1. U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) have demanded a report on the operational value of the Al-Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha, Qatar: "Qatar has been housing Hamas and Taliban leadership for years, all while the United States continues to allow Qatar the privilege of hosting our nation's largest airbase (Al-Udeid) in the Middle East," said Ogles, adding: "Thousands of our brave Servicemembers serve at Al-Udeid, and we have an obligation to ensure our nation's military installations are in the hands of trustworthy allies - not bankrollers of terrorist organizations." https://ogles.house.gov/media/press-releases/ogles-scott-demand-report-operational-value-al-udeid-air-base
2. Al-Jazeera:[1]
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The Palestinian Authority announced that it had issued instructions to banks in the West Bank not to transfer salaries to Al-Jazeera employees – Ultrapal, February 4, 2025; https://palinfo.com/news/2025/02/05/938686/, February 5, 2025.
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Video: "Why 30 Countries Banned This Media" – Visegrad24, February 1, 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dcwUMXOHq4
3. The Federalist Exclusive: "Qatar's Influence Network In American Public Schools Has Unwitting Teachers Advancing Its Propaganda" – January 30, 2025 https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/30/exclusive-qatars-influence-network-in-american-public-schools-has-unwitting-teachers-advancing-its-propaganda/
Source: Qatar Foundation International, https://www.qfi.org/grants/
4. "CNN Expands Middle East Footprint With New Hub in Qatar" – February 2, 2025 https://variety.com/2025/tv/global/cnn-expands-middle-east-footprint-new-hub-qatar-1236294920/
5. "U.S. Space Forces – Central Command To Open Campus At Qatari Air Base" – January 28, 2025 https://executivegov.com/2025/01/us-spacecent-qatar-campus/ Note: A forthcoming MEMRI Daily Brief will focus on the U.S. Air Force doubling down on cooperation with Qatar vis-à-vis Al-Udeid air base despite U.S. lawmakers' demand for transparency.
6. "Watchdog Groups Sue U.S. Government Over Qatar's Billions In University Funding" – February 3, 2025 https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-840367
*Yigal Carmon is President and Founder of MEMRI.
[1] It should be recalled that the U.S. Department of Justice order demanding that Al-Jazeera's platform AJ+, declared by the DOJ as register as "an agent of the Government of Qatar," has never been enforced. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/16/media/al-jazeera-foreign-agent/index.html. See also MEMRI Special Announcement No. 958, U.S. Department Of Justice Orders AJ+ To Register As Foreign Agent For Its 'Political Activities' On Behalf Of Qatar's Government; On August 12, MEMRI Released In-Depth Study By Amb. Alberto M. Fernandez, 'Al-Jazeera Unmasked: Political Islam As A Media Arm Of The Qatari State,' Based On Over 700 Al-Jazeera Clips On MEMRI TV, September 17, 2020.
