Al Jazeera said the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Doha embassy in Washington, DC have not yet commented on the issue.
Al Jazeera accused of lobbying by retired four-star General John R. Allen on Wednesday to help Qatar influence US policy on the illegal air, land and sea blockades it faced in 2017. Reportedly submitted to a new US federal court.
US officials say Allen lied about his role in illegal foreign lobbying cases on behalf of Qatar while withholding “guilty” documents. The Brookings Institution has taken leave of its president, Allen, on Wednesday as the investigation continues.
Foreign lobbying is illegal under US law, which requires individuals working in foreign governments to register with the Department of Justice.
The latest developments are part of a broader study of foreign lobbying by several individuals in the United States.
Richard G. Olson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, pleaded guilty to federal crimes last week for illegal foreign lobbying on behalf of Qatar.
Olson also revealed that a U.S. military general who had led U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan until late 2017 was also involved in the case.
Another name involved is Imaad Zuberi, a well-known political donor who has been charged with corruption and is currently serving 12 years in prison.
According to reports of the incident, Olson, Zubeiri and Allen failed to register lobbying dating back to the 2017 GCC crisis.
At that time, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed illegal land, air and sea blockades on Qatar. Court documents found that Allen played an important role in changing the US stance during the lift when former President Donald Trump leaned against Doha in the quartet.
According to a document quoted by Al Jazeera, Zubeiri saw the GCC crack as a “business opportunity.” Zubeiri then asked Olson to start selling lobbying services, the latter bringing Allen into the so-called business.
“If we could do this, we would own half of Qatar,” Zuberi wrote to Olson in a WhatsApp message quoted in the filing.
In an application for an investigation warrant, FBI agent Babak Adib did not adequately detail Allen’s role in lobbying, saying, “He is also in a multi-million dollar business deal with the Qatari government. I didn’t say. “
Adib added that Allen lied about his work in the Gulf countries during an interview with law enforcement officials in 2020 and denied acting on behalf of Qatar.
“There is substantive evidence of these FARAs. [Foreign Agents Registration Act] The breach was intentional, “Adib wrote in an investigation warrant application.
Allen defended his actions by saying he tried to prevent a regional war that endangered the lives of the US military. Qatar hosts the region’s largest US Al Udeid Air Base, with at least 10,000 troops.
Allen spokesman Bo Phillips told The Associated Press last week that his client “voluntarily cooperated with the government’s investigation into this issue” and “has not been paid for his efforts.” “.
Leaning on Qatar
U.S. officials said Allen had urged then National Security Adviser HR McMaster to move Trump’s position to Qatar, according to media reports on the incident.
In an email to a former adviser, Allen said Qatar wants the White House or the US State Department to issue a statement calling for “restraint and action” on all sides involved in the crack.
Federal law enforcement agencies later said former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement within two days calling on the quartet to “relax the blockade against Qatar.”
Federal law enforcement officials claimed that Olson and Allen had traveled to Qatar to meet their leaders.
According to the affidavit, Allen demanded a $ 20,000 “lecture fee” from Olson and Zubeiri before his visit. The retired general also wanted to “make a more complete deal for a longer-term relationship.”
The document added that Zubeiri paid for Allen’s first class tickets.
“At the same time he was lobbying U.S. government officials on behalf of Qatar, Allen sought at least one million-dollar commerce with the Qatar government on behalf of the company he served on board.” Afidabit said.
Al Jazeera said the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Doha embassy in Washington, DC have not commented on the issue.
