Despite its tiny size and little population, Qatar kept dreaming of gaining a lot of influence that makes it a key player at the Arab and regional levels, and this is what really happened

Somayya Ali

Despite its tiny size and little population, Qatar kept dreaming of gaining a lot of influence that makes it a key player at the Arab and regional levels, and this is what really happened. However, with this rising role, the Emirate, which ranks second in the world in terms of natural gas reserves, rushed to use all available means to impose itself as a guardian of the so-called the “Arab Spring” and thus to become the most influential party in the policies of the new authorities that will govern the region.

It is well known that the emerging influence of Doha, which is based on its dependence on the United States that have made the southwest of the Qatari capital a site enclosing its largest base in the region, as well as on looking after the Israeli interests, have confused the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which felt danger in the policy of the Emirate, especially that the Kingdom has been controlling the Gulf,  having relationship with Washington, and having impact on the events of the region for a long time. Hence, this increased the severity of the undeclared war between Riyadh and Doha, which was betting on the Muslim Brotherhood, the enemies of the Kingdom, to deepen its influence through paving the way for them to the White House, and providing them with support in terms of finance and investment in both Egypt and Tunisia.

Beginning of the Retreat: Tamim became the Emir...

Yet, in light of the failure of the Qatari bets at more than one level, most importantly in issues relating to the Syrian crisis where Qatar spared no financial, political, and/or media weight to overthrow the regime during a short period, in addition to expecting the failure of the ruling experience of the Muslim Brotherhood in the majority of the Arab countries, especially in Egypt, not to mention the problems faced by the ally ruling in Turkey, which is part of the global organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Qatari role began its retreat gradually, after it exaggerated in a no longer acceptable way”, the head of Amman-based Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Center for Studies Oraib Al-Rantawi told Al-Manar website. In fact, what Al-Rantawi has said meets with what has been stated by sources visiting the website regarding that Qatar “Will witness a gradual repositioning by taking pro-Western positions but with a performance matching with the capabilities of Qatar”.

The same sources draw the attention to the fact that “This change is not easily going to happen at the level of performance in the foreign policy of the Doha with the same ruling faces, and this is one of the reasons for the transferring of power that took place in the Emirate recently when Hamad bin Khalifa (former Emir) handed power over to his second son, Tamim, who is his first son from his second wife Mozah Bint Al-Masnad”. In this context, Al-Rantawi stated that “After listening to the speech of Qatar’s new Emir, we noticed that he did not mention Syria at all, especially that Syria was during the past two years in the core of Qatar’s priorities”.

The soft transfer of power in Qatar, which is attributed ostensibly to the illness of the former Emir, who lives life with one kidney, under the blessing of America that was confirmed by the press reports that stated immediately after Tamim assumed the reins of power that “A senior official in the CIA told the Emir that it is necessarily to hand rule over to one of his descendants, being approved by Washington, otherwise his properties in different parts of the world would be attached”. Hence, does this authenticate that Washington also wants a change in Qatar’s policy?

In the context of answering this question, Al-Rantawi asserts that “Change is linked now perhaps to American orientations that will eventually wish for a political settlement in Syria, as well as for staying somehow away from the movements of political Islam, whether the Salafi, the Jihadi, or the Muslim Brotherhood ones”. The head of Amman-based Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Center for Studies clarifies that “The United States feels that the enthusiasm, emotion, and adventure of Qatar, its strong ally, have reached to the extent of adopting procedures that do not serve the U.S. policy, and that is what made Washington press to bring about this change, which will turn to be a change as well in Qatar’s approach to many files”.

Al-Rantawi continues adding that Washington “Is again sick of the policies of some of its allies for various reasons, for example, they are ready to ally with all the demons on earth to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad. In reality, the United States shares their goal of overthrowing the regime, but it has reservation regarding the issue of allowing Al-Qaeda to get a foothold or a safe haven in Syria or in part of it”, especially that Qatar was the first supporter of the most radical armed groups on the Syrian territory.

Our website’s visiting sources confirm that the Qatari retreat in terms of the foreign policy is supposed to be in favor of the internal affairs, “We must pay attention to the fact that the new Emir has to work to consolidate his rule”, especially that handing power over to Tamim has an internal dimension that has to do with the composition of the inner power in Qatar. The mother of the new Emir, Mozah Bint Al-Masnad, who enjoys considerable influence, was eager to transfer power to her son, being afraid that delaying this could put in front of him many competitors preventing him from reaching power later”, referring to the Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim, the strong man in the Emirate, who was excluded immediately after Hamad was assigned and figures belonging to him in the government were excluded as well.

Tamim wearing the Saudi Abaya

The same sources indicate that Qatar’s retreat, which came as a result of the “Wrong bets and the failure of the experience of political Islam”, might come in favor of Saudi Arabia, “The State competing with Qatar, which has been trying to take over its centers of influence and to put an end to its role as an essential part and as the first ally to Washington in the region”. The content of what has been mentioned by the sources meets with diplomatic reports reported by media sources stating that Riyadh has worked to convince Washington that the experiment of the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the most important tools of Qatar’s power, is fragile so as to lead the “Salafis to play a substitute role for the Muslim Brotherhood in return, and thus Saudi Arabia undertakes keeping the Salafis under its control, in order not to pose any danger to Washington”. This explains why the U.S. is supporting the military in Egypt in issues relating to overthrowing the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood therein. Thus, Riyadh had stolen from Doha one of its main strengths and this takes Doha back to the Saudi Abaya after it decided to stay away from it and to engage in the game of the struggle for influence.

The diplomatic reports confirm this, noting that one of the changes that will be made by the new Qatari Emir is represented in harmonizing with the Saudi policy regarding the Foreign Affairs. The reports attribute this to the fact that “Riyadh has worked recently to convince Qatar to cut its relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood and to reach reconciliation with Saudi Arabia on the basis of the Saudi conditions”. This explains why Qatar stressed that it is standing with “the will of the Egyptian people” after the isolation of President Mohamed Morsi by the military when millions of Egyptians demanded his departure. In addition, the sources mentioned that crown Prince Tamim was pursuit to deepen his relationship with the Kingdom and with the young princes of its second generation, especially that “Changing the faces of power in Qatar was perhaps an American rehearsal to what might happen in a number of Arab countries, specifically in Saudi Arabia”, according to Al-Rantawi.