by Prof. Eyal Zisser
After all, the Obama administration prefers to save its criticism over inadequate democracy for Egypt, another longtime ally of the U.S., which is currently fighting radical Islam -- the same radical Islam that is largely sponsored by none other than Qatar. Washington is unwilling to forgive Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for toppling the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Mohammed Morsi in 2013, in an attempt to curtail the Islamization of Egypt.
Qatari
Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani visited the United States recently and
received a royal welcome at the White House and in Congress. The Al
Jazeera news network, which he owns, reported that he held friendly and
productive talks with his hosts, as close allies whose countries have
been maintaining warm relations for decades often do.
One can only assume
that the emir's American hosts refrained from urging him to promote
democracy in his country, or from denouncing him for not giving migrant
workers, whom the emirate "imported" to maintain its economy and who now
make up some 85 percent of Qatar's population, the rights they deserve.
After all, the Obama
administration prefers to save its criticism over inadequate democracy
for Egypt, another longtime ally of the U.S., which is currently
fighting radical Islam -- the same radical Islam that is largely
sponsored by none other than Qatar. Washington is unwilling to forgive
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for toppling the Muslim
Brotherhood-backed Mohammed Morsi in 2013, in an attempt to curtail the
Islamization of Egypt.
The meeting between
President Barack Obama and al-Thani also excluded any criticism over
Qatar's support of Hamas -- an organization Washington itself defines as
a terrorist group. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal is still safely residing
in Doha and the emirate still funnels millions of dollars to the Gaza
Strip to fund Hamas activities.
The Obama
administration also prefers turning a blind eye to Qatar's funding of
radical Islamist groups operating across Syria, which have "hijacked"
the Syrian revolution from the rebels. After all, why insult a welcome
guest?
Washington's desire to
appease the emir is understandable. After all, Doha is a longtime ally
that hosts the U.S. military's Persian Gulf Command. Qatar's support is
crucial to the American presence in the Gulf, and no one can ignore the
fact that some of the trillions of dollars in the emirate's coffers are
invested, alongside its interests in radical Islamist groups, in
American industries and therefore in the U.S. economy.
Still, Israel and Egypt
are U.S. allies as well, even if the administration is not so forgiving
of their policies. The secret, it seems, lies with the fact that Qatar,
and Turkey for that matter, have learned how to conduct themselves in
relation to the U.S. They are brazen and repeatedly defiant of the
administration's wishes and that, surprisingly, only garners them
respect and makes the U.S. value them even more.
This is true of Qatar,
which is sponsoring radical Islam worldwide, and of Turkey, which has
refused to join the coalition against the Islamic State group in Syria
and Iraq unless Washington presents Ankara with a comprehensive plan for
these countries' future. Until such time, Turkey refuses to back the
U.S., whose actions unintentionally bolster Syrian President Bashar
Assad's regime and Iran's presence in Iraq and Syria.
Sissi seems to be
getting a handle on things, as evident by Russian President Vladimir
Putin's official visit to Cairo a few days ago. Putin received an
enthusiastic welcome at a time when Egypt-U.S. relations are
experiencing their lowest point of the past few years.
The Egyptian president
still needs U.S. support, but he seeks to signal to Obama that he has
other options, and that the cold shoulder Washington has been showing
Cairo may see it seek Moscow's warm embrace. Sissi also seems to have
grasped the fact that only by defying the administration can one garner
its respect and consideration.
Prof. Eyal Zisser
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=11771
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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