Thread by @ICK_GalG

🧵1/ Qatar - Friend or foe? The Qatari jihad in US 🇶🇦:
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Many articles have recently been revealing Qatar's extensive funding of various institutions in the U.S., which it uses for Muslim Brotherhood ideological promotion.

However, a new article by @TheFP compiles several investments that, individually, might raise less concern but collectively point to a strategic plan by Qatar in the U.S.
A recent episode of @thehonestlypod is reviewing this article, and after 5 different people that I appreciate very much sent it to me and said “you have to hear this”, though i thought no one can tell me anything new about this topic, I finally listened to the podcast… and, wow.

From a Middle Eastern perspective, this translates relatively simply into a quiet and patient jihadist agenda.

The article highlights, for instance, massive investments in lobbyists and actions that appear to involve bribery or extortion of significant figures in American politics, as well as enormous investments in U.S. academia and programs in public schools, starting from elementary levels, under the guise of "Arabic language and culture" initiatives through which they spread Islamist political ideology.

Once upon a time there were many countries in the ME that were not Arab nor Muslim (Arabized), and there is almost zero trace of THEIR culture and language. Because this agenda is not about ‘getting to know each other better’ - rather it’s about silent invasion and occupation. A very patient one.

Another aspect of Qatar’s investments is highly sensitive logistically and militarily, including investments in U.S. aircraft manufacturing companies, U.S.-based surveillance drone companies (👉🏻 think about the Ukrainian operation in this context… Qatar has a foothold in surveillance drones within the U.S.), and other sensitive military projects in the U.S.

All this occurs alongside Qatar’s efforts to tie the U.S. to itself through hosting the Al Udeid Air Base, establishing branches of prestigious university campuses, and involving a natural gas development company in a massive deal that has made Qatar unimaginably wealthy.

Qatar is binding the U.S. to itself through extensive and robust ties, particularly through influential key figures in backchannels. But the question is: to what end? Are these alliance relations, beneficial to the U.S., or is there another agenda that benefits very specific Americans but not America as a whole?

And who are they? How is Qatar doing this?

Join me on this thread of roughly 30 tweets, where I try to break down some of the troubling points and the individuals involved, as detailed in the article and the fascinating podcast (links in the end of the thread) and with additional sources.

I highly recommend delving into both—they contain information that will surprise even those who thought they understood and knew very well ‘the Qatari phenomenon’
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2/ One example of how deep and concerning the Qatari influence in US is - is Pam Bondi. The airplane deal was signed off by Attorney General Pam Bondi. She used to work at a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm that received $115,000 a month from Qatar to fight human trafficking, according to a 2019 contract reviewed by The Free Press. But let’s start from the beginning, from the military alliance between Qatar and the US
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3/ Many point to the U.S. military base in Qatar, Al Udeid, as a key reason for the strategic importance of the U.S.-Qatar alliance.

Who benefits more from it, the U.S. or Qatar? Or perhaps military industries? Here’s some general background on this base:

Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the Gulf War that led to Kuwait’s liberation, the United States sought strategic bases in the Persian Gulf region to ensure stability and security, particularly against threats from Iraq and Iran.

Qatar and the United States signed a defense cooperation agreement in 1992.

Its location provides convenient access to critical areas such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria, making it an ideal logistical and operational hub for U.S. military and intelligence operations.Qatar viewed the U.S. presence as a guarantee of its national security, especially amid regional tensions with neighbors like Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Al Udeid Air Base became the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, hosting over 11,000 troops and more than 100 operational aircraft (according to reports from 2017). It serves as a forward headquarters for CENTCOM, overseeing air operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, and providing logistical and intelligence support to the coalition against ISIS (but is there an ISIS threat anymore?)

👉🏻 No single president “made the decision” to establish Al Udeid Air Base, as its development was gradual. George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) laid the diplomatic groundwork with the 1992 agreement, but it was almost insignificant back then. Bill Clinton (1993–2001) supported the base’s early development as a logistical and strategic site - that was the most important turning point. Full and significant use of the base occurred under George W. Bush after 2001 - when there was tension between Saudi Arabia after September 11 and the US looked for another territory in that region as a military strategic base. The Clinton administration was central to this process. This brings me to Jay Footlik
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4/ The Clinton administration brings me to Jay Footlik - a previous advisor to Clinton in the White House, today a registered lobbyist for Qatar 🇶🇦.

During Bill Clinton’s presidency (1993–2001) he served as a Special Assistant to the President, acting as a liaison to the American Jewish community. He helped advance domestic and international policies, including those related to Middle East peace efforts. Footlik’s Clinton-era experience gave him credibility and networks in U.S. and Middle East politics, which he later leveraged as a lobbyist to advance Qatar’s interests - diplomatic, economic, and reputational - in the U.S. and Israel.

Since 2019, through his firm ThirdCircle Inc., Footlik has been registered under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as a lobbyist for the Qatari Embassy in Washington, D.C., earning $40,000 monthly to promote Qatar’s interests in the U.S.

Israeli ‘Qatargate’ Scandal: Footlik became embroiled in the “Qatargate” affair, a political scandal in Israel involving allegations of financial ties and influence between Qatar and associates of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He also facilitated meetings between families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Qatari officials, framing this as humanitarian aid to leverage Qatar’s role as a mediator. He arranged trips for U.S. elected officials to Qatar, furthering Doha’s diplomatic reach.

He is scheduled for questioning by Israeli police in the U.S.

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5/ Qatar is known today as a “mediator in negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas” since October 7. How did it manage to insert itself into this role, despite its very public support for the terrorist organization Hamas and its most murderous leaders, and did Jay Footlik have a hand in this? Here’s a few more influencers that are tied with Qatar in the US

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6/ You cannot talk about Qatari influence in the US without knowing Jim Moran’s role in it- Moran, previously a congressman, today a registered lobbyist for Qatar 🇶🇦.

Moran was a congressman from Virginia representing the Democratic Party (1991-2015) known for his criticism of the Iraq War and sharp criticism of AIPAC (in fact, he accused the Jewish lobby of being responsible for the Iraq War, which drew widespread criticism, leading the Democratic Party at the time to distance itself from him and his statements).

Jim Moran, announced his retirement from congress in January 2014. Shortly after retiring from Congress in January 2015, Jim Moran began working as a lobbyist and consultant. He registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and started representing the interests of foreign countries, including Qatar.

He worked with lobbying firms such as Qorvis Communications (now Qorvis, part of the Publicis Group), which was involved in campaigns to influence U.S. public opinion and policy on behalf of Qatar.

Reports and claims suggest that shortly after his retirement, he supported or was involved in initiatives that advanced narratives aligned with Qatar’s interests.

Reports of increased Qatari influence through lobbying, donations, and public campaigns intensified between 2015 and 2017, particularly amid tensions in the Gulf.

The analysis in the podcast suggests that when he retired from Congress and started working as a lobbyist for Qatar immediately after - he seemed determined to create a “Qatari equivalent to AIPAC,” as he perceived AIPAC – establishing, supporting and funding numerous think tanks that soon became highly critical of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

👉🏻 So, Jay Footlik and Jim Moran are known to influence the Democratic Party in the U.S., but the Qatari influence agenda is far broader and not focused on any single party or political stance.

In fact, the Qataris know how to speak to Democrats through progressive narratives and to Republicans in a business and security-oriented language (as comic tragic as it is - they push the MAGA narrative and anti AIPAC sentiment, while doing exactly what they argue against Israel but on silent under the radar mode).

Either way, they bribe everyone and try to influence from every angle and direction (by the way, this doesn’t just happen in the U.S., I’ll get to that later in the thread).

Here’s a few of the more concerning and potentially dangerous influence that Qatar has today in the US, in the Trump administration, as presented in the article. Starting with Rex Tillerson and ExxonMoblie

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7/ Rex Tillerson was Trump’s Secretary of State (2016-2018) and after he was chairman and CEO of ExxonMobile during 2006- 2016. ExxonMobile is basically the reason Qatar is such a rich country today and it is controlled by investment funds Vanguard Group, BlackRock, State Street Corporation and others. Those investors have the strongest motivation in protecting and promoting Qatar as a legitimate country to do business with.

8/ There’s other much less obvious influencers in favor of Qatar. Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) for example, a Republican who has undergone an evolution regarding Qatar.

He is a politician with a perceived as hawkish foreign policy stances and a supporter of Israel. However, since October 7, he has made statements supporting Qatar and even gave a speech in Doha in which he essentially whitewashed Qatar’s sponsorship of Hamas leaders.

To understand Lindsey Graham, one must know Andrew King.
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9/ Andrew King is a former deputy chief of staff to Lindsey Graham. In 2019, he registered as a lobbyist for Qatar 🇶🇦

On October 7, records documented a conversation between him and Lindsey Graham; afterward, they met multiple times, up until the aforementioned speech in Doha.

But most of the Qatari influence is NOT registered and not transparent. A lot of it is based on financial conflict of interests and some of it is much more manipulative.
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10/ Take Steve Witkoff as an example - president Trump’s longtime friend and senior adviser, who is accompanying him on his trip this week. For months now, Witkoff has served as Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East and his name has been floated as a future national security adviser.

Witkoff also happens to be a beneficiary of Qatar: In 2023, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund bought out his faltering investment in New York’s Park Lane Hotel for $623 million 🇶🇦

But it goes much deeper than that. Some of the people that raise concerns of severe conflict of interests and Qatari influence are the ones who hold administrative positions that are with the authority to supervise, prevent and regulate exactly that >>

11/ I mentioned Pam Bondi above, but what about Susie Wiles? Wiles led a lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs when it represented Qatar’s embassy in Washington 🇶🇦
Today, she’s President Trump’s chief of staff
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12/ FBI Director Kash Patel worked as a consultant for Qatar, though he didn’t register as a foreign agent 🇶🇦

Other examples of concerning influence are from the very inner circle of the Trump family and business
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13/ Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization, was involved in signing an agreement on April 30, 2025, in Doha to establish a luxury golf complex named Trump International Golf Club and Trump Villas, in collaboration with Qatari Diar, a company owned by the Qatari government, and the Saudi-based Dar Global.

The agreement, valued at approximately $3 billion, was signed as part of the Trump family’s business activities in Qatar, indicating Eric’s presence in Doha for business events.

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14/ Jared Kushner - In December 2024, reports emerged that Jared Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, secured an additional $1.5 billion in funding, with contributions from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Abu Dhabi-based asset manager Lunate.
In total, the Qatari investment in his equity firm is about a third of all investments- the other 2/3 are from Saudi and UAE.

Kushner emphasized that the funds were secured before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, stating the investments were made “irrespective” of Trump’s victory to avoid any perception of influence. But this is irrelevant if you understand the patient and long term Qatari agenda.
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15/ In 2017, the economic boycott led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain against Qatar began. That year, Qatar significantly ramped up its influence and public relations efforts.
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16/ The article by TFP also referenced the “EndGame” project, as revealed in legal documents during court proceedings - a plan to “neutralize” key figures critical of Qatar and leading opposition against it, by hacking their devices and blackmailing them.

For that project they hired a former CIA agent named Kevin Chalker and his company Global Risk Advisors (GRA).

Fox News reported on January 2024 that Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and other lawmakers who oppose Hamas and its parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood were targeted by this operation:
foxnews.com/world/exclusiv…

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17/ Another victim of this operation is the UAE 🇦🇪 ambassador to US Yousef Al Otaiba - it was revealed that he was one of the targets, along with everyone in his circle.

The ambassador’s account was hacked, and personal details about him were published across the media (e.g., insinuations about his ties to Israeli groups and more personal scandals).

Subsequently, the computer of Elliott Broidy and others was hacked. By hacking those specific people they hoped to create a chilling effect that would silence all others.

The Emirati ambassador was silenced without retaliation, however Broidy retaliated. He launched a massive lawsuit against them, in which numerous documents about this Qatari operation were exposed, until he, too, was eventually silenced >>

18/ Elliott Broidy is a former Republican Party fundraiser, a diplomatic confidant of Jared Kushner, that backed the Saudis against Qatar - claimed that his emails were hacked, causing him significant harm, and filed a massive legal campaign against few individuals and organizations that he claimed were involved in a Qatari orchestrated ‘hack-and-leak’ campaign against him in retaliation for his criticism of the country.

The lawsuit was officially dismissed in the end on grounds of sovereign immunity, but he achieved significant results with document discovery until he was silenced.

Eventually Qatar panicked over the lawsuits because it began to uncover information during the discovery process about their network of connections, and they ultimately offered him an amount he couldn’t refuse - $150 million.
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8…

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19/ The podcast covers numerous aspects of Qatar’s indirect investment in influencing the U.S., based on data presented in the TFP article, painting a picture of unprecedented funding:

• A total of $225 million since 2017 has been spent on lobbying for Qatar in the U.S.

• In 2021 alone, Qatar employed 35 registered lobbyists at a total cost of $51 million.

• For comparison, during the same period, Israel’s lobbying budget was about a third of that, the UAE’s was $35 million, and Saudi Arabia’s was $25 million.

The uniqueness of Qatar’s influence in the U.S. lies not only in its unprecedented scope but also in the nature of the influence and the goals it seeks to achieve 👉🏻 After October 7, they were exposed as supporters of terrorism- and it was there that the broad protection the U.S. provides them was revealed, even when they publicly express a policy of supporting terrorism.

Unlike China, which also invests significantly in buying influence in the U.S., Qatar is not perceived as an enemy, so criticism of it is far less public, if it exists at all. And IF there are critics- they are silenced in every possible way.

Many of those with ties to Qatar say that Qatar is a very strong ally of the U.S. so what’s the problem? The problem is the public ideology and the covert goal it promotes (I’ll get to that later as well) Qatar’s influence is not limited to political lobbying and the financial military relationships, are the means to a completely different end, far broader and deeper than that

For example, Qatar’s influence on American media is unprecedented. There are many connections between the media and Bloomberg, for instance, a huge conference was held in Qatar a few days ago, attended by Trump, Musk, and others.

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20/ Bloomberg are not alone. Many American newspapers and media platforms send their employees to moderate conferences in Doha, and there is documentation of Qatari funding for flights and hotels.

The Qatari investment in the US media is also through hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertisements in American media, especially since October 7 (this was revealed in documents disclosed during a legal proceeding).
ynetnews.com/business/artic…

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21/ 🇸🇦 One of the most disturbing aspect of Qatar’s covert influence on the media was exposed in the Jamal Khashoggi affair - a Saudi regime critic who wrote a column for The Washington Post (until he was killed, allegedly by the Saudis). His death created quite an outrage in the US, he was perceived as a human rights activist that was brutally silenced.

After his death, The Washington Post itself published that in fact a member of QFI (Qatar Foundation International, managed by the Qatari government 🇶🇦) was the one who wrote the column for him.
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22/ Most of us know that Qatar has a very significant media channel in the Arab world Al Jazeera, that shapes and frames false reality in a way that supports the terrorist narrative they promote. This media channel has versions many languages in the West (where they present completely different texts and narratives).

However, not many people know that this channel also has the AJ+ app. Previous attempts to register it as a foreign agent, in the US failed.

“AJ+ (Al Jazeera Plus) is a social mediapublisher owned by Al Jazeera Media Network which focuses on news and current affairs. AJ+ content exists in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. It is available on its website as well as platforms YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; with written content on Medium.”

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23/ All the means of influence described above have already been covered in one way or another recently, but the following two phenomena, described in the article and podcast, are perhaps the most surprising and disturbing.
Take, for example the Qatari influence on American Education:

Qatar has donated over $6.3 billion to U.S. universities since 1986 (when tracking of funding began). More than any other country.

A significant portion of the funding goes to the establishment of campuses in collaboration with Doha, “Education City”, universities receiving millions of dollars to set up campuses in the U.S.: Georgetown’s School of Foreign Policy, Northwestern’s School of Journalism, Texas Engineering University, and Cornell’s Medical University.

Other funding - establishing academic programs and language learning tracks at U.S. universities.

Qatar also initiates conferences at universities where official Qatari representatives speak, attempting to leverage a progressive, left-leaning perception to garner sympathy for Qatar.

But the strangest and most concerning is the Qatari broad influence on education in public schools and elementary schools (!) the Qatar Foundation International has given tens of millions of dollars to public schools in the U.S., including programs in elementary schools >>

24/ The article refers, for example, to the story of “the map on the wall in a public school in Brooklyn that completely erased Israel.”

The map was funded by the Qatar Foundation (QFI) as part of a program it sponsored for “Arab language and culture” in an elementary school.

It turns out that over a million dollars were donated to public schools in New York in one year

It was later revealed that this is a very common program in the U.S., funded by Qatar.
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25/ Another strange and concerning aspect is Qatar’s specific investments in South Carolina. Yes, the home state of Senator Lindsey Graham, whom I mentioned earlier in the thread.

South Carolina is a somewhat unremarkable state in the U.S., but it turns out that Qatar has a particularly strong interest in it (South Carolina plays a significant role in U.S. elections, primaries and more).

Here are some examples
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26/ For some reason, Doha is a sister city of Charleston (a city in South Carolina). This leads to many formed of support (like a COVID support grant of $100,000 that they gave them) but also - to a very close involvement of Qatar in that city.

Why Charleston is important to Qatar? If you have the Middle East glasses then you can speculate. This city is of great importance - economically, militarily, historically, and more.

It has a symbolic history of resistance and explosive social structure (starting with the U.S. war with England, then, a focal point of the US Civil War, a significant hub for the slave trade, a trigger for BLM protests following the mass racist murder in a church, and more).

The fact that this is the city where a Boeing factory operates (as well as a large military base and a significant port) is added value of course.

So what are the Qatari businesses in South Carolina? >>

27/ Two main and very important Qatari investments in SC are:

• Boeing planes - manufactured in South Carolina—Qatar is perhaps the largest purchaser of Boeing

• A Qatari company for surveillance drones, Barzan Aeronautical, has a branch there.

So, Qatar: friend or foe? >>

28/ Let’s analyze the potential risk here through the ME glasses:

Listen carefully to Yigal Carmon’s warning (video)

Factor in the Ukrainian drone operation and remember the Qatari investment in Barzan,

Factor in all the indoctrination and what we here call Arabized silent occupation

Understand that Qatar is aligned with the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood agenda- that is promoting a radical expansionist ideology of jihad and then

Understand that they gave money and patience.

Remember that the biggest most influential financial corporates in the world are invested in them

👉🏻 Now, try to see what’s the risk that the west is facing regarding Qatar.

29/ Links:

The @thehonestlypod podcast:

open.spotify.com/episode/6M3oN6…

The article in @TheFP - attached tweet

>> x.com/thefp/status/1…

@thehonestlypod @TheFP 30/ As I said above, this is much larger than the US influence

@thehonestlypod @TheFP 31/ Relevant thread 👇🏻

@thehonestlypod @TheFP 32/ Final point 😅

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