Qatar, in regional crisis, hires former US attorney general

[Disir]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Qatar has paid $2.5 million to the law firm of a former attorney general under U.S. President George W. Bush to audit its efforts at stopping terrorism funding, a matter at the heart of the Gulf diplomatic crisis that erupted last week.

John Ashcroft personally will lead his Washington-based firm’s efforts “to evaluate, verify and as necessary, strengthen the client’s anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing” compliance and potentially lobby lawmakers and the media, according to documents filed to the U.S. Justice Department.

Qatar hiring Ashcroft, who was attorney general during the Sept. 11 attacks and then helped push through the Patriot Act, appeared aimed at appeasing Washington as several Gulf nations try to isolate it. Officials in Qatar, home to a major U.S. military base, and Ashcroft’s firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

....The sudden move to hire Ashcroft’s firm shows Qatar “certainly dropped the ball” in recognizing that government opinion in Washington had swung away from it, said Christopher Davidson, a professor of Middle East politics at Durham University in Britain. That’s despite Qatar funding think tanks, university programs and the Doha-based Al-Jazeera satellite news network, he said.

“We’re seeing a new sort of conflict... where wars are being fought through PR companies,” Davidson said. “We can see what kind of damage that can do when your rival’s PR machine becomes more extensive than your own.”
Qatar, in regional crisis, hires former U.S. attorney general

One: It ain't new.

Two: Ashcroft? Really? He still sucks. He didn't stop sucking.

 

[OldLady]

I wish a U.S. firm wouldn't get involved in this. It's a Middle East thing.
The other thing I don't understand is the U.S. opinion "swinging away" from Qatar when the U.S. very clearly doesn't want to lose its strategic military base there. Do we see the beginning of another regime change assist in the works? What else was going on during Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia?

 

[Disir]

The US is already involved.

Qatar is funding terrorists and supports Iran which has pissed off everyone in the region and the Saudi's,Egypt, UAE and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties.

Saudi Arabia said it took the decision to cut diplomatic ties due to Qatar's “embrace of various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilising the region” including the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, Isis and groups supported by Iran in the kingdom's restive eastern province of Qatif. Egypt's Foreign Ministry accused Qatar of taking an “antagonist approach” toward Egypt and said “all attempts to stop it from supporting terrorist groups failed.”

The tiny island nation of Bahrain blamed Qatar's “media incitement, support for armed terrorist activities and funding linked to Iranian groups to carry out sabotage and spreading chaos in Bahrain” for its decision. The US Navy's 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the decision would affect its operations.

The decision comes after Qatar alleged in late May that hackers took over the site of its state-run news agency and published what it called fake comments from its ruling emir about Iran and Israel. Its Gulf Arab neighbours responded with anger, blocking Qatari-based media, including the Doha-based satellite news network Al-Jazeera.
Four huge Middle Eastern powers just cut ties with Qatar over 'terrorism' links

Pentagon Says US Operations Against ISIS In Qatar Not Affected By Blockade

Al Jazeera At Center Of Dispute Between Qatar And Its Gulf Neighbors

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http://english.alarabiya.net/en/per...ts-reveal-about-his-relations-with-Qatar.html

 

[Disir]

That subscribe to read link:
Qatar does not provide funding for terrorists
From Sheikh Saif Al-Thani, State of Qatar
Sir, Roula Khalaf (“The rise and fall of maverick Qatar”, Notebook, June 8) repeats the claims that Qatar provided money to terrorist groups including organisations in Syria linked to al-Qaeda.

To be clear: Qatar does not, and has not, provided funding for terrorists.

The reports of a $1bn ransom payment to these groups is false. Qatar provides the government of Iraq with financial aid to support the release of our citizens. This assistance was co-ordinated with the government of Iraq, and these funds were deposited in the Central Bank of Iraq.

.....Our policies, just like the UK’s, are shaped by unique circumstances. Far from being a “maverick”, our foreign policy is simple: enhancing international peace and security through encouraging the resolution of international conflicts by peaceful means, supporting the right of the peoples to self-determination, abstaining from interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and co-operating with all nations that seek peace. Sometimes, we must take positions based on our principles, which may be at odds with those of our neighbours. While this may be regrettable to others, we will not compromise our principles to win a popularity contest. We regret the unprecedented attack on our reputation and stand firm in the belief that any issues can — and will — be solved through dialogue and discussion.

Sheikh Saif Al-Thani

Director,

Government Communications Office,

State of Qatar


You can access it by running a search rather than the link above.

 

[irosie91]

The trillions of dollars used to support Islamic terrorism thruout the world provided is
by allah

 

[aris2chat]

That subscribe to read link:
Qatar does not provide funding for terrorists
From Sheikh Saif Al-Thani, State of Qatar
Sir, Roula Khalaf (“The rise and fall of maverick Qatar”, Notebook, June 8) repeats the claims that Qatar provided money to terrorist groups including organisations in Syria linked to al-Qaeda.

To be clear: Qatar does not, and has not, provided funding for terrorists.

The reports of a $1bn ransom payment to these groups is false. Qatar provides the government of Iraq with financial aid to support the release of our citizens. This assistance was co-ordinated with the government of Iraq, and these funds were deposited in the Central Bank of Iraq.

.....Our policies, just like the UK’s, are shaped by unique circumstances. Far from being a “maverick”, our foreign policy is simple: enhancing international peace and security through encouraging the resolution of international conflicts by peaceful means, supporting the right of the peoples to self-determination, abstaining from interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and co-operating with all nations that seek peace. Sometimes, we must take positions based on our principles, which may be at odds with those of our neighbours. While this may be regrettable to others, we will not compromise our principles to win a popularity contest. We regret the unprecedented attack on our reputation and stand firm in the belief that any issues can — and will — be solved through dialogue and discussion.

Sheikh Saif Al-Thani

Director,

Government Communications Office,

State of Qatar


You can access it by running a search rather than the link above.

al-Thani, supporter of al-Qaida........no they don't support terrorism, just finance it like 9/11's architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed