Name: How Qatar Became the World’s Lead Hostage Negotiator | WSJ
Uploaded: 2024-02-24T06:48:32.000Z
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mediation efforts are being led by Qatar,

a tiny peninsula on the Persian Gulf 1,100 miles away.

The country has used its close ties with both Hamas

and the West to negotiate the release of hostages from Gaza

and get others out through the border crossing with Egypt.

of Qatar's important role on the world stage,

of people from Afghanistan to brokering a prisoner swap deal

Here's how Qatar became such an important player

It shares its only land border with Saudi Arabia,

and it shares the world's largest natural gas field

right here with Iran, Saudi's biggest regional rival.

Exports of liquified natural gas have made Qatar one

of the wealthiest countries in the world,

boosting its influence in this volatile region.

This has made Qatar a critical energy partner for a lot

because the continent has been reducing its reliance

Qatar is also important to the United States,

and right here is the biggest US military base

It's been a launching pad for operations in Afghanistan,

Last year, the US made Qatar a major non-NATO ally.

Qatar has also made itself influential in the broader region

the largest news media network in the Middle East,

but it has been criticized in both the Arab world

and the West for its sometimes controversial coverage

For example, the network broadcast video messages

Nevertheless, Qatar prides itself on being a meeting place

for diverse viewpoints, which was on full display

when the country hosted the World Cup last year,

and its ambassador to the US recently wrote an opinion piece

claiming that "Qatar is the Mid-East's honest broker."

the country's leaders developed relationships with Iran,

groups that are considered terrorist organizations

It also fostered ties with the Afghan Taliban.

In 2013, the Taliban opened a political office in Qatar

with support from the US and Afghan governments.

Years of negotiations in Doha led to a deal in 2020

for US troops to withdraw from Afghanistan,

But the agreement didn't bring peace to the country.

The Taliban never reached a power sharing agreement

Qatar helped to evacuate US citizens in the aftermath,

and it is now Washington's diplomatic representative

Hamas also opened a political office in Qatar in 2012

after a request by the Obama administration

to establish indirect lines of communication,

to Palestinians in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.

That has led to accusations of funding terrorism,

In 2017, it was blockaded by Saudi Arabia, the UAE,

They accused Doha of meddling in their domestic affairs,

and being too close to regional rival Iran.

The four countries issued a list of demands,

Even though Qatar didn't make concessions,

and the terms of the deal haven't been made public.

Although the country's reestablished relations,

of that diplomatic crisis haven't been resolved.

of hostages taken from Israel into Gaza by Hamas.

But Qatar said that without a pause in the fighting in Gaza,

its mediators won't be able to do their work.

- It's a very, very difficult negotiation