Why Qatar is the focus of terrorism claims

By Tom Keatinge 

Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies

The dispute that has seen Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies isolate Qatar stems from allegations that the tiny gas-rich nation is sponsoring extremist groups which are destabilising the Middle East.

This is not the first time Qatar's neighbours have expressed their displeasure over its individualist foreign policy - diplomatic relations were severed for nine months in 2014.

Tensions have arisen from Qatar's support for the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood; its close relationship with groups such as the Taliban and certain al-Qaeda affiliates; and its relationship with Iran, which has most recently led to allegations from Saudi Arabia that the state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera is supporting Houthi rebelsin Yemen fighting government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Doha has strongly denied Riyadh's accusations, and said it has taken more robust counter-terrorism measures than some of its neighbours.

Yet this latest row is shining a particular light on the role Qatar plays with its immense wealth.

In April, it reportedly paid a ransom of as much as $1bn (£790m) to a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria and to Iranian security officials as part of a deal that resulted in the release of 26 royal family members reportedly kidnapped by Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militiamen and of dozens of Shia fighters captured by jihadists in Syria.

Thus it is Qatar's alleged continued funding of radical ideology and extremism that is seemingly the cause of concern this time.

'Way to go'

Since 9/11, the United States-led global effort to disrupt terrorist financing has been relentless. Domestic laws and United Nations Security Council Resolutions have been passed; entities and individuals have been subject to national and UN sanctions; and suspected conduits for terrorist funding, such as remittance companies and charities, have been shut down.

But despite all this, the commitment of some key nations, including Qatar, has been repeatedly questioned.

In 2014, then-US Treasury Under-Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen noted: "Qatar, a long-time US ally, has for many years openly financed Hamas, a group that continues to undermine regional stability. Press reports indicate that the Qatari government is also supporting extremist groups operating in Syria."

He also drew attention to the "permissive" environment in Qatar that allowed fundraisers to solicit donations for extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and so-called Islamic State.

In 2016, Mr Cohen's replacement at the US treasury department, Adam Szubin, noted that despite showing willingness to take enforcement action against terrorist financiers, Qatar had "a way to go" and lacked "the necessary political will and capacity to effectively enforce their counter-terrorism finance laws against all terrorist financing threats".

In response to these failings, the US has sanctioned several Qatari citizens for financing terrorism.

Saudi suspicions

Yet despite leading the opposition to Qatar's financial activities - and no doubt emboldened by the recent visit to Riyadh by US President Donald Trump - Saudi Arabia has not escaped similar criticism.

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