US embassy cable - 05DOHA1096

UNCLAS DOHA 001096 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI THORNE 
LONDON FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PREL, UK, QA 
SUBJECT: QATAR REFUTES AL-QAIDA PAYOFF ALLEGATION 
 
 
1. Post received the note verbale in paragraph two from the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs by fax on June 8. The message refutes 
the allegation made in a Sunday Times article May 1 that Qatar 
pays al-Qaida to spare it from attack. The note requests that the 
Qatari position be transmitted to the "highest concerned 
authorities" in the USG. 
 
2. Unofficial translation of Note Verbale: 
 
May 2005 
 
On 5/1/2005 the Sunday Times has published an article by the 
Israeli writer Uzi Mahanimi under the title "Qatar pays off Al- 
Qaida attacks with oil money," in which he purports that the 
government of Qatar pays millions of pounds, every year, to Al- 
Qaida to avert other terrorist attacks. 
 
   1. The purport of this article is serious and undermines 
Qatar's reputation. This story is baseless and we challenge the 
writer to provide material evidence for his allegations, if he 
ever had such evidence. 
   2. The writer pretends that he depends on "official sources" 
and a "top-level official source." It is regrettable that the 
Sunday Times did not probe this allegation with the official 
Qatari authorities although it is a newspaper of high 
professional reputation. 
   3. Qatar's record in the field of counter-terrorism and its 
condemnation of terrorism is known to your friendly government. 
It is also known that Qatar has been a victim of serious 
terrorist attacks. You also know Qatar's full and clear 
international commitment towards combating terrorism. If this is 
not the case, your government, the international institutions and 
the main powers combating terrorism would not have kept silent. 
   4. It seems unbelievable that the writer of the article tries 
to back his prejudiced allegations by reference to Qatar's light 
security measures in comparison to other Gulf States. In fact, 
this is the reality of Qatar and that should be to the credit of 
Qatar and not the contrary. Is it not ridiculous to criticize 
such a situation? This fact alone is evidence that the allegation 
stated in the article is just used to insult Qatar and nothing 
else. 
   5. It seems that the writer of the article does not believe 
that the world had changed, otherwise he would not have referred 
to what has been done by some states in the 1970s and 1980s in a 
barren effort to cast credibility on his story. The State of 
Qatar cannot be measured against the countries he mentioned 
because its peaceful policy and commitment to international law 
is obvious and known. 
   6. The government of Qatar does not clearly know the motives 
behind the writing and publication of this article. But, we 
categorically believe that the motives are political and are 
targeted to offend Qatar by virtue of its open polices that do 
not serve the inclinations of some states in the region and 
elsewhere. 
   7. The government of my country requests the conveyance of our 
stand to the highest concerned authorities in your friendly 
government, which my government hopes that it will understand it 
in the light of its precise knowledge of our polices and 
practices. 
 
[end of text.] 
UNTERMEYER