Qatar’s leading role in post-US Afghanistan isn’t a coincidence

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Dr Andreas Krieg, Associate Professor at King's College London says over the years the Taliban have come to recognise Qatar as a trusted, neutral broker, providing Doha with a near-monopoly on access to the group.

“This trust and influence has been used by the Qataris to ensure that the Taliban are not interfering with the evacuation process and allow the US withdrawal to go as smoothly as possible given the circumstances,” Dr Krieg told TRT World.

Dr Krieg says maintaining ties with the Taliban is a win-win for both Doha and Washington.

"Hosting the Taliban was always about buying credit in Washington so the Qataris use this relationship to assist the US strategy. The US, however, does not seem to object to Qatar maintaining and even deepening their engagement with the Taliban as this relationship between Doha and the Taliban is a strategic asset,” Krieg said.

Period	6 Sept 2021
Held at	TRT World, Turkey