Qatar Has a Senior Al-Qaeda Operative on Its Government Payroll

The government of Qatar has a senior al-Qaeda operative on its payroll, despite the United States’ designation of the individual as a terrorist, The Telegraph reports.

In his role at Qatar’s Ministry of Interior, Salim Hasan Khalifa Rashid al-Kuwari has allegedly facilitated the transfer of “hundreds of thousands of dollars to al-Qaeda” members, United States Treasury documents have stated.

According to a U.S. Department of Treasury statement, Kuwari was said to have provided “financial and logistical support to al-Qaeda, primarily through al-Qaeda facilitators in Iran.”

The Treasury’s terror designation continued, “Based in Qatar, Kuwari has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support to al-Qaeda and has provided funding for al-Qaeda operations, as well as to secure the release of al-Qaeda detainees in Iran and elsewhere.” Furthermore, he has “facilitated travel for extremist recruits on behalf of senior Al Qaeda facilitators based in Iran.”

The 9/11 commission has stated that Kuwari has aided and abetted Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is known as the al-Qaeda mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. Mohammed, it should be noted, was also an employee of the Qatari government in 1992. The Telegraph report also uncovered how another al-Qaeda fundraiser, Khalifa Muhammad Turki al-Subaiy, has been allowed to carry on his duties while stationed in Qatar.

Breitbart News has reported on the disturbingly close links between the Qatari government and the Obama administration. Most notably, Qatar was known as the intermediary in the deal that freed five top Taliban jihadi commanders in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The United States has also recently signed off on an $11 billion arms deal with Qatar that will send the Gulf nation advanced Apache Helicopters, Patriot Missile SAM (surface-to-air) batteries, and Javelin MANPADS (Man-portable air-defense systems).

Qatar, which in its recent past has been a staunch supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, has been accused of fanning the flames of war in the Middle East.