Yesterday the first aircraft landed at Kabul airport since it was closed following the deployment of Western forces, a freighter from Qatar
It is clear to everyone that Qatar has played a key role in the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan but has also played a key role in organizing flights for foreign nationals refugees in Kabul. Doha has implemented the so-called "two ovens" policy, presenting itself to the world as a powerful mediator, dialoguing with extremist groups, but also as a supporter of international stability. In essence, Qatar has become the country everyone needs to work in Afghanistan: today it manages to fly journalists and provides "protection" to Americans in Kabul.
The Washington Post reported the very active role of the Qatari ambassador to Afghanistan. He manages to escort small groups of Americans to the Kabul airport while Qatari officials meet American peers in various parts of the city and then manage to escape via safe passages.
Qatar is now the country of reference for everything related to Kabul. On 23 August the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas he thanked his colleague from Qatar, the foreign minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, for facilitating the safe transit of foreign citizens out of Kabul, stating that "Qatar has taken on a real leadership role ”.
Qatar's work starts long ago. Doha has hosted the Taliban for many years, helping to provide them with a new, milder and more attractive image for the international community, favoring the first meetings with the Americans in Doha.
CNN reported that the Biden administration was in regular contact with Taliban officials during the evacuation process, both on the ground in Afghanistan and in Doha, Qatar. The CIA chief himself reportedly met with the Taliban leader recently Abdul Ghani Baradar: a way to seal the new leadership in Afghanistan.
Why is Qatar always in the midst of terrorist groups? Qatar has long been planning the intermediation of power in Afghanistan, in the light of a broader strategy included in the Doha-Ankara partnership, where both countries support the Islamist Muslim Brothers and both tolerate groups like Hamas, or extremists ranging from Ahrar al-Sharqiya in Syria ai Taliban in Afghanistan, in fact.
After the rise of ISIS, extremist groups have lost their appeal. THE Muslim Brotherhood they were expelled from power in Egypt and other extremist groups were marginalized and controlled. Islamist groups, "almost frozen" between 2015 and 2020, now see new opportunities in Afghanistan, under the aegis of Qatar, for now the trusted guarantor of the United States. A "modus operandi”The one from Qatar, which is also very popular with Turkey e Pakistan which, as is well known, flirt with anti-Western extremist groups but at the same time cannot fail to maintain relations with the Western world, especially Turkey which is part of NATO.
Up to now, Qatar has obtained what it wanted in Afghanistan at the behest of the United States, which saw this opportunity as their "exit strategy". However, Qatar will be able to coexist in Afghanistan with player "Different" like China, Russia and Pakistan?