Qatar’s al-Thani Family: Influence & Profile

In a surprise move Wednesday, the Trump Administration committed the U.S. to defend a Middle Eastern kingdom against attack. In a further surprise, this kingdom isn’t Saudi Arabia but Qatar, the regional middleman.

This is a decision that can be and should have been debated. Instead it comes out of the blue—an executive order following no public debate. The lack of Senate approval means the foreign commitment won’t necessarily bind the U.S. down the road, but the executive order doesn’t equivocate:

“It is the policy of the United States to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the State of Qatar against external attack,” President Trump writes. “The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.”

Does this mean even an attack on, say, the Hamas terrorist leaders hosted by Doha? Apparently so. That’s the context for the order, which is a more meaningful way to assure the region that Israel won’t strike Hamas in Qatar again, as it did on Sept. 9.