The government of Qatar has hired former US Attorney General John Ashcroft to help the country challenge accusations from its Arab neighbors and US President Donald Trump that it supports terrorism.
Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for 90 days of work as the country seeks to confirm its efforts to fight global terrorism and comply with financial regulations including US Treasury rules.
The revelations about the hiring of Ashcroft’s law firm were contained in a filing with the US Justice Department that was made on June 9 in accordance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
A letter submitted in the filing by Ashcroft Law Firm partner Michael Sullivan said the firm’s work would “include crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach, education and advocacy regarding the client’s historical, current and future efforts to combat global terror and its compliance goals and accomplishments.”
Qatar faces isolation by fellow Arab countries after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt severed ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
Qatar denies the allegations.
On June 8, Arab states led by Saudi Arabia issued a list of Qatar-linked people and organizations it said were “terrorists” as they ratcheted up their boycott of the peninsular state.
Included on the “terrorist” list were the Egyptian leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Yousef al-Qaradawi, and 12 Qatari-funded charities.
Trump on June 9 said Qatar “has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.”
Source: Websites
