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Supporting terrorism surrounds Qatar... A new scandal “Everyday”
Every time Qatar carries on its desperate attempts to evade charges of supporting and financing terrorism, regionally and internationally, a new truth unfolds confirming Doha’s involvement in “providing crucial support” to extremist groups, in different and unexpected countries.
Over the past few years, it was proven that senior Qatari officials were involved in providing financial, military and even logistic support for terrorism in many countries around the world.
Qatar financing terrorism via a British bank
The latest Qatari scandal was revealed by The Times newspaper, which says that a British bank controlled by the Qatari state is providing financial services to multiple British organisations linked to “extremist groups” in the United Kingdom.
The paper also reported that some of Al Rayan Bank’s clients have had their accounts with western banks frozen or closed in a security clampdown, including a charity proscribed in the US as a terrorist entity for promoting radical preachers.
Tens of thousands of dollars for the terrorist Alsubaie
Last month, a report by the Wall Street Journal shed light on financial services provided by the Qatari state to terrorists, who are named in the terrorist black lists that were established by the Security Council, exploiting loopholes in the international sanctions system.
At the top of these is Qatari Khalifa Alsubaie, who received $120,000 in one year.
Alsubaie has been included in the international terrorist lists since 2008 for providing financial and material support to al-Qaeda.
He is accused by the United States of being “al-Qaeda’s right hand man in Qatar”, for lending support to leaders of the terrorist organisation, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.
Alsubaie was arrested in Qatar and released after 6 months, ignoring international and American requests to question him.
In 2012, Alsubaie was found to have been involved in transferring funds to Al-Qaeda in Pakistan. Moreover, in 2013 he raised money for Al-Qaeda affiliated group in Syria, Al-Nusra Front; he was also involved in raising funds for Abdullah Almoheisni, a leading figure in Al-Qaeda.
A billion dollars for terrorist militias in Iraq
The largest amount of money that Qatar paid to terrorist and extremist militias was in 2017 in Iraq, when Doha handed a billion dollars, which were shared by extremist groups, in return of the release of detained Qatari princes.
The ransom money was passed on to groups and individuals proscribed as “terrorists”, including Hizbullah militias in Iraq, and other groups affiliated with Al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda’s arm in Syria), in addition to tens of millions of dollars of individual payments.
In Libya, the hallmarks of Qatari terrorism have become evident to the national army, as besides Ankara, Doha is providing support to Fayez Al – Sarraj’s government in Tripoli, which is guarded by extremist militias benefiting from Qatari funds.
Libyan military and political officials spoke more than once about the Qatar’s efforts in supporting the militias in Tripoli, and to trying abort the national army’s mission to liberate the Libyan capital from the grips of extremists. They also pointed to Qatari and Turkish meetings with the leaders of Tripoli’s terrorists.
Furthermore, on more than one occasion, the Libyan national army found arms bearing the logo of the Qatari army, once inside the house of Al-Qaeda’s leader in Derna, and another time in Benghazi, following the elimination of “Daesh” there.
In resounding news, a recent audio recording revealed the involvement of Qatar in bombings in Somalia, aiming to destabilise the Arab country and to find an excuse for Doha to interfere and expand its influence there.
The recording was a phone call between the Qatari ambassador to Somalia, Hassan Ben Hamza Ben Hashim, and the businessman Khalifa Kayed Al Mohannadi who is close to the Emir of Qatar Tamim Bin Hamad.
During the call, the business man confirmed that Doha is behind the bombing that happened in Bosaso on the 18th of last May, and he plainly said that “Friends of Qatar executed the attack”, in a confession which leaves no doubt about the strong relations between Doha and the extremists in the Horn of Africa region.
However, this support is hardly surprising as it comes from a state that harbours leaders of extremist groups, such as the Muslim Brothers, Al-Qaeda, and Daesh, who are wanted by neighbouring countries, and that owns media outlets which blatantly spread the venom of terrorism across the region and worldwide.
