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** The Only Award Qatar Deserves: Supporting Islamist Terrorism ([link removed])
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by Bassam Tawil • August 23, 2024 at 5:30 am
* It is grotesque that Qatar should be recognized for its contributions to "maintaining national and regional security" in the Middle East given that it has long been openly supporting Islamist terrorist organizations and serving as a home and haven for the Hamas leadership.
* "[H]istory will not forget that the Qatari Al-Jazeera was and still is a platform for leaders of terrorism.... Al-Jazeera is now playing the same tole in spreading speeches of the leader of the Al-Houthi terrorist militia." — General Secretariat of the Council of Senior [Islamic] Scholars in Saudi Arabia, March 27, 2018.
* Not much has changed in Qatar since then.... Al-Jazeera, meanwhile, continues to serve as a mouthpiece of terrorist organizations, especially Hamas, whose leaders are frequently given a platform to promote terrorism. Saudi social media pundit Mesha'al Al-Khalid wrote: "The Al-Jazeera channel burnishes [the image] of the militias and terrorist organizations that have waded in Arab blood, describing them as 'Islamic resistance.' We seem to be facing a planned and organized project to burnish the image of Iran's agents and use the Palestinian issue as an excuse to direct accusations of heresy at anyone who exposes the proxies and agents loyal [to Iran]."
* The only award Qatar is due is for encouraging Islamist terrorism and jeopardizing security and stability in the Middle East.
* In 2017, Qatar and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on combatting the financing of terrorism. The MoU ensures increased collaboration between US and Qatari military and intelligence forces, and even provides the ability for the U.S. Treasury Department to work closely with the Qatari Government to help monitor suspected terror-financing activities. Evidently, this agreement did not apply to Qatar's ties with Hamas. Nor did it prevent the October 7 massacres.
* Based on the data compiled from multiple English, Arabic and French sources within the Middle East, Europe and the US, a team of American and Israeli investigators concluded in April that Qatar "operates not as an independent mediator as it claims, but benefits directly from the bloodshed and geopolitical fallout and unrest that result from its policies."
* The "Doha-Gaza Alliance at all levels — financial, political, and military — has resulted in the current regional upheaval, the impact of which is being felt worldwide," the same investigators said in a confidential report, adding that Qatari funding and policies led directly to October 7. They noted that although the US has known about Qatar's malign activities for years, it has failed to strategically act on them. This has allowed Qatar to advance policies that are harmful to the interests of the US and its allies in the Middle East and beyond.
* Instead of showering yet more money and awards on countries that seem to be plotting to bring America down, the US love-fest with Qatar and Iran should immediately be ended.

The only award Qatar is due is for encouraging Islamist terrorism and jeopardizing security and stability in the Middle East. Pictured: Qatar's then Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani holds hands with then Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during their visit to the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip on October 23, 2012. (Photo by Wissam Nassar/AFP via Getty Images)

CIA Director William Burns has awarded the head of the Qatari State Security Agency, Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, the George Tenet Medal for his work on strengthening intelligence cooperation between the US and Qatar.

The ceremony took place amid diplomatic efforts by the US and Qatar to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and the Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Burns and Al-Khulaifi are reportedly playing key roles in these efforts.

One of the main reasons for the award is Qatar's "efforts to release the [Israeli] hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, sources told the American Axios website. The source said Burns gave the award to his Qatari counterpart in "appreciation of his role in maintaining national and regional security, and the exceptional support he provided to the CIA in preserving the interests and security of the US and Qatar."

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