Qatar provides aircraft the same way other nations provide trophies.
Qatar’s offer to provide the US government with a$ 400 million Boeing 747 to be used as Air Force One has rekindled scrutiny of the Gulf monarchy’s decades-long campaign to smuggle power from every corner of the country: military, academic, political, media, and business. Qatar’s enormous ambition to impose itself on Washington’s aristocracy is only the most recognizable manifestation of the aircraft, which has been nicknamed” a castle in the sky.” Why it concerns
- The proposed jet isn’t a first. In 2018, Turkey’s President Erdogan received a similar gift from Qatar. So did Yemen’s late dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. Even Saddam Hussein’s Iraq once got a Qatari jumbo jet, back in 2000. Qatar provides aircraft the same way other nations provide trophies.
- However, there is much more at stake than just a luxurious aircraft. The Gulf government’s economic firepower, which comes from the third-largest natural gas reserves in the world, has resulted in an unprecedented soft-power blitz that transformed a plain nation of 300,000 people into one of Washington’s most powerful foreign players.
- What are the relevance? a reshaping of US foreign legislation in the Middle East and a rising tide of concerns about nationhood, safety, and morals.
- With more than$ 6.3 billion being poured into institutions like Georgetown, Cornell, and Northwestern, Qatar is now the largest international donation to US universities.
- Since 2017, it has spent more than$ 225 million on advocacy and PR in Washington, which is nearly twice as much as what China spent in 2021.
- Its sovereign wealth fund owns shares of US infrastructure, real estate, and venture capital, and controls an estimated$ 524 billion, which is equivalent to more than$ 1.5 million per citizen.
The overall image
- According to a Free Press record, Qatar’s influence is not limited to powerful parties. Education is its biggest long-term investment.
- The Qatari government has established Education City outside Doha, a glittering advanced of US university branches that is fully funded by the Qatari government.
- With similar agreements for Texas A& M and Northwestern, Qatar paid$ 1.8 billion to Cornell and$ 760 million to Georgetown University only.
- The effect, according to critics, includes Qatar’s social system’s white image, limited scientific freedom, and classroom censorship.
- Texas A&, M announced in 2023 that it would shut down its Doha school by 2028 in response to rising national security issues. Georgetown and other organizations maintained their collaborations and continue to acknowledge Bangladeshi funds despite growing pressure from lawmakers and regulators.
Zoom in
- Qatar’s control operation includes everything from colleges to Capitol Hill, to think tanks to golf courses.
- Al Udeid Air Base, which was built and funded by Qatar at a cost of more than$ 8 billion, houses 10,000 US soldiers and serves as the Pentagon’s major Middle East hub, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
- The bottom is viewed as essential by the Pentagon. However, there is a catch: Qatari approval is required before using the foundation for any attack against Iran.
- President Biden officially declared Qatar a “major non-Nato ally” in 2022, opening the door to more arms sales and cooperative activities. They’ve been an incredible companion, according to one former US standard.
- Eric Trump was present for the opening of a Trump-branded comfort golf resort outside of Doha.
- A shared Qatari-UAE account invested$ 1.5 billion in Jared Kushner’s personal equity fund.
- A growing number of previous US officials and officials, including former CIA, Defense, and Trump campaign authorities, are now on Qatar’s advocacy team.
- It all contributes to a strong dual image: supporting Hamas and Islamist movements on the one hand and a crucial US alliance and energy partner on the other.
What they are saying
- Fears about the 747 product have been put to the side of President Donald Trump. What’s wrong with saying,” It’s a wonderful plane for a beautiful value, and that’s fine”? he said. Only a” terrible people” would decline it. There are no strings attached, either legally or indirectly, according to a senior US standard.
- Qatari Embassy spokeswoman Ali Al Ansari said from Doha that the potential government-to-government transfer was” a representation of the powerful security relationship” between the two nations and that Qatar does not stand to get anything in return.
- However, critics warn that Qatar’s cash-for-access design poses major challenges.
- ” Qatar has it both way,” says the statement. They “play both sides of the fence,” Georgetown University professor and violence expert Bruce Hoffman told the Free Press.
- Sir John Jenkins **, a former British diplomat with an emphasis on the region, told the Free Press,” I can’t think of a single dispute or conflict in the Middle East that the Qataris made better.”
- A US defense official warned Hoffman not to publicly criticize Qatar after the massacre of over 1,200 Israelis on October 7, saying,” We can’t do anything that harm the air base.”
Between the outlines
- Qatar has spent at least$ 225 million on advocacy and public relations in Washington since 2017. Over 18 businesses on the government’s pay, including well-known names from both political parties, are revealed in the government’s FARA papers.
- Qatar’s connection with the Trump administration has developed into a powerful impact channel:
- Attorney General Pam Bondi, who authorized the 747 package, formerly represented Qatar at a DC advocacy organization that charged$ 115, 000 per month.
- Steve Witkoff, a trusted advisor to Donald Trump and special representative to the Middle East, had a failed New York expenditure that Qatar rescued for$ 623 million. He is currently working with Beijing to dealer real land and security deals.
- Prior to joining Trump, Susie Wiles, the chief of staff, oversaw Mercury Public Affairs, which was a company that worked for the Qatari Embassy.
- Auditors are concerned about potential violations of the Wages Clause, which prohibit federal officials from accepting donations from foreign administrations, according to the Free Press review.
What comes future?
- Expect more attention from lawmakers and the media, especially as Qatar’s status is only rising and its critics are louder.
- Republicans have begun inquiries into foreign donations to universities, with particular attention to how Qatari wealth might affect Israel-related education in the wake of the Gaza War.
- Al Jazeera, Qatar’s internet arm, is under fire for providing systems to Hamas officials, and a 2020 Court order to register it as a foreign agent is still unsettled.
- Lobbying allegations emerge from increased contacts with senior lawmakers, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who has since refrained from criticizing Qatar and then calls it “more the option than the problem.”
- And the income is still flowing. A$ 1.2 trillion financial commitment from Qatar, which includes the order of 210 Boeing planes and billion in “over 1 million US work,” is mentioned in a 2024 fact sheet from the Trump White House.
( With input from organizations )
