President Obama defended the growing national security alliance with Qatar despite ongoing frustrations about Doha’s support for militant groups in the Middle East and its abysmal human rights record.
Obama wrapped up a meeting with the emir of Qatar by praising the Qataris for their assistance in the fight against the Islamic State.
Following his White House meeting with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Obama told reporters that the United States and Qatar have “a very strong security relationship” and said the Qataris are “partners with us on a whole range of security initiatives.”
“Qatar is a strong partner in our coalition to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL,” Obama said. “We are both committed to making sure that [the Islamic State] is defeated. We’re both committed to making sure that, in Iraq, there is a opportunity for all people in that country — Sunni, Shia, and Kurd — to live together in peace.”
The president said he gave the emir an update on Iran nuclear talks. The president told reporters the two leaders agreed that Syria cannot be stabilized until Bashar Assad is out of power and “shared ideas” about how to meet this “extraordinary challenge.”
Speaking after Obama, Hamad al Thani also praised the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries and stressed the need for a breakthrough in the Middle East peace process.
“We have to find a solution for Palestine,” he said. “And I’m happy to learn, to hear from you, Mr. President, that you’re committed” to advancing the peace process.
Obama did not mention the strains between the United States and Qatar over the last few years over Qatari financial and diplomatic links to Mideast extremist groups, including those with ties to al Qaeda, the Islamic State, Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
The emir has previously publicly said his government doesn’t allow funding of terrorist groups but underscored the sharp division on the issue by noting that his government and the U.S. disagree on which groups are terrorists.
On Capitol Hill Tuesday, two prominent senators also called out Qatar for its record on slavery and exploitation of foreign workers.
Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and ranking member Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Tuesday introduced a bipartisan bill to help eliminate modern slavery around the globe.
During a press conference on the bill, Corker and Menendez noted that Qatar has a terrible record on slavery. Menendez specifically called out Qatar for its exploitation and abuse of migrant laborers as Doha undergoes a construction boom in preparation for hosting the 2022 World Cup. Critics argue that the exploitation of the workers amounts to modern-day slavery.
Corker alluded to a meeting he had several weeks ago with a foreign dignitary on combined efforts to fight the Islamic State in which he and Menendez pressed the country on its slavery record.
Corker wouldn’t say which country the dignitary represented.
Later, asked by the Washington Examiner whether Obama might press Qatar on slavery issues, Corker said: “I don’t know what the president is going to raise with him. I can say more – but my guess is that it’s already been raised by us, and we’ll just leave it at that.”
On Feb. 19 Qatar’s embassy in Washington put out a press release touting its foreign minister’s three-day visit to D.C. that included meetings with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In addition, on Tuesday Rep. Doug Lamborn, D-Colo., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter raising concerns that the U.S. military relationship with Qatar allows them “to play both sides.”
“Qatar is now known as the world’s safe haven for terrorist groups and militia leaders,” Lamborn wrote. “These activities lead us to believe that it is time to reassess and reevaluate the U.S. military alliance with Qatar.”
Reporters also peppered White House press secretary Josh Earnest with questions about Qatar’s ties to terrorist groups during Tuesday’s press briefing.
“There are a number of important interests that we share with Qatar and we don’t always agree with everything they do … but our bottom line is that our interests with Qatar converge more often than they diverge,” Earnest responded.
Earnest highlighted a recent agreement between Qatar and the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State to host a training site for Syrian rebels fighting Syrian president al-Assad, a member of the small Alawite faith who has become a target for global Sunni extremists of the type Qatar is accused of funding.
“We also know that the Qataris have agreed to work with us as it relates to terrorist financing,” Earnest said, noting that the effort is part of the coalition’s effort to shut off the Islamic State’s sources of money.
Media reports late last week also said Qatar has agreed to allow the U.S. military to train Iraqi troops as part of a spring offensive aimed at retaking Mosul from Islamic State control.
