Asia Times | Leon Hadar
The recurring Washington argument over Qatar's alignment reveals US foreign policy's struggle to categorize states outside binary friend/foe frameworks. Qatar, a small peninsula nation of roughly 300,000 citizens, strategically hedges its position, hosting the largest American military installation in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base, while also facilitating indirect channels to groups like Hamas and the Taliban at explicit US request. This "outsourced diplomatic ambiguity" allows the US to engage adversaries for purposes such as Afghanistan withdrawal negotiations, post-October 7 hostage talks, and Gaza reconstruction architecture, despite finding some Qatari relationships distasteful. Legitimate concerns exist regarding the Qatar Investment Authority’s enormous footprint in American universities and lobbying firms, and historical terror financing permissiveness, though this has improved markedly since the mid-2010s. The US must define its interests and redlines precisely, evaluating the strategic bargain's costs and benefits rather than questioning Qatar's character.
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