The fall of Kabul to the Taliban has put Qatari diplomacy back in the spotlight. It was from Doha, aboard a Qatari military plane, that the head of the political bureau, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, reached Kandahar on August 17. The new masters of the country have made Al-Jazeera, the emirate’s television station, their privileged communication channel. At the same time, Doha facilitated an agreement between Washington and the Taliban to provide a safe passage for the evacuation of foreigners and Afghans. Thousands of people were transported by Qatar to the Al-Udeid base. Its embassy in Kabul helps them access the airport. And 8,000 Afghans will be temporarily hosted in Qatar, along with members of the former government.
The small Gulf emirate, which has hosted Taliban representation since 2013, at the request of the United States, seeks to capitalize on its proximity to the Taliban leaders to continue mediation efforts between them and the Americans. These efforts led, in February 2020, to an agreement providing for a timetable for American withdrawal and the opening of an inter-Afghan dialogue. “Qatar has made a huge bet in staying close to the Taliban in recent years. He has always been concerned that this does not damage his relationship with the United States. And that remains a gamble, because if the Taliban behave badly, it will tarnish the reputation of their close allies, be it Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan or China. But for the moment, it is a big victory for Qatar, which is the main channel of discussion towards the Taliban ”, analyzes Hussein Ibish, researcher at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
On August 17, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamed Al-Thani met with Mullah Baradar to convince him to carry out a “Peaceful transfer of power”. But the lightning conquest of the country by the Islamist insurgents and the support they have received from China and Russia are limiting Doha’s room for maneuver. “We lost the only lever we had on the Taliban so that they favor dialogue over violence – their recognition by the international community – when several countries established relations with them unconditionally, giving them carte blanche. But we will spare no effort to save what can be saved from the peace agreement ”, assures a Qatari diplomatic source.
“The Taliban are Saudi Arabia before”
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