Qatar: Extremism and Terrorism

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel killing at least 1,200 people and kidnapping at least 240 men, women, and children. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders watched the attack unfold from Haniyeh’s office in Doha, Qatar. Qatar joined with Saudi Arabia and Iran in blaming Israel for the October 7 Hamas attack. According to a Qatari government statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held Israel “solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which was the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police.” That night, Qatari officials claimed they had begun mediation talks to convince Hamas to release captive women and children for Palestinian security prisoners in Israel. Israel denied negotiations were underway. On October 20, Hamas freed two hostages—an American mother and daughter pair—after Qatari intervention. Hamas said it released the hostages for “humanitarian reasons.” On October 24, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani accused Israel of receiving an “unconditional green light and free license to kill” in Gaza. As of November 14, Hamas had released four hostages—two Americans and two Israelis—because of Qatari mediation. That day, the Qatari government renewed its call on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement on releasing hostages, but Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari also blamed the “deteriorating” situation in Gaza for hindering mediation efforts. (Sources: Hamas Telegram Channel, Associated Press, Reuters, Daily Mail, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hill, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, NPR, NPR, Agence France-Presse)

As the war progressed, international pressure on Qatar to sever its relationship with Hamas increased. A bipartisan group of 113 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed an October 16 letter to U.S. President Joe Biden calling for the United States to pressure Iran, Qatar, and Hamas’s other international allies to end their support of the terrorist group. Notwithstanding these reports and Qatar’s willingness to mediate a hostage release, the Qatari government has continued to allow Hamas’s activities throughout the war. During a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated Qatar would not shutter Hamas’s office in Doha. According to Al Thani, Hamas’s office in Doha is intended for communication, not coordinating violence, and Qatar seeks to maintain open lines of communications with Hamas. But the office has been used at least twice in October 2023, following Hamas’s attack, to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Hamas’s top leaders live in luxurious accommodations in Qatar. Haniyeh, Meshaal, and Mousa Abu Marzouk, are reportedly worth a combined $11 billion, have been photographed at luxury hotels, on private jets, and at diplomatic clubs around Doha.

As diplomatic pressure increased on Qatar throughout October 2023, however, reports emerged from U.S. officials on October 27 that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani had expressed willingness to reconsider Qatar’s relationship with Hamas after an agreement was reached to free Hamas’s hostages. (Sources: Office of U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer, Reuters, New York Post, Mehr News Agency, YouTube)

Overview

Qatar maintains close military ties with the United States. At the same time, the United States has criticized Qatar for its purported ties to terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and Hamas. According to the New York Times, Qatar provides global Islamist groups with “safe haven, diplomatic mediation, financial aid and, in certain instances, weapons.” The United States has accused Qatar of allowing terrorism-financing operations within its borders. The U.S. government has sanctioned several Qatari nationals for ties to ISIS and al-Qaeda financial networks. Qatar, however, denies that it supports terrorist movements. Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani told CNN in 2014 that there is a “difference between movements. I know that in America and some countries they look at some movements as terrorist movements. In our part of the region, we don’t.” Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed at least 1,200 people, Qatar launched a diplomatic push to negotiate the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas. At the same time, Qatar faced increasing international pressure to sever its ties with Hamas. (Sources: New York Times, CNN, Congressional Research Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury, NPR, Office of U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer, Reuters)

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Middle Eastern governments have criticized alleged Qatari support of al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood does not have an official branch in Qatar, but Brotherhood members such as the group’s late spiritual leader, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, have resided in the country. Qatar also reportedly provided financial assistance to Egypt’s Brotherhood-led government in 2013. Egypt has since labeled the Brotherhood a terrorist organization and condemned Qatar’s alleged support for the group. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, among others, broke diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 as a result of the country’s support for global terrorism. In January 2021, Saudi Arabia agreed to allow Qatar to use its airspace, as well as open land and sea crossings to Qatar, in exchange for Qatar dropping legal suits against the four nations. The Kuwait-negotiated deal did not address the core issues of the disagreement—Qatar’s support for terrorism and ties to Iran. Only Saudi Arabia agreed initially to lift its blockade of Qatar, but U.S. officials reported the other countries would soon follow. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates restored diplomatic relations with Qatar that month. (Sources: CNN, Christian Science Monitor, U.S. Department of the Treasury, CNN, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, CNN, BBC News)

Nonetheless, the United States and Qatar maintain close military ties. Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region, which includes the U.S. Central Command from which U.S. anti-ISIS missions are primarily conducted. Qatar also maintains close ties with the United States in global counterterrorism operations. In March 2022, President Joe Biden designated Qatar a Major Non-NATO U.S. ally, giving Qatar preferential treatment on par with NATO allies in securing U.S. weapons and cooperation in defense research. (Sources: New York Times, Associated Press, White House, Reuters, Atlantic Council)

State-run Qatari mosques have reportedly hosted extremist speakers and religious leaders. Nevertheless, relatively few Qataris have gone abroad to join jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq. Conversely, support for ISIS appears high among Qatari Facebook and Twitter users, according to a 2014 study. The study analyzed pro-ISIS and anti-ISIS posts of countries outside the so-called Islamic State and found that 47 percent of the posts in Qatar collected between July and October 2014 expressed pro-ISIS sentiments. A November 2020 survey found that 47 percent of Qataris demonstrated support for Hamas. (Sources: BBC News, Economist, Daily Beast, Guardian, Guardian, International Business Times, MSNBC, Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
Radicalization and Foreign Fighters
Radicalization

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) labeled Qatar a “safe haven for religious extremists expelled by other countries.” CSIS cited Qatar’s history of providing refuge for Palestinian, Sudanese, and Algerian fugitives. Qatar reportedly gave refuge to Saudi militants following the 1979 takeover of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The country has also reportedly hosted members of al-Qaeda and the Taliban. According to the military affairs periodical Jane’s, Qatar in the 1980s was a “waypoint for senior Salafist terrorists transiting to or from Afghanistan, utilising the homes of Qatari notables as safehouses.” David Andrew Weinberg of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has accused Qatar of showing “one face to the international community projecting a desire to help in the fight against terrorist organizations, while providing a platform for the preaching in their own backyard of the same kind of hate-filled extremism of ISIS.” Weinberg points to a stream of Islamist imams who have addressed Qatari mosques with government support. (Sources: Center for Strategic and International Studies, New York Times, Daily Beast)

The state-controlled Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab Masjid Doha, a.k.a. the Grand Mosque, is Qatar’s largest mosque. It is named for the 18th century founder of Wahhabism. Analysts have accused the mosque’s religious leadership of fomenting radicalism by inviting extremist guest speakers. For example, in late January 2015, Saudi cleric Sa’ad Ateeq al Ateeq reportedly gave a sermon at the mosque calling for Allah to “destroy the Jews and whoever made them Jews, and destroy the Christians and Alawites and the Shiites.” It was reportedly al Ateeq’s sixth visit to the mosque since 2013. Qatari government officials reportedly promoted the imam’s sermon on Qatari media and Twitter. Other invited speakers to the mosque reportedly include the U.S.- and U.N.-designated Kuwaiti Hamid Abdullah al Ali, who has been accused of financing al-Qaeda, and U.S.-designated Hamid Hamad al Ali, accused of supporting the Nusra Front. (Sources: Daily Beast, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies)

Qatari officials have condemned extremism while defending designated terrorist organizations. Extremist groups claim they are defending the rights of people who feel oppressed by their governments, according to Qatar’s U.N. Permanent Representative Ambassador Alia bint Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani. The ambassador called on the international community to focus on resolving social-justice problems in order to combat terrorism. Al-Thani also called for differentiating between terrorism and legitimate resistance to oppression. Terror financing lawsuits and Qatar’s relationship with extremist organizations has been further highlighted ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, hosted in Doha. On November 9, 2022, French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné published a cartoon presenting Qatar’s football team carrying guns and wearing explosive belts and balaclavas.(Sources: Qatar News Agency, Business Standard, New Arab)
Terrorism Financing & Material Support

On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic relations with Qatar over the country’s support for terrorism. The nations also barred Qatari citizens and closed all of their borders to Qatar. According to the official Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom broke ties with Qatar to “protect its national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism.” Saudi Arabia cited Qatari support of Iranian-backed militias in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as alleged Qatari support for the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, and ISIS. Yemen, Libya’s internationally recognized eastern-based government, and the Maldives also broke diplomatic ties with Qatar later in the day. (Sources: Reuters, CNN, CNN, Saudi Press Agency, Agence France-Presse)

At the same time, the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen expelled Qatar because of its alleged support for ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Yemeni rebel militias. In response to the diplomatic break, the Qatari government denied collusion with international terrorist groups and accused other nations of trying to undermine Qatari sovereignty. (Sources: CNN, CNN, Agence France-Presse, New York Times)

On June 8, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE designated 59 people and 12 groups—all either based in or otherwise associated with Qatar—for links to terrorism. The list included now-deceased Qatar-based Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Yusuf Qaradawi, as well as 18 Qatari businessmen and politicians. Qatar rejected the list. (Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters)

On June 22, 2017, the four countries issued 13 demands of Qatar in order to restore relations. The demands included closing Al Jazeera, closing a Turkish military base in Qatar, and severing ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, al-Qaeda, and Hezbollah. The nations also called on Qatar to scale back relations with Iran. More generally, the nations also demanded Qatar end support for terrorism and terror-financing. Qatar rejected the demands and denied links to terrorist groups. During a meeting in Cairo on July 5, the foreign ministers of the four Arab states agreed on six core principles that Qatar must accept: commit to fighting extremism and terrorism, cease all forms of incitement to violence and hatred, and prevent terror groups from using Qatar as both safe havens and sources of financing. Qatar has rejected the demands but has modified its terrorism laws. On July 25, the countries issued a second sanctions list, designating an additional 18 groups and individuals with “direct and indirect ties” to the Qatari government. The new list included a Libyan television station affiliated with Al Jazeera, three Yemeni charities, three Qatari citizens, and six non-Qataris. Some of the individuals and entities on the list have previously been designated by the United States. Qatar called the new list a “disappointing surprise.” (Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera, CNN, Reuters, Al Arabiya English, Reuters)

On January 4, 2021, Kuwait’s government announced it had mediated a deal under which Saudi Arabia agreed to allow Qatar to use Saudi airspace in exchange for Qatar dropping legal suits against the four nations. Saudi Arabia also agreed to open its land and sea crossings to Qatar as of January 4. The agreement did not address Qatar’s support for terrorism or its ties to Iran—key issues that had caused the initial rift. Only Saudi Arabia agreed initially to lift its blockade of Qatar, but U.S. officials reported Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE would soon follow. The United States’ Trump administration supported the deal and Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner reportedly helped negotiate the agreement, but U.S. officials denied that recently negotiated sales of more than $760 million in arms to Saudi Arabia and more than $100 million to Egypt were related to either country agreeing to the deal. Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed the agreement on January 5 during the GCC’s meeting in Saudi Arabia, which Qatar attended. On January 7, a UAE official told reporters Arab states could restart travel and trade with Qatar, but more time was needed to rebuild trust before restoring diplomatic ties. On January 8, the UAE announced it would open all entry points to Qatar the following day. Qatar’s ambassador to the United Nations held consultations with the Security Council in late May 2021 on Qatar’s rift with the Arab nations. The council called on the countries to find a solution through negotiation and dialogue. On October 13, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke at the Global Security Forum in Doha, where he urged the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) to engage with Iran and to support the possible revival of Iran’s nuclear talks with world powers. (Sources: CNN, CNN, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Al Jazeera)

The United States has accused Qatar of providing financial and material support to extremist and terrorist groups. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Qatar has “openly financed” Hamas, whose political leadership is also based in Qatar. The Treasury Department has also cited press reports accusing Qatar of “supporting extremist groups operating in Syria.” Other groups, such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, have purportedly set up financial networks in the country. The U.S. government has designated several Qatari nationals for fundraising on behalf of the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda, and other groups. In July 2021, the U.S. State Department opened an investigation into alleged Qatari support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). (Sources: New York Times, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington Examiner)

According to a March 2014 address by U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen, terrorist-fundraisers in Qatar “aggressively solicit donations online from supporters in other countries, notably Saudi Arabia, which have banned unauthorized fundraising campaigns for Syria.” Cohen also said that private fundraising networks in Qatar “increasingly rely upon social media to solicit donations for terrorists and to communicate with both donors and recipient radicals on the battlefield.” Cohen said Qatar “has become such a permissive terrorist financing environment, that several major Qatar-based fundraisers act as local representatives for larger terrorist fundraising networks that are based in Kuwait.” U.S. Arab allies such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates have also accused Qatar of publicly supporting pro-U.S. policies while providing support for terrorist groups. Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has denied accusations that Qatar supports terrorists. (Sources: Reuters, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Wall Street Journal, CNN)

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned several Qatari nationals for financing terrorism. In December 2013, for example, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Qatar-based terror-financier Abd al-Rahman bin ‘Umayr al-Nu’aymi. According to the Treasury, al-Nu’aymi ordered the transfer of almost $600,000 to al-Qaeda in 2013 and intended to transfer almost $50,000 more. The United Nations has also sanctioned al-Nu’aymi. Qatar-based Sheikh Hajaj al-Ajmi openly raised money in the country for the Nusra Front when the Treasury designated him in August 2014. In August 2015, the Treasury sanctioned Sa’d bin Sa’d Muhammad Shariyan al-Ka’bi, another Qatari financier of the Nusra Front. At the same time, the U.S. Treasury also designated Qatari al-Qaeda facilitator ‘Abd al-Latif Bin ‘Abdallah Salih Muhammad al-Kawari. The Qatari government employed al-Qaeda financier Salim Hasan Khalifa Rashid al-Kuwari in the Ministry of the Interior, despite al-Kuwari’s designation as a terrorist by the United States. Al-Kuwari has channeled hundreds of thousands of dollars to al-Qaeda. (Sources: U.S. Department of the Treasury, United Nations, U.S. Department of the Treasury, New York Times, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S Department of the Treasury, Telegraph)

The U.S. Treasury designated terrorist financier and facilitator Khalifa Muhammad Turki Al-Subaiy as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2008. Al-Subaiy “provided financial support to al Qaida senior leadership in Pakistan’s tribal region…[and] served as a diplomatic and communications conduit between al Qaida and third parties in the Middle East.” The United Nations designated al-Subaiy in October 2008 as a “Qatar-based terrorist financier and facilitator who has provided financial support to, and acted on behalf of, the senior leadership of Al-Qaida….” Al-Subaiy reportedly continues to freely finance and fundraise for terrorist extremist organizations while resident in Qatar. According to a Telegraph report from October 2014, al-Subaiy is “once again raising money for Islamist terrorists after being freed by the Qatari authorities.” (Sources: U.S. Department of the Treasury, United Nations, Telegraph)

The leaders of Iraq and Egypt have also accused Qatar of links to terrorism. In March 2014, then-Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki accused Qatar and Saudi Arabia of supporting ISIS insurgents fighting in western Iraq. Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani called the Iraqi claims “inappropriate” and chastised Iraq for failing “to preserve national unity” while accusing “other Arab countries of supporting terrorism.” (Sources: Reuters, Reuters)

In February 2015, Egypt launched military strikes against neighboring Libya in response to the kidnapping and beheading of 21 Egyptian citizens by Libyan militants. Qatar condemned the Egyptian action. Egypt’s representative in the Arab League, Tareq Adel, said Qatar’s condemnation showed that it “supports terrorism.” Qatar recalled its ambassador from Egypt in response. (Source: Reuters)
Muslim Brotherhood

The official Qatari chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood disbanded in 1999, but Qatar has reportedly continued to support the Brotherhood through financial- and media-based pathways, as well as through public diplomacy. Other governments in the region, such as Egypt, have accused Qatari-owned satellite network Al Jazeera of biases toward the Brotherhood. Qatar is also home to prominent Brotherhood leaders such as the group’s now-deceased spiritual leader, Yusuf al-Qaradawi. (Sources: Christian Science Monitor, Asharq al-Awsat, Gulf News, BBC News)

Qaradawi maintained close relations with the leadership of Qatar, which refused international demands to extradite the cleric. Qaradawi had also been a frequent guest of honor at celebrations hosted by Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who repeatedly physically embraced Qaradawi and seated the cleric next to him in a place of honor. Qaradawi also previously served as the president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), a Qatar-based organization of Muslim scholars created in 2004 by clerics reportedly affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. The United Arab Emirates first designated the IUMS as a terrorist organization in 2014. In late 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain designated the IUMS. Qaradawi stepped down as president in November 2018 and Ahmad Al-Raysuni was elected as his successor. On September 26, 2022, Qaradawi died at the age of 96 in Qatar. Qatari Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, his representative Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Khalid bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and Minister of Endowments Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanim attended Qaradawi’s September 27 funeral in Doha. Also in attendance was Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who eulogized Qaradawi as “our sheikh and our role model” who believed “jihad and resistance are the way to liberate” Palestine. (Sources: Middle East Monitor, MEMRI, Arab News, Reuters, Al Arabiya, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Reuters, Middle East Eye)

Qatar has refused to join its regional neighbors that have labeled the Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Egypt designated the Brotherhood in 2013, while Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain labeled the Brotherhood a terrorist group in 2014. Qatar is a member of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which signed an agreement in November 2013 to refuse support to “anyone threatening the security and stability” of the GCC. Fellow GCC members Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar in March 2014 in protest of what they called the country’s violation of that agreement and “interference” in regional affairs, citing continued Qatari support for the Brotherhood. That November, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates announced intentions to return their ambassadors after Qatar purportedly agreed to finally expel several Brotherhood leaders from the country. Qatar had reportedly agreed to the expulsions in November 2013, and the country’s failure to follow through with the expulsions helped trigger the diplomatic row, according to the Guardian. (Sources: Guardian, BBC News, Reuters, Reuters, Guardian, Wall Street Journal)

In mid-September 2014, seven top Brotherhood members claimed that they had been “asked to leave Qatar” as the country came under pressure from neighbors to cut off support for the Brotherhood. The expulsions were reportedly meant to fulfill Qatar’s November 2013 pledge and repair the government’s regional relationships. An unnamed Qatari diplomat told the New York Times that Qatar had not forced the Brotherhood members out and that they were welcome to return. In a statement on the Brotherhood’s website, senior Brotherhood leader Amr Darrag says that members of the Brotherhood were asked to leave Qatar and would do so to “avoid causing any embarrassment for the state of Qatar.” (Sources: Guardian, New York Times)

In February 2015, Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah denied Qatari support for the Muslim Brotherhood. He reportedly said that Qatar continues to host families of Brotherhood members who recently left the country after “feeling pressured by some Arab brothers.” Their families remain “our guests,” he said. (Source: Al-Monitor)

During the Brotherhood’s year in power in Egypt, Qatar loaned President Mohammed Morsi’s government approximately $7.5 billion. Qatar also reportedly aided Morsi’s regime with grants and “energy supplies,” according to Reuters. During Morsi’s presidency, funds as high as $850,000 were reportedly secretly transferred to the Brotherhood from former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. A document dated March 28, 2013, details the allocation of funds to a “long list” of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leaders. Egyptian courts have also charged Morsi and his aides with leaking state secrets to Qatar. Qatar condemned Egypt’s decision to label the Brotherhood a terrorist organization in 2014. (Sources: Reuters, Reuters, Fox News, Reuters, Reuters, Reuters, Reuters)

Egypt has accused the Qatari government-supported Al Jazeera news outlet of being a mouthpiece for the Brotherhood. The Egyptian government has arrested several Al Jazeera reporters on charges of supporting the Brotherhood. Iraq banned the channel in April 2016. (Sources: Deutsche Welle, Deutsche Welle, Guardian, Washington Post)
Al-Qaeda

U.S. officials have tied members of Qatar’s royal family to al-Qaeda core as well as to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). According to U.S. officials, Qatar’s former interior minister and royal family member Abdullah bin Khalid al-Thani tipped off the 9/11 attacks mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, before he could be captured by the United States. An unnamed former CIA official told U.S. media that members of the Qatari royal family have provided safe haven for other al-Qaeda members as well. In 2010, a branch of the Qatari government made a donation to help build a $1.2 million mosque in Yemen for Sheikh Abdel Wahab al-Humayqani. The U.S. government has since designated al-Humayqani as a fundraiser for AQAP. (Sources: ABC News, New York Times, New Yorker, 9/11 Commission Report, p. 73)

A week before a March 2005 suicide bombing in a Doha suburb killed one and wounded a dozen, a top al-Qaeda operative in Saudi Arabia issued a call for attacks in Qatar and elsewhere in the Middle East. The timing of the bombing led investigators to believe al-Qaeda played a role in the terrorist act, though another group later claimed responsibility. (Source: Telegraph)
Hamas

In 2014, Time called Qatar one of Hamas’s main allies. In 2012, then-Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani became the first head of state to visit the Gaza Strip after Hamas violently took control of the coastal enclave from the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2007. In a 2014 interview with CNN, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Qatar supports “all Palestinian people. We believe Hamas is a very important part of the Palestinian people.” Al-Thani also said that Hamas leaders “believe in peace and they want peace. But it’s for the other party to believe in peace as well and to be more realistic.” Qatar maintains its engagement with Hamas can help foster Israeli-Palestinian peace. (Sources: Time, BBC News, Huffington Post, CNN, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Qatar has also hosted Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal since the Hamas leadership abandoned its base in Syria in 2012. Since then, various media reports have surfaced that Qatar intended to expel Meshaal, but the Hamas leader continues to freely move around the country. For example, Meshaal called a press conference at Doha’s Four Seasons Hotel in September 2015. In May 2017, the Sheraton hotel in Doha hosted a Hamas press conference during which the group revealed a new guiding political document. After Ismail Haniyeh replaced Meshaal as head of Hamas’s political bureau in May 2017, Hamas announced that Haniyeh would divide his time between Gaza and Qatar. That June, Qatar reportedly expelled several Hamas officials, including Saleh al-Arouri, allegedly the founder of the West Bank branch of Hamas’s military wing. The expulsions reportedly coincided with several Arab countries breaking diplomatic ties with Qatar. Nonetheless, Hamas’s leadership remains entrenched in the country. In December 2019, Haniyeh left Gaza for the first time in three years to attend meetings in Turkey and Qatar. In early February 2020, rumors circulated that Egypt was preventing Haniyeh from returning to Gaza out of anger that he had visited Iran during his international tour. Hamas announced later that month that Haniyeh would reside in Qatar for the immediate future in order to continue traveling freely. (Sources: BBC News, Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, Washington Free Beacon, Guardian, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Times of Israel, Al-Monitor)

Qatar has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Gaza, which is administered by Hamas. For example, the government pledged $400 million to reconstruction efforts in Gaza in 2012. Hamas’s control of Gaza’s administrative infrastructure has raised international concerns that donations to Gaza’s infrastructure will ultimately aid the Palestinian terror group. Israeli leaders such as former President Shimon Peres have accused Qatar of funding Hamas terrorism. Qatar has continued to offer financial support despite condemnation by the U.S. government. After Hamas and rival faction Fatah signed a reconciliation agreement in April 2014, the PA refused to pay the salaries of Hamas civil servants in Gaza. In response, Qatar attempted to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas to pay the salaries of 44,000 civil servants. The United States reportedly blocked the transfers. In July 2016, Israel and the PA approved a Qatari plan to pay $31,000,000 for the July salaries of Hamas’s public-sector employees in Gaza. At the end of the month, Hamas’s then-deputy leader Ismail Haniyeh reportedly called for using the money to pay Hamas’s “military personnel” as well as civil servants. (Sources: Agence France-Presse, Times of Israel, Times of Israel, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel)

Since 2018, Qatar has provided $20 million per month—or $240,000,000 a year—in aid to the Gaza Strip. The aid has helped Hamas pay salaries of its civil servants, as well as pay for electricity costs and food assistance programs. On January 31, 2021, the Qatari government announced it would increase its annual assistance to $360 million in the coming year. Despite concerns that Hamas would misuse the money, Israel agreed to the Qatari aid to stem a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. After an 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in May 2021, Qatar’s emir met with Haniyeh in Doha and pledged continued support for the Palestinian people. After Hamas’s 11-day war with Israel that month, Qatar pledged $500 million in aid toward Gaza’s reconstruction. Hamas’s Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, promised Hamas would not touch any international aid pledged toward Gaza’s reconstruction. (Sources: Associated Press, Anadolu Agency, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera)

Qatar resumed its distribution of aid to Gaza on September 15, 2021, with the Hamas-run government claiming the money—which amounts to $40 million—would be disbursed to needy families, supermarkets, money exchange shops, and other retails stores. Qatari aid previously helped pay the salaries of civil servants in the Hamas-run government. On November 30, 2021, Hamas, Qatar, and Egypt announced a new deal for Qatar to pay the salaries of Hamas’s public servants in Gaza. Under the plan, Qatar would send up to $10 million worth of fuel each month to Egypt, which would transfer the fuel to Gaza for Hamas to resell to Palestinian gas stations and use the proceeds to pay its civil servants. In August 2022, Qatar agreed to pay for the rebuilding of dozens of homes that were partially or completely damaged in a recent conflict between Israel and Gaza militants. (Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Reuters, Associated Press, New Arab)

As of May 2023, Qatar had provided half of a $5 million grant to Hamas to pay municipal salaries, and then reportedly suspended payments that June. By July, Hamas reportedly was unable to pay its 50,000 municipal employees because of delays in a monthly payroll grant from Qatar. Hamas financial sources told international media that it was facing a new economic crisis and had not paid salaries since May. Hamas called on Qatar to increase its payroll grant from $5 to $7 million to cover increased spending and debt repayment. Talks between Hamas and Qatar to resume the funding were reportedly frozen as of mid-September 2023. Gaza media reported Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi had “conveyed a clear message” to Hamas, explaining that “Qatar cannot always” transfer funds to the Strip, and a “permanent and better solution” was required. (Sources: Reuters, Jerusalem Post)

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and kidnapping at least 240 men, women, and children. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders watched the attack unfold from Haniyeh’s office in Doha. Haniyeh then issued a press statement calling the attack a response to Israeli crimes after several warnings by Hamas. While watching the news reports, Haniyeh and other leaders reportedly cheered with joy and then prostrated themselves in gratitude before God. Haniyeh praised the attack as the start of a new era in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The initial October 7 attack killed at least 250 people in Israel. Qatar joined with Saudi Arabia and Iran in blaming Israel for the October 7 Hamas attack. According to a Qatari government statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held Israel “solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which was the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police.” That night, Qatari officials claimed they had begun mediation talks to convince Hamas to release captive women and children for Palestinian security prisoners in Israel. Israel denied negotiations were underway. On October 20, Hamas freed two hostages—an American mother and daughter pair—after Qatari intervention. Hamas said it released the hostages for “humanitarian reasons.” On October 24, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani accused Israel of receiving an “unconditional green light and free license to kill.” As of November 14, Hamas had released four hostages—two Americans and two Israelis—because of Qatari mediation. That day, the Qatari government renewed its call on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement on releasing hostages, but Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari also blamed the “deteriorating” situation in Gaza for hindering mediation efforts. (Sources: Hamas Telegram Channel, Associated Press, Reuters, Daily Mail, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hill, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, NPR, NPR, Agence France-Presse)

At least three international lawsuits allege Qatari individuals and institutions, all linked to the Qatari royal family, have provided support to international terrorist groups.

A lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court in June 2020 alleged Qatar provided funding to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas through three Qatari financial institutions, the Qatar Charity, Masraf Al Rayan (Al Rayan Bank), and Qatar National Bank. All three institutions have links to members of the Qatari royal family. The plaintiffs are friends and family members of 10 U.S. citizens who died in terror attacks in the West Bank carried out by PIJ and Hamas between 2014 and 2016. The lawsuit alleges Qatar Charity worked with Masraf Al Rayan bank and Qatar National Bank to forward Hamas and PIJ millions of dollars. It further accuses the Qatari government of coopting “several institutions that it dominates and controls to funnel coveted U.S. dollars (the chosen currency of Middle East terrorist networks) to Hamas and PIJ under the false guise of charitable donations.” The plaintiffs filed a second lawsuit in a district court in Brooklyn, New York, in December 2020. The plaintiffs identified bank accounts in Qatar used by Jordanian Hamas terrorist Ahlam Ahmad al-Tamimi, who is on the FBI’s most-wanted list, a spokesperson and former military leader of Hamas in the West Bank, and Qatar-based Muslim Brotherhood idealogue Yusuf al-Qaradawi, among others. Both suits were filed under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows U.S. citizens to seek triple restitution from private institutions but not to sue government officials. Qatar National Bank’s board of directors includes multiple members of the Qatari royal family, while the Qatar Investment Authority owns a 50 percent stake in the bank. Masraf Al Rayan is the second largest bank in Qatar. (Sources: Arab News, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Post, Al-Monitor, Arabian Business Network, Qatar National Bank, Times)

In August 2019, eight Syrian refugees filed a lawsuit in the United Kingdom alleging Qatar-based Doha Bank channeled funds to al-Nusra Front. According to the complaint, Qatari brothers Moutaz and Ramez al-Khayyat used accounts at the bank to direct funding to al-Nusra Front during the Syrian civil war. The plaintiffs alleged they were subjected to “severe physical and psychiatric injuries” and displacement by al-Nusra Front. According to the lawsuit, the Khayyat brothers allegedly transferred large amounts of money via the bank to accounts in Turkey and Lebanon, where the cash was withdrawn and taken across the Syrian border for delivery to al-Nusra fighters, allowing al-Nusra “to cause loss and damage to the claimants.” Doha Bank has denied the allegations. The plaintiffs live in Europe but outside of the United Kingdom. They filed the lawsuit in London because the bank maintains an office there. In November 2020, four of the plaintiffs withdrew their complaints, alleging intimidation from members of the Qatari government. Doha Bank has requested the dismissal of charges of intimidation and attempted bribery of witnesses. Doha Bank’s board of directors includes several members of the Qatari royal family. The bank’s largest shareholder is the Qatar Investment Authority. In March 2022, plaintiffs alleged Doha Bank maintained an account from which money was transferred to Fadel al-Saleem, an ISIS sharia judge in Syria. (Sources: Times, Guardian, Daily Mail, Doha Bank, National, Times)

In June 2021, a group nine Syrian refugees launched a second lawsuit in the United Kingdom’s High Court, alleging a group of Qatari officials and businessmen, two banks, and multiple charities conspired with the Qatari government, in coordination with the Muslim Brotherhood, to launder money for al-Nusra Front in Syria. According to the complaint, the accused money laundered for terrorism via significantly overpriced construction contracts, the purchase of property at inflated prices, and overpayments to Syrian migrant workers, which were facilitated through Qatar National Bank and Doha Bank. The complaint accuses “high-ranking members of the Qatari ruling elite” of providing funds to “actively support and facilitate” terrorism during the Syrian civil war. Allegedly, funds from the Qatari accounts were sent either directly into Syria or to banks in Turkey, where they were withdrawn and taken across the border to al-Nusra. The claim alleges a central role in the conspiracy by the private engineering office of the Amiri Diwan, a Qatari government agency that controls all major construction and development contracts. The complaint levied charges against multiple Qatari nationals: former Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani; Hamad’s younger brother, Nawaf bin Jassim al-Thani, who formerly chaired a division of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund; Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri, the owner of London’s Ritz hotel and brother-in-law of Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani; and the al-Khayyat brothers, who were named in the 2019 complaint. The 2021 complaint also accuses the Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation, Doha Bank, and Qatar National Bank of facilitating the transfers. According to the complaint, Qatar National Bank and Doha Bank knew or should have known they were being used to fund terrorism. Both banks denied the charges. The accusers who brought forward the complaint allege they suffered severe financial losses or torture, arbitrary detention, threats of execution, and other forms of persecution committed by al-Nusra Front. (Sources: Times, Daily Mail)
ISIS

Qatar was reportedly on alert for an ISIS attack following attacks on Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in 2015. Policy analyst Andrew Hammond of the European Council on Foreign Relations dismissed the risk to the country, though “there is definitely reason for a country like Qatar to be on guard.” Hammond told Qatar’s state-sponsored Doha News in December 2015 that Qatar is rarely mentioned in ISIS’s lists of targets. According to Hammond, the country is not a primary ISIS target because Qatar “has kept a low profile” in the U.S.-led campaign against ISIS. (Source: Doha News)

In July 2014, ISIS reportedly threatened to attack Qatar if international soccer organization FIFA did not relocate the 2022 World Cup, scheduled to take place in the country. In a message to then-FIFA president Joseph Sepp Blatter reportedly posted on an online ISIS forum, ISIS promised that by 2022 Qatar would be part of its caliphate headed by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, “who doesn’t allow corruption and diversion from Islam in the land of the Muslims.” That November, al-Baghdadi claimed the group’s caliphate had spread to Qatar, among other Arab countries. (Sources: International Business Times, MSNBC)
Taliban

Taliban officials have had an increasing presence in Qatar since approximately 2010. High-level Taliban officials and their families have reportedly moved to the country. Afghan diplomats in Doha have reported running into Taliban members on the street. For example, Mullah Abdual Salam Zaif, a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner and Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, reportedly moved from Afghanistan to Qatar in 2011. Sometime after 2010, the Taliban also reportedly maintained a diplomatic office in Doha until 2014. It was the only such office in the world. (Sources: BBC News, Daily Mail, New York Times)

Qatar has hosted on-and-off negotiations between the United States, the Taliban, and the Afghan government to reach an end to the war in Afghanistan that started in 2001. On February 29, 2020, U.S. and Taliban representatives meeting in Doha signed an agreement for a gradual U.S. troop withdrawal in exchange for the Taliban agreeing to renounce al-Qaeda and prevent al-Qaeda and other groups from using Afghanistan as a base for terrorism against the United States. The Taliban also agreed to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with other Afghan militants and the Afghan government. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani praised Qatar’s role in the negotiations for helping make the agreement possible. (Sources: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, U.S. Department of State, Al Jazeera)

On February 29, 2020, the Taliban and United States signed a Qatar-negotiated agreement to draw down U.S. forces in Afghanistan in exchange for the Taliban renouncing al-Qaeda and preventing al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base. The Taliban also agreed to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with other Afghan militants and the Afghan government. Despite the agreement, the United States has accused the Taliban of continuing to support al-Qaeda, including sheltering al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a a July 2022 U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan. (Sources: Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Washington Post, Reuters)

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, on October 9 and 10, a U.S. delegation met with senior Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar. The U.S. delegation focused on security, terrorism concerns, and the guarantee of human rights and meaningful participation of all Afghans in Afghan society. Additionally, the United States reiterated the concern for safe passage for U.S. citizens and Afghan partners still seeking to leave the country. Despite refusing to provide political recognition to the self-imposed Taliban government, the U.S. agreed to provide humanitarian aid that will go “directly to the Afghan people.” Although the talks were also meant to touch on containing extremist groups in Afghanistan—particularly ISIS’s Khorasan Province (ISIS-K)—Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told the Associated Press that, the Taliban is “able to tackle Daesh independently.” (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Guardian, Associated Press, Associated Press)

On October 12, 2021, Qatar’s special envoy for counterterrorism and mediation in conflict resolution, Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, said he held conversations with the Taliban about the ongoing terror threat in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the country has been dealing with ongoing high casualty attacks carried out by ISIS-K. Al-Qahtani stated he told the Taliban they needed “more cooperation and more assistance from other countries.” Additionally, al-Qahtani suggested that other countries should engage with the Taliban as isolating the movement could lead to instability and a wide-reaching security threat similar to what happened when al-Qaeda used Afghanistan to plot 9/11 attacks. (Source: Associated Press)

After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Qatar and Turkey leveraged their existing relations with the Taliban to advocate on behalf of Afghanistan internationally. Qatar has repeatedly called on the international community to open relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban government. On February 1, 2022, Qatar negotiated an agreement with the Taliban to resume chartered evacuations out of Kabul airport of foreign nationals and at-risk Afghans. Qatar has also hosted security meetings between the Taliban government and the United States, such as in October 2021. Following a June 2022 meeting between Mohammed bin Ahmed al-Misnad, the Qatari emir’s national security adviser, and the Taliban’s Sirajuddin Haqqani, Misnad declared Qatar and the Taliban share strong ideological ties. In May 2022, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said maintaining the West’s boycott of the Taliban government would only stoke extremism. On October 3, 2022, Doha hosted the first in-person talks between the United States and the Taliban since that July, when the United States killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. (Sources: BBC News, U.S. Department of State, Iran International, Financial Times, Reuters, CNN)

On February 5, 2023, a Qatari delegation met with the Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister in Kabul. The Qatari government said Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq Al Qahtani met with several Taliban officials in Kabul, including Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Minister of Education Habibullah Agha. According to a Taliban spokesman, the two sides discussed “political coordination, the strength of the relationship and humanitarian aid.” According to the Qatari foreign ministry, Al Qahtani emphasized Qatar would continue “to support and facilitate efforts to reach a comprehensive political consensus that achieves security and stability in Afghanistan.” (Sources: Doha News, Reuters)
Iran

Qatar has forged an alliance with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has led to alleged cooperation with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A November 2019 Fox News report claimed Qatar had advance knowledge of an Iranian attack on four commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman on May 12, 2019, and may have failed to warn its U.S., French, and British allies. “Credible intelligence reports indicate that the IRGC-Quds Forces Naval unit is responsible for the Fujairah Port attacks, and the elements of civilian government of Iran, as well as the State of Qatar, were aware of the IRGC’s activities,” the report said. The United States has classified the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Qatar and Turkey objected to the designation. In July 2020, Iran used its first military satellite to take extensive photographs of the Al Udeid airbase, which is host to the largest contingent of U.S. forces in the country. Qatar was also one of six nations chosen by the Iranian government in December 2020 to represent the Islamic Republic in international legal dispute against the United States for the January 2020 assassination of IRGC-Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. (Sources: Fox News, Egypt Today, Newsweek, Tehran Times)

Qatar has provided financial support to Iran in the form of ransom payments for Iranian hostages in Syria. In August 2012, Qatar paid a $57 million ransom after the Free Syrian Army captured 57 Iranians in Syria. In May 2021, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged the hostages were IRGC members after Iran initially insisted they were civilians. Ahmadinejad said he had asked then Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani to pay the ransom and Iran would reimburse him in the future. The emir paid the ransom, and the prisoners were released. Ahmadinejad says the emir refused to accept reimbursement and said he made the payment on behalf of the friendship between the Qatari and Iranian peoples. In July 2021, the U.S. State Department opened an investigation into alleged Qatari financial support of the IRGC after outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin delivered intelligence to the White House of Qatari financial support. The information reportedly alarmed U.S. officials. (Sources: Arab Weekly, Washington Examiner)

Qatar continues to maintain open diplomatic and economic relations with the Iranian government. In February 2022, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani signed 14 bilateral agreements in Doha to improve economic, trade, and tourism cooperation between the countries. Raisi was the first Iranian president to visit Qatar in 11 years. In October 2022, Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested Qatar detain Mohsen Rezai, Iran’s vice president of economic affairs, whom Argentine authorities accuse of involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. Rezai had traveled to Doha for an exhibition of the achievements of Iranian companies prior to the start of the World Cup that November. Rezai is subject to an Interpol red notice. Nonetheless, Rezai maintained freedom of movement while visiting Qatar and met with multiple Qatari government officials, including the Qatari emir. (Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Argentina Reports, Iran International, MEMRI)
Foreign Fighters

The Qatari government had in the past been “concerned” that foreign fighters could use Doha’s international airport as a hub to and from Syria, according to the U.S. State Department. Qatar has not been a major source of foreign fighters abroad. As of December 2015, the Soufan Group estimated that fewer than a dozen Qataris had joined the fighting in Syria and Iraq. According to the Institute for Economics & Peace’s 2015 Terrorism Index, only 15 Qatari nationals had joined the fighting in Syria and Iraq. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Soufan Group, Institute for Economics and Peace, Jamestown Foundation)

Individual Qataris have been tied to terrorist plots abroad. For example, a Saudi court sentenced a Qatari man to 30 years in prison in 2014 for heading a group of 13 alleged terrorists, including 11 Saudis and one Afghan. According to the court, the group used Saudi territory “to form a terrorist cell seeking to carry out a terrorist operation in the state of Qatar against American forces….” The court ordered the Qatari to be deported back to Qatar after his prison sentence. (Source: Reuters)
Major Extremist and Terrorist Incidents

The Institute for Economics and Peace’s 2017 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) ranked Qatar as the only Middle Eastern nation among the world’s 50 most peaceful countries. Out of 163 countries, Qatar ranked No. 30 in terms of the most peaceful. In 2015, Qatar scored a 0 out of 10 on the GTI, indicating it was rarely or not at all affected by terrorism. The index measures countries’ total of number of terrorist incidents, fatalities caused by terrorists, injuries produced, and the measure of property damaged caused from terrorism. (Sources: Institute for Economics and Peace, Institute for Economics and Peace)

According to the U.S. State Department, terrorism has “historically been low in Qatar.” The State Department credited Qatar’s “[r]estrictive immigration policies and security services capable of monitoring and disrupting violent extremist activities.” Nevertheless, Qatar has experienced a small number of attacks. According to the State Department, the Qatari government “is concerned” that extremists could “commit terrorist acts in or from Qatar” using the country’s Internet or financial systems. (Source: U.S. Department of State)
Doha Theater Bombing

On March 19, 2005, the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a suicide bomber attacked the Doha Players Theater in the suburb of Farek Kelab. The attack killed a British citizen and wounded 12 other people. The theater is frequented by Westerners and expatriates. Qatari authorities identified the bomber as Egyptian citizen Omar Ahmed Abdullah Ali. Ali had reportedly lived in Qatar for at least 15 years. (Sources: Forbes, Associated Press, BBC News)

An Islamist extremist group called Tanzim Jund al-Sham (Organization of the Army of Greater Syria) claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement and warned “America, Britain and Italy and all those who have defiled the lands of Islam to be ready for the grand surprise.” The bombing was the first of its kind in Qatar. Two days after the attack, more than 1,000 people gathered at the attack site, chanting “No to terrorism.” (Sources: BBC News, Jamestown Foundation)
Attacks on Al Udeid Base

The Qatari base Al Udeid hosts the Qatari air force as well as the U.S. military base in the country. The base has come under attack several times. On November 7, 2001, security guards shot dead a Qatari man who opened fire at the base with an assault rifle. There were no other fatalities, but two U.S contractors were wounded. An unidentified assailant drove into the base’s gates in February 2002, but was killed by security. In October 2002, a Saudi man attempted and failed to hijack a plane bound for Saudi Arabia and crash it into the base. He was apprehended in Sudan before he could hijack a plane. In October 2014, a Saudi court sentenced 17 people to prison for plotting to attack U.S. forces in Qatar and Kuwait. The group was part of a group of 41 people arrested in 2011 for launching an al-Qaeda-linked cell. (Sources: CNN, BBC News, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Doha News, Reuters)
Domestic Counter-Extremism

The Qatari security forces are reportedly sparse and struggle to recruit nationals to fill law enforcement positions. The country relies on the “manpower from third countries to fill rank-and file law enforcement positions,” according to the U.S. Department of State. The State Department also believes that Qatar’s lack of extensive police training obstructs the efficiency of the emirate’s security services. (Source: U.S. Department of State)

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NATC) in the Ministry of Interior determines Qatar’s counterterrorism policy and manages interagency cooperation within the government to ensure effective counterterrorism efforts. The government restructured the NATC in 2014 to include representatives from more than 10 government agencies as a measure “to secure [the nation’s] critical infrastructure, as well as to prevent the country from becoming a hub for [traveling] foreign fighters,” according to the Doha News Agency. The U.S. Department of State credits Qatar’s strict immigration laws and government monitoring of violent extremists for the country’s low rate of domestic terrorism. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Doha News Agency)
Terrorism Sanctions

On March 22, 2018, Qatar placed 28 people and entities on a new terrorism list, including several Qatari nationals already blacklisted by rival Arab states who accuse Doha of supporting militants. Named on the new Qatari list were two Qatari citizens who were described by the boycotting countries as financiers of the Islamist militant Nusra Front group fighting in Syria. Absent from the list was the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars, which was formed in 2004 mostly by clerics belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and chaired by the Qatar-based Egyptian Sheikh Yusef al-Qaradawi. The group and Qaradawi are both blacklisted by Doha’s rivals. (Sources: Reuters, State of Qatar Ministry of the Interior)

On May 16, 2018, Qatar imposed sanctions on Lebanon’s Hezbollah leadership, targeting its top two officials, Hassan Nasrallah and Naim Qassem. The measures were imposed jointly by Qatar and its partners in the Terrorist Financing and Targeting Center (TFTC), which includes the United States, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE. (Sources: Reuters, State of Qatar Ministry of Interior)
Education

In 2015, Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid Al-Attiyah warned that lack of access to education puts children “increasingly at risk of radicalization and of being persuaded to act on behalf of extremists….” The Qatari government has focused on education as a primary counter-extremism tool. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Irish Times)

The Qatari Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) partners with the U.S. embassy to Qatar on the Young Writers Program, an annual essay contest for students from 122 students from Qatari government schools on societal topics. The program launched in 2014. According to the U.S. Department of State, the program exposes students to counter-extremist programing “through essay writing on subjects affecting their society.” (Sources: Young Writers Program, U.S. Department of State)
Legislation

Qatar’s 2004 Law on Combatting Terrorism permits the state to prosecute individuals involved in terrorist-related activities, including providing terrorism-related information, training, weapons, financing, providing material support to terrorists or terrorist organizations, and associations with groups that commit terrorist activities inside or outside Qatar. In March 2004, the government established the Qatar Authority for Charitable Activities (QACA) to screen transactions made by Qatari domestic and international charitable organizations to prevent terrorism funding. According to the U.S. Department of State, the QACA failed to thwart donations made to charities associated with extremist and terrorist organizations. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Research Service)

In July 2017, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued a royal decree amending the 2004 terror law. The decree, which took immediate effect, created two lists of designated terror-affiliated nationals and entities and defined the terms “terrorist,” “crime,” “terrorist acts,” “terrorist entities,” “the freezing of funds,” and the “financing of terrorism.” The move reportedly came in response to pressure by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, which severed ties with Qatar the month before over accusations that the emirate supported regional terrorism. The UAE government reportedly called the Qatari move a “step in the right direction.” (Sources: The National, Al Jazeera, Reuters)

According to the U.S. Department of State, the QACA failed to thwart donations made to charities associated with extremist and terrorist organizations.

The 2010 Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance Law permits Qatari authorities to freeze the funds and assets of terrorists or terror organizations designated by the U.N. Security Council. In addition, the Qatar Central Bank monitors suspicious accounts through its counterterrorism and anti-money laundering department, the Qatar Financial Information Unit. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Research Service)

The Qatari government passed the Cybercrime Prevention Law in September 2014 to outlaw terrorism-related cybercrimes, including terrorism fundraising via the Internet. The law permits Qatari law enforcement to monitor Internet traffic and collect electronic data, according to the state-sponsored Doha News Agency. If a Qatari company is suspected of violating the Cybercrime Prevention Law, authorities are permitted to seize the company’s electronic information, bypassing any organizational confidentiality policies that may be in place. According to the Doha News Agency, domestic Internet service providers must comply with requests from authorities to shut down specific websites. This legislation also created a formal process for Qatari law enforcement to request information from foreign governments for investigative purposes. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Doha News Agency, Doha News Agency)

On September 12, 2019, Qatar’s cabinet passed a new law to combat money laundering and terrorism financing that will bring it in line with recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force, an international organization that sets global standards for fighting illicit finance. Qatar has been intent on cracking down on terrorism financing, more than two years after coming under embargo by a Saudi-led bloc that has accused it of supporting militant groups, which Doha denies. “The new law sets out binding legal requirements for business and financial sectors related to combating money laundering and terrorist financing, including non-profit organizations and money transfer services,” a central bank statement said. (Source: Reuters)
State Security Bureau

Also known as Qatar State Security, the State Security Bureau is tasked with monitoring the extremist or terrorist-related activity within the country. The bureau is capable of deploying an elite quick-reaction security force that regularly participates in organized counterterrorism exercises, according to the U.S. Department of State. The State Security Bureau purportedly takes an aggressive, proactive stance toward monitoring Qatar’s internal threats. According to the U.S. State Department, Qatar strictly monitors the traffic of suspected terrorists through its airports with its own watch list and conducts in-depth background investigations on work visa applicants. Qatari authorities reportedly use a biometric scanning system for all airport arrivals. (Source: U.S. Department of State)
Prosecution

In June 2017, Qatar announced that it had prosecuted five men sanctioned by the U.S. government for terror financing in 2015 and 2016. The government reportedly did not publicize the trials at the time in order to avoid embarrassing the men’s families. (Sources: Bloomberg, U.S. Department of State)
2022 FIFA World Cup

In 2010, Qatar secured the rights to host the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) World Cup soccer tournament in November and December 2022. Qatar has worked with U.S., Italian, and French companies to provide added security. American manufacturer Fortem Technologies is providing a counter-unmanned aerial system, the DroneHunter F700, which launches nets to capture drones and bring them to safer locations. France is providing police and army advisers, as well as an anti-drone detection system. Italy is stationing armed forces around Qatar during the World Cup, as well as sending a Counter-Unmanned Aerial Anti-Drone Task group to support Qatari forces against UAVs. NATO is also providing training to Qatari security forces against threats posed by Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) materials. NATO will also include training on the protection of very important people (VIPs) and countering threats posed by improvised explosive devices. The United Kingdom is also providing Royal Air Force and Royal Navy support to Qatar for counterterrorism operations during the tournament. (Sources: Al Jazeera, Al-Monitor, NATO, Gov.UK)
International Counter-Extremism
ISIS

Qatar is a member of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS and reportedly provides surveillance and critical operational and logistical support to the coalition forces. According to the U.S. Department of State, the Qatari Al Udeid Air Base hosts two U.S. military installations and is reportedly the largest American base in the Middle East. The base hosts the U.S. Central Command from which the U.S.-led anti-ISIS “Operation Inherent Resolve” primarily operates. The United States also trains moderate Syrian opposition forces at the base. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Associated Press)

Qatar has reportedly conducted numerous humanitarian flights for the coalition. When questioned by reporters on why Qatar joined the coalition, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani responded, “We’ve been asked by our American friends if we can join, and we did.” Qatar has reportedly flown surveillance planes over ISIS-held territory and has participated in coalition airstrikes. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, CNN, Wall Street Journal, U.S. Department of State)
Taliban Negotiations

Doha has hosted on-and-off negotiations between the United States and the Taliban to reach an end to the war in Afghanistan that started in 2001. On December 7, 2019, Doha hosted the first new round of peace talks since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from dialogues with the insurgents that September. Among the participants of the talks was Anas Haqqani, one of three senior Taliban figures freed the month before in exchange for kidnapped American University of Afghanistan professors—American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks. On February 29, 2020, U.S. and Taliban representatives meeting in Doha signed an agreement for a U.S. troop withdrawal. The United States agreed to draw its forces down from 13,000 to 8,600 in the next three to four months, with the remaining U.S. forces withdrawing in 14 months. In exchange, the Taliban agreed to renounce al-Qaeda and prevent al-Qaeda and other groups from using Afghanistan as a base for terrorism against the United States. The Taliban also agreed to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with other Afghan militants and the Afghan government. The U.S. troop drawdown is dependent on the Taliban maintaining its commitments. The agreement also called for permanent ceasefire and power-sharing talks that March between Afghan militant groups as well as between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The Qatari government praised its role in helping to finalize the agreement. On September 12, 2020, the Afghan government and the Taliban began official peace talks in Qatar. (Sources: Washington Post, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, U.S. Department of State, Al Jazeera, New York Times)

Qatar is one of 30 founding members of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF). According to its mission statement, the GCTF “is an informal, multilateral counterterrorism platform that has strengthened the international architecture for addressing 21st century terrorism and promotes a strategic, long-term approach to countering terrorism and the violent extremist ideologies that underpin it.” The forum’s goals are to reduce terrorist recruitment and bolster “countries’ civilian capabilities for dealing with terrorist threats,” according to the GCTF. The forum reportedly works alongside the United Nations to assist in the operation of the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In March 2014, Qatar hosted the GCTF Workshop to Develop an Action Plan for Community-Oriented Policing as a Tool for Countering Violent Extremism. In May 2015, Qatar hosted the GCTF Seventh Coordinating Meeting, during which Qatar’s delegation called upon the organization to increase efforts to combat the causes of terrorism and declared Qatar’s commitment to combat terrorism, according to the Qatar News Agency. (Sources: Global Counter Terrorism Forum, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, Qatar News Agency)
The Doha Declaration

During the 13th U.N. Crime Congress held in Doha in May 2015, Qatar announced its Doha Declaration, which reportedly outlined a framework to counter violent extremism and criminal networks by focusing on the education of displaced youth in the Middle East. By November 2015, Qatar signed a four-year $49 million contract with the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to initiate the Doha Declaration by establishing programs for prison rehabilitation, social integration, and youth education. According to the UNODC, “the Doha Declaration stresses the commitment and political will of Member States to implement comprehensive crime prevention and criminal justice strategies.” (Sources: U.S. Department of State, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime)
The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund

In December 2015, Qatar’s ambassador to the U.N., Sheikha Alya Bint Ahmed Bin Saif Al Thani, called for support for the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF). The Geneva-based fund is reportedly used to “[enhance] skills, potential, and resources of both the public and private sectors to support local projects, such as education, vocational training, civic engagement, media, and defense of women’s rights” to counter violent extremism, according to the U.S. Department of State. The GCERF is reportedly the first global program of its kind that works alongside governments, civil society, and private organizations to create strategies to target the local origins of violent extremism. (Source: U.S. Department of State)
Qatar-U.S. Cooperation

According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. and Qatari agencies have “an active and productive dialogue” when exchanging terrorism-related information. Despite the reported lack of manpower, the Qatari security services have been attentive to U.S. requests for information and able to establish cooperation between law enforcement and counterterrorism agencies. (Sources: U.S. Department of State, Doha News Agency)

In July 2017, the U.S. and Qatari governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation to prevent terrorism and terror financing in Qatar. The following month, the U.S. military announced a series of computer upgrades at the Al Udeid base. Military sources said that steps had already been taken to improve the review of intelligence data and refueling of U.S. fighter planes in Syria. (Sources: Reuters, U.S. Department of State, Reuters)

As a result of the counterterrorism MOU signed in 2017, the United States and Qatar continued to increase information sharing, including on terrorist screening information. Aviation security information sharing also increased. Ministry of Interior (MOI) authorities cooperated with the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Transportation Security Agency officials to enhance screening capabilities of the estimated 30 million travelers who pass through Hamad International Airport each year. In November of 2018, Qatar funded a three-year anti-terrorism training program provided by the Department of State, which will include training pertinent to Qatar’s preparations to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022; the primary recipients are MOI and Internal Security Force officers. (Source: U.S. Department of State)

On March 10, 2022, President Joe Biden declared Qatar a major Non-NATO Ally of the United States, which recognizes bilateral security cooperation between the United States and Qatar. The designation gives Qatar special access to U.S. weapons and the opportunity for cooperative research and development on defense projects. Under the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, Qatar gains preferential access to U.S. military equipment and technology, on par with NATO member states. (Sources: White House, Reuters, Atlantic Council)
Gulf Cooperation Council

Qatar is one of six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a political and economic alliance, which also includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain.

In May 2017, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani reportedly criticized Saudi Arabia’s antagonistic relationship with Iran. The Qatari government denied the comments. Nonetheless, the incident damaged Qatar’s relationship with other GCC countries. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and others broke diplomatic ties with Qatar as a result of the country’s continued support for extremism and terrorism, further bringing Qatar’s role in the alliance into question. On January 4, 2021, Kuwait announced it had negotiated an agreement under which Saudi Arabia would reopen its airspace and land and sea crossings to Qatar in exchange for Qatar dropping its international lawsuits against the four countries. The GCC invited Al-Thani to its January 5 meeting in Saudi Arabia to sign the agreement. (Sources: CNN, Reuters, CNN, Wall Street Journal)
United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism

On December 7, 2020, the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) launched the Behavioral Insights to Counter Terrorism hub in Doha in partnership with the Qatari government. According to the United Nations, the purpose of the office is to conduct research in behavioral sciences to better understand the drivers and factors contributing to radicalization leading to violent extremism and terrorism; provide capacity-building assistance to member states, regional organizations, and civil society partners to integrate behavioral insights to counter terrorism; and promote communication, outreach, and partnerships to share knowledge, expertise, and best practices. The office resulted from a December 2019 agreement between UNOCT and Qatar. In September 2020, Qatar agreed to contribute $5 million over three years to fund the center’s programs. (Sources: United Nations, United Nations)

On November 2, 2022, the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations organized an interactive session for member states at the U.N. headquarters in New York to present the hub’s achievements and future activities. Participants discussed how behavior insights can be used to address terrorism, highlighting the behavioral roots of vulnerabilities leading to radicalization and violent extremism. Participants also looked at how the threat of terrorism and extremism can be reduced through behaviorally informed interventions. The BI hub also launched the first UNOCT Going to Extremes podcast. (Sources: Peninsula, United Nations)
Programme Office of Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism

In June 2021, the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) launched the Programme Office of Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism in cooperation with the Shura Council of the State of Qatar. Based in Doha, the office conducts research, analysis, and normative work in support of counter terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism. The office is tasked with raising awareness, providing technical assistance, and providing consultative services in support of these goals. Additionally, the office supports the Global Parliamentary Network and the coordination platform for regional parliamentary assemblies on countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism. During a meeting of parliamentary associations for counterterrorism in Vienna, Austria, on October 5, 2023, Qatar’s Shura Council claimed to be an active partner in international efforts to combat terrorism. The Shura Council and the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism Programme on Parliamentary Engagement jointly organized the October meeting. (Sources: United Nations, Gulf Times)
Lebanon

Qatar has for years provided economic and diplomatic support to Lebanon, which has faced ongoing domestic economic and diplomatic crises surrounding the influence of Shiite terror group and Iranian proxy Hezbollah in the Lebanese government. Led by Saudi Arabia, several Arab nations have drawn back their diplomatic and financial ties to Lebanon in response to Iran’s influence on that country through Hezbollah. Nonetheless, Qatar has continued its investments in Lebanon in what the Qatari government calls an attempt to bridge the Arab nations and Iran. Following the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, Qatar pledged millions toward reconstruction in Lebanon. In July 2021, Qatar began providing 70 tons of food monthly to the Lebanese army. In June 2022, Qatar donated $60 million to help the Lebanese army pay its salaries. In January 2023, Qatar invested in oil and gas exploration off Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast, three months after Israel and Lebanon finalized a maritime border in a dispute over development rights. (Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, Associated Press, Associated Press, Associated Press)
Public Opinion

The Italian big-data company VOICES analyzed more than two million pro-ISIS and anti-ISIS Arabic-language online posts from Facebook and Twitter collected between July 2014 and October 2014. The study found that Arabic-speaking individuals outside of ISIS-held territory posted more favorable content on these social media sites in support of the terrorist group than those who lived in Syria. Of the online posts originating from Qatar, 47 percent of posts were in pro-ISIS sentiments, leading all other countries in the study. According to the VOICE analysis, 35 percent of online posts from Pakistan, 31 percent from Belgium, 24 percent from the United Kingdom, 21 percent from the United States, 20 percent from Jordan, 20 percent from Iraq, and 20 from Saudi Arabia expressed support for ISIS. (Sources: Guardian, Guardian)

In November 2020, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy released a poll of Gulf states that determined approximately 40 percent of Qatar’s 300,000 residents supported the Abraham Accords signed between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates earlier that year. The Washington Institute polled 1,000 Qataris and conducted similar polls in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. The poll found that 30 percent of Qataris supported business or sports ties with Israel. Conversely, the poll found that 47 percent of Qataris demonstrated support for Hamas, a percentage higher than in any Arab country except Lebanon. (Source: Washington Institute for Near East Policy)

Hamas is a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar has accommodated both groups. But while Qatari support for Hamas was almost at 50 percent in the 2020 poll, support for the Muslim Brotherhood among Qataris polled at only 36 percent. Nonetheless, support for the Brotherhood was higher than in any other Arab country polled. The poll also found less support for Iran and its proxies among Qataris: 72 percent did not view the Qatari-Iranian relationship as important, while only 5 percent supported Hezbollah in Lebanon and 6 percent supported the Houthis in Yemen. Among Shiite Qataris, that support jumped to 29 percent for Hezbollah and 17 percent for the Houthis. The poll also found that 44 percent of Qataris valued ties with the United States, and only 23 percent of Qataris viewed “Pushing for a solution to the Palestinian problem” as a top priority. (Source: Washington Institute for Near East Policy)

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Qatar: Extremism and Terrorism

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