Foreign Policy tried to explain why Washington does not criticise the State of Qatar, one of its strong allies in the Middle East, for financing Hamas, its links to the Muslim Brotherhood expelled from Egypt and other radicals.
There are several reasons, and the main one is the large US Air Force base Al-Udeid, from where the Pentagon managed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. More than 10,000 US troops are now based there. The last time Al-Udeid showed its indispensability was in August 2021, when US troops withdrew from Afghanistan and took thousands of Afghan collaborators with them.
In addition, Qatar remains an important negotiator with those with whom the U.S. cannot commiserate openly. In addition, the emirate gives America money: for example, after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Doha allocated $100 million to help the needy residents of Louisiana.
We have to admit, FP believes, that the US tends to turn a blind eye to a partner’s bad behaviour in one aspect in the expectation that it will be useful in another.