatar will only increase Qatar’s desire to cooperate with radical organizations.

Likewise, diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates warned the White House that Qatar is playing “two-faced” in the region — it publicly supports U.S. policy while simultaneously supporting enemies of the U.S. These countries urge Washington to adopt a stricter stance against Doha’s relations with these organizations. These same officials have raised concern over Qatar’s role in fighting the Islamic State group. Although Qatar’s spy planes accompany the coalition’s fighter jets, Qatar itself does not attack targets of the radical Sunni group.