How Qatar became the US-Taliban mediator - and what happens next

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“There are loads of ups and downs over the years where you never know where the breakthrough was, or if the breakthrough was ever going to happen,” said Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London’s School of Security Studies, who observed some of the negotiations up close over the years.

“Look at what Gulf countries generally spend in Washington. Tens of millions of dollars over years in lobbying fees just in an effort to get a meeting with someone,” said Krieg.

“Accommodating [the Taliban] in a compound, giving them a car and some spending money? I mean these people are not great spenders, they don’t live a lavish lifestyle. It’s the best bang for the buck you could ever think of.”

Krieg added: “If there was another crisis - if Saudi and the UAE would decide not just to blockade Qatar but potentially generate a military operation... the Americans would definitely this time around stick up or counter, even more broadly, than they did in 2017.”

But with the reward

Period	13 Sept 2021
Held at	Middle East Eye, United States