An American warning to Qatar: Stop harboring Hamas

More than three weeks after the October 7 atrocities, Qatar continues to host Hamas’ “political” leaders, allowing the terrorist group to coordinate with Iran and pump its propaganda around the world. Doha says that its relationship with Hamas benefits the United States and Israel, and provides a channel to negotiate the release of hostages held in Gaza. Instead of indulging in this charade, the White House and Congress should issue an ultimatum to Qatar: Stop all support to Hamas and hand over the hostages, or suffer the consequences.

Qatar’s role in financing Islamic extremism is not new. Khaled Sheikh Mohammedthe architect of the September 11 attacks, lived in Qatar in the 1990s and reportedly escaped US detention with the help of the Interior Minister. Abdullah bin Khaled Al Thani. In 2014, US officials identified Qatar as a “permissive jurisdiction” for funding ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front, which was then an affiliate of Al Qaeda in Syria. Seven years later, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin It said It shared intelligence with Washington that Doha had recently sent money to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.