The Biden Administration is facing growing scrutiny over its planned cooperation initiatives with Qatar despite U.S. support for Israel and the UAE. The White house recently announced that it would be collaborating with Qatar in areas such as health and energy in order to create mutual benefits and build bridges for the two countries.
However, a number of Republican lawmakers have raised concerns over the move, citing U.S. opposition to international terrorism and the fact that Qatar is the home of Hamas’ exiled leader, Khaled Meshaal. In a statement, Senator Ted Cruz argued that “the United States must not make a deal with the Devil in pursuit of illusory diplomatic gains”.
The tension between Qatar and the US has been building for some time now, even before the Biden Administration. Since 2017, both countries have been locked in a dispute over allegations that Qatar funds terrorism. In 2018, then President Trump even went so far as to suggest that Doha should be placed under an international freeze on financial transactions if it did not cease its activities.
The Qatar-U.S. relations have always been strained in the past; however, under the Biden Administration, Doha has been hopeful for a thaw in ties, especially as President Biden has shown signs of being friendlier towards the country compared to his predecessor.
However, even with the administration’s friendly overtures, some aspects of the relationship continue to remain in dispute. The most prominent controversy is that of Qatar’s relationship with Hamas and the continued presence of its leader, Khaled Meshaal. Despite Qatar’s continued denials over accusations of funding the terrorist group, the US is still wary of its activities and has been pressuring the country to do more to address its more controversial ties.
It is clear that the Biden Administration’s attempt to strengthen its relations with Qatar through cooperation in areas such as health and energy is not being taken lightly on Capitol Hill. While the White House has pushed for greater collaboration, there is still much work ahead before the US will be able to move past some of the sticking points between the two countries. For now, it appears that the Biden Administration will have to take a measured and cautious approach if it is to make progress with its new relationship.