Qatar spent over $1 billion in an attempt to influence the education system and politics inside the United States. At the same time, it was harboring Hamas terrorists, reports Just The News.
Since at least 2016, Qatar has spent $77 million hiring 29 foreign registered agents to influence U.S. policy – one of the largest lobbying fleets among Middle Eastern countries, according to the Justice Department Foreign Agent Registration Act database. That database shows some of Washington D.C.’s most powerful and influential law firms and public relations outfits have taken millions of dollars to promote Qatar’s interests, including Holland & Knight and Mercury Public Affairs, LLC.
According to the Higher Education Gifts and Contracts database which is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education, Qatar has also handed out roughly $1.6 billion since June 2020, and $5.4 billion in total under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, in donations and contracts to American universities ranging from Harvard to George Washington University.
The massive outlays, experts say, help to explain how a new generation of young Americans have developed decidedly pro-Palestinian sympathies after generations of staunch U.S. support for Israel.
also reports on the conflict of the Biden administration’s lack of strength with regards to discussing matters with officials:
Qatar also harbors the current head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who resides in the country’s capital, Doha. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Qatari capital on Friday and was careful not to forcefully call for the country to abandon its support for the terrorist organization or for harboring the terrorist leaders. Yet, Blinken said that he made clear “in all [his] conversations throughout this trip that there can be no more business as usual with Hamas,” at the press conference with Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
“Well, regarding your question about Hamas’ political office in Doha, right now actually this office – actually since – this was started to be used as a way of communicating and bringing peace and calm into the region, not to instigate any war,” Al Thani said of Hamas’ political office in Qatar. “And this is the purpose of that office. As long as we are keeping the communication open right now and focusing on putting an end for this conflict, and this is used to. That’s what the main – our main focus is this,” Al Thani continued.
Another probable reason for the Biden administration’s reticence to demand that Qatar stop harboring terrorists is that the country has been vital to the administration’s diplomatic efforts with Iran, most recently in the hostage negotiations where the U.S. agreed to unfreeze $6 billion for the Islamic theocracy. Qatar was set to allow Iran to access the funds held in the country, but after the Hamas attacks agreed to prevent access in conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
