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Qatar Needs to Stop Funding Islamists
(USA Today) Dennis Ross - Qatar has permitted the U.S. to build and operate the massive al-Udeid air base from which all coalition air operations in the region are conducted. However, few countries have done more to promote the Muslim Brotherhood, including its Palestinian offshoot Hamas, than Qatar. The Brotherhood-affiliated preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who resides in Qatar, conveys his views weekly on Qatar's Al Jazeera network. Qaradawi is anti-American and considers all attacks against Israeli civilians to be legitimate. In addition, in both Libya and Syria, Qatar has provided money and material to Islamist fighters. Qatar's leaders clearly want the American security connection. President Trump should make it clear to them that they will have it so long as they are not threatening our interests and those of our partners in the region. The writer, counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, served in senior national security positions in the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Obama administrations.