DOHA, Qatar — For greater than 20 years, Texas A&M College has had a campus right here. The facade of its predominant constructing carries hints of Aggie maroon and its college students say “howdy” per faculty custom. However quickly, the college will bid farewell to Doha, a break-up apparently brought on by the unusual politics that mark the U.S.-Qatar relationship.
A&M’s Board of Regents voted in February to section out the Doha campus. The choice surprised its tons of of scholars, together with school and others in Doha, who say it got here with no actual warning or session. A&M’s high brass stated they have been leaving Qatar as a result of the college wanted to focus its assets nearer to house and due to instability within the Center East.
I’m skeptical of these causes. The ultra-wealthy Qatar Basis — a state-supported non-profit — covers A&M’s operational prices and people of different U.S. campuses in a state-of-the-art neighborhood often known as Training Metropolis. And the Center East isn’t precisely a stranger to instability; the A&M campus, which is targeted on engineering, launched in 2003, the 12 months the U.S. invaded Iraq. Qatar itself is a secure zone in a restive area.
Many right here consider that U.S. politicians, specifically the Republicans who management Texas’ public universities, pushed the closure due to suspicion and misinformation about Qatar. Weeks earlier, a bunch that researches antisemitism launched a report that argued Qatar may use the A&M campus to entry U.S. nationwide safety analysis. A&M’s president denounced the report as “false and irresponsible,” and A&M insists there’s no reference to its resolution to shut the campus. However the timing raised eyebrows.
“On the finish of the day, it’s politics and a lack of understanding about this place,” Francisco Marmolejo, a high Qatar Basis official, instructed me after I pressed for causes behind the closure.
I visited Qatar as a result of I wished to grasp this small however insanely energy-rich Gulf Arab state’s geopolitical maneuvering and whether or not it must change now that Donald Trump is returning as U.S. president. A few of Trump’s allies have lengthy pushed an anti-Qatar narrative. Nonetheless, I used to be startled to study of A&M‘s deliberate departure, which had been largely ignored by U.S. nationwide media, and it struck me as a probable instance of the unfavourable fallout from Qatar’s method to the world.
To place it very merely, Qatar is prepared to be (nearly) everybody’s pal. It hosts Hamas and Taliban representatives together with a U.S. embassy and a U.S. navy base, whereas even Israeli officers cease by at times. Qatar’s open-door coverage has made it a go-to mediator in lots of the world’s conflicts; certainly, mediation is a pillar of Qatar’s overseas coverage, giving it outsized affect.
However that method additionally has left Qatar open to questions within the U.S., Israel and past about whether or not it’s really a pal to anybody. Some argue the U.S. shouldn’t rely upon Qatar as a accomplice or an middleman.
The monarchy-led nation is used to scrutiny on every little thing from its human rights file to its funding of U.S. suppose tanks to the actions of its Al Jazeera media community. However the magnifying glass has been particularly unrelenting over the previous 12 months, as Doha has tried to mediate an finish to the Israel-Hamas struggle. Criticisms have poured in from Israeli officers — together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pro-Israel activists and teachers and others who’ve championed Israel.
Over the previous 12 months, many U.S. lawmakers have despatched letters to the Biden administration arguing Qatar isn’t doing sufficient to stress Hamas to comply with a cease-fire and launch hostages. “Please clarify to Qatar that will probably be held accountable for each hostage not introduced house,” one such letter said.
Among the many lawmakers who signed such letters are Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), whom Trump has tapped for secretary of State, and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), Trump’s incoming nationwide safety adviser. Trump additionally has chosen a number of different aides who’re sturdy supporters of Israel.
Whereas Democrats have their doubts about Qatar, a lot of the criticism these days has been from the American proper.
Qatar’s ties to Iran — with which it shares a significant gasoline discipline — and the Muslim Brotherhood even have broken its fame within the West, whereas undermining its ties to Arab neighbors who view these entities as threats.
A number of Arab international locations minimize off ties with Qatar in 2017. They finally resumed ties in 2021, however these different nations nonetheless query whether or not Qatar is attempting to undermine their governments.
Qatari officers and their supporters are inclined to roll their eyes on the criticisms. They be aware that the U.S. for years was advantageous with Hamas sustaining a presence in Qatar as a result of it wanted a approach to talk with the group. Qatar additionally despatched funds to Gaza whereas it was below Hamas management. Qatar says the cash — presumably including as much as billions through the years — was meant to assist Palestinians in Gaza survive, and Netanyahu is broadly reported to have backed the funds as a approach to maintain the territory calm.
Nonetheless, critics say Qatar successfully funded Hamas terrorism, and so they see pressuring Qatar as a approach to squeeze Hamas.
Once I requested Qatari officers, in the event that they plan to regulate their method below Trump to at least one that’s extra clearly pro-U.S., pro-Israel, anti-Hamas, anti-Iran or one thing that can quiet the criticism, I bought the sense they’re hoping they gained’t have to take action. Qatari officers, analysts and others advised that Trump’s aides will probably be much less prone to assault Doha as soon as they’re in workplace and need to take care of the Center East’s complexities.
“Our companions and buddies want an ally within the area who can communicate to political actors whom they don’t immediately have interaction with,” was how one Qatari official put it. I granted him, and various others I interviewed, anonymity to speak freely about delicate matters.
Qatar has a inhabitants of roughly 3 million, however solely about 10 % are residents, and 5 guys just about run the place. There are indicators these guys are spooked in regards to the Trump takeover and the approaching Republican dominance of Washington.
The nation’s emir and prime minister made certain togo to Trump even earlier than the election. They’ve reportedly welcomed no less than one among Trump’s envoys to their nation to debate the Israel-Hamas negotiations, regardless that his presidency hasn’t begun.
“Qatari officers are involved,” stated Tarik Yousef, a Doha-based Center East analyst. “They do count on, probably, a backlash towards the very mediation function that Qatar tried to play within the final 12 months, and so they do count on, particularly with a complete management of the political institution by one get together that’s extremely near Israel, that this backlash may very well be actually rather more severe and important.”
However Majed Al-Ansari, the Qatar overseas ministry spokesperson, insisted to me that “Qatar’s engagement with the Trump transition staff goes very nicely.”
“Each time we have interaction, we focus on the lively information in varied points, the language is kind of constructive as a result of they see the work,” he stated.
I used to be struck by how typically present and former U.S. officers from each events praised Qatar for coming by way of on delicate points others wouldn’t contact.
Qatar helped negotiate a deal to finish the U.S. struggle in Afghanistan, has tried to assist resolve the disaster in Venezuela and performed different roles that don’t make the headlines. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Qatar’s Training Metropolis agreed to host the American College of Afghanistan. The college’s goal college students embody ladies inside Afghanistan who’ve on-line entry however are in any other case barred from schooling by the Taliban.
“Qatar is a sophisticated nation however in some methods it’s the most easy and greatest ally within the area,” a senior Biden administration official stated.
One other U.S. official conversant in Center East dynamics stated the Qataris — who host hundreds of U.S. troops on the Al-Udeid base — are glorious protection companions who hardly ever say no to U.S. requests.
The official nonetheless famous that with regards to getting Hamas to signal a deal, the Egyptians, not the Qataris, are extra prepared to squeeze the militants.
Some critics say the U.S. ought to minimize out Qatar and immediately have interaction teams like Hamas if it has no different choices. The U.S. usually avoids such interactions as a result of it’s politically dicey, however counting on Qatar solely muddies the message to such teams, the critics say.
“If Qatar is the one choice, the U.S. is healthier off not counting on a center man in any respect,” stated Ariel Admoni, an Israeli tutorial targeted on Qatar.
Trump has supplied wildly completely different assessments of Qatar, together with accusing it of funding terrorism. However his son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly has important monetary tiesto Qatar, as do others in Trump’s orbit. One former aide stated that, regardless of “the anti-Qatar sentiment amongst some Trump individuals” the Arab nation’s emir would seemingly be invited to the White Home yearly Trump is in workplace.
Yousef, the Doha-based analyst, stated Qatar must hedge extra towards the U.S. within the years forward. “You could get nearer to the Saudis. You could get nearer to the Emiratis, and it’s essential begin taking the Asians rather more critically, together with the Chinese language,” he stated.
The previous Trump aide, nevertheless, warned that if something may upset Trump about Qatar it could be getting too near Beijing, particularly on the cybersecurity and tech fronts.
Qatar does have traces it gained’t cross. It was the uncommon Arab nation to refuse to hunt a rapprochement with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. It even handed embassy duties in Doha to Syrian opposition activists. As Assad was being toppled this month, Qatar has convened a number of outdoors powers with vested pursuits in Syria.
Qatari officers say they pursue mediation partially to assist stabilize a unstable area. However the unfavourable repercussions of their willingness to play together with so many sides can echo far.
Whereas in Doha, I attended a Qatar Basis reception. I met a number of individuals with hyperlinks to the A&M campus, which, due to contract phrases, will probably be phased out over a interval of 4 years. “It was a complete shock,” stated one scholar of the deliberate closure. “However what are you able to do? We’ve got a good looking household there.”
Qatari authorities officers sidestepped my requests for touch upon the A&M scenario.
The criticism of Qatar is unlikely to abate, whether or not it’s legit or bunk. However in the end, I wouldn’t guess towards Doha.
No U.S. authorities — Democratic- or Republican-led — is prone to abandon Qatar. It might be buddies with many shady actors, but it surely’s the shady actors that must be engaged. At this level, Qatar is simply too important a participant in too many arenas, the type that’s not straightforward to exchange.