Qatari officials told the BBC Monday that they reject any and all accusations relating to the Gulf state supporting the Islamic State terror group, insisting that the country has only supported ‘moderate’ groups during the most recent flare up of mideast turmoil in Iraq and Syria.
The officials then revealed how some of the “moderates” that Qatar had supported have left groups such as the Free Syrian Army, and joined more radical entities like the Islamic State.
This month, several British MPs were alarmed at the UK’s close relationship with Qatar. Conservative MP Stephen Barclar said: “There is growing concern across parties in Parliament as to why there appears to be so little evidence of action by Qatar and other Sunni Gulf allies against their own national who have directly funded – or facilitated the funding of – terrorist groups, including ISIL.”
Over the summer, the United States signed a controversial $11 Billion dollar arms deal with Qatar that included the sale of Apache Helicopters, Patriot Missiles, and Javelin MANPADS. Al Qatar is home to Udeid Air Base, a US facility that is the home base for surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Breitbart News has reported on Qatar’s troubling history with supporting Islamic radical groups. Its state-funded media network, Al Jazeera, has in the past demonstrated an affinity for Al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.
Qatar remains largely supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamist group with close affiliates in Palestinian Terror group Hamas and Sinai Peninsula-based Ansar Bayt Al Maqdis.
In June, Thomas Joscelyn of The Long War Journal told Breitbart News regarding Qatar:
Look no further than a series of official documents from the Obama administration about Qatar, and you will see that it is a major financial hub, fundraising for jihadist groups including the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and others. In April, in the State Department’s country reports on terrorism, they specifically worried about Qatar’s relationship with Islamist groups. They worried Qatar had enabled a very permissive environment for fundraising for jihadist groups. It’s obvious why the Taliban set up its political office in Doha and why the Taliban wanted these five to send off to Qatar. They know it’s a very permissive environment with Islamist sympathies.
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