Leaked documents implicate Qatari Ambassador Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, current representative to the U.S. and former ambassador to France, in bribing the French envoy and spying on U.S. lawmakers. Suspicions arose.
Al-Thani's name appears in the document exposure by project ravenitself an international scandal, involved more than a dozen former U.S. intelligence officers working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as electronic surveillance experts.
project raven Began During the Obama administration, there was some formally recognized cooperation between US and UAE intelligence agencies, resulting in Qatar actively hiring US intelligence veterans with advanced electronic surveillance skills. I decided to do it. In its early stages, the project was seen by U.S. officials as an effective tool against international terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda.
The UAE has begun hiring Americans to gather intelligence on growing security threats, including Qatar, which has often been at odds with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members.These tensions led to the GCC boycott and imposed a partial blockade of Qatar from 2017 to 2021.
when reuter exposure project raven In a series of reports in 2019, some U.S. intelligence officers employed by the UAE revealed that their surveillance expanded to include human rights activists, journalists, political dissidents, and Western countries, including Americans, in 2016. He said that he felt that the plan was starting to get on track around 2017.
In 2016, the UAE told cyber intelligence contractors they could either start working for an Emirati company called Dark Matter or leave the program and return home. Shortly after, the UAE's cyber warfare forces began hacking into the smartphones of targets including numerous Qatari officials, up to the Emir of Qatar himself.
Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) report In November, some of the Qatari documents exposed by Project Raven revealed that al-Thani, then posted to France, bribed Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs Jena-Marie Le Guen in 2016. It was announced that it was suggested that he was involved.
One of the documents is a letter from Al Thani to Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs authorizing a payment of 160,000 euros (just under $175,000) to Le Nguyen for his “future service to the Qatari state.” Ta.
Qatar took no action against the French media that published the Le Guin article in late 2021, which MEMRI considered a tacit admission that the leaked documents were genuine. This revelation is rolling scandal In France and the European Union, some observers dubbed it “Qatargate” and claimed it included hundreds of efforts by Qatar to manipulate EU politics.scandal unloaded Several EU MEPs, including former European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kairi;
Memri report In addition to Le Nguyen's bribery allegations, it was revealed on Monday that al-Thani was suspected of being involved in a Qatari intelligence operation called “Project Endgame.” The plan included hiring a company called Global Research Associates (GRA), headed by a former CIA official. Kevin Chalker Spies on U.S. Congressmen.
Project ENDGAME's targets include Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), as well as Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Ed Royce. They included former Congressman (R-Calif.); chairman He served on the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee from 2013 to 2019.
In March 2017, MEMRI posted what was said to be a summary of Project ENDGAME, which GRA created for the Qatari government, in which it labeled former President Donald Trump and targeted Republican congressmen as “harming Qatar.'' “an enemy with dark motives dedicated to inflicting harm on the enemy.”
The gist mocked that since “Trump supporters cannot find Qatar on a map,” they would indirectly attack Qatar by going after the ally with the help of the “Israel lobby.”
“Qatar’s support for Hamas is a vulnerability that enemies can exploit,” GRA wrote. “An attack on Hamas is an attack on Qatar.”
The gist is a campaign to monitor and influence the Qatari government in the United States by appointing Mr. Al Thani, who is said to be “the most powerful ambassador in the United States'', as its commander-in-chief under the code name “Endgame.'' He called on the enemy to “reveal the true nature'' of the enemy by carrying out this exercise. A vital intelligence asset.
“ENDGAME has built a powerful infrastructure of influence, working with allies and assets in think tanks and thought leaders. He has even co-opted Qatar’s own allies and assets,” the summary proudly states. , said the ambassador was well-positioned to “seize complete information control” in the United States.
Project ENDGAME targeted Cruz. Cruz was trying to get the Muslim Brotherhood designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Díaz-Balart co-sponsored a bill in 2017 to sanction the Muslim Brotherhood.
cruise Said Fox News Digital reported Saturday that Qatar “spends untold billions of dollars promoting and even financing the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations.”
“They have bought or intimidated vast areas of Washington, D.C., into silence. It is quite surprising that they consider several of the remaining outspoken opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood in Congress to be enemies of Qatar. That's not the case,” he said.
“It is long past time for the United States to reevaluate the U.S.-Qatar relationship,” Cruz advised.
“The revelation that the Qatari government targeted not only my office but also two sitting U.S. senators is not surprising and confirms my long-standing concerns about the Qatari government,” Diaz-Balart said. told FOX News Digital.
Cotton and Royce declined to comment on the matter to Fox News. Biden's State Department referred the investigation to the FBI, which said it would “not confirm or deny conducting any specific investigation.” A lawyer representing Mr. Chalker said he and his company do not face “pending charges.”
