Senior Qatari officials have denied that they are funding Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Syria.
The officials, including Qatar's director of Intelligence, told the BBC that the country had "nothing to hide" over its support for groups fighting the forces of president Bashar al-Assad's regime.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The comments came ahead of a meeting in London between the UK government and Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
David Cameron is facing "intense pressure" to insist that the Gulf state cuts off its funding to groups with terrorist affiliations, the Daily Telegraph says.
Last week the US government warned that Qatar and Kuwait continue to create conditions that allow funders to send money to terrorist groups. David Cohen, the US official responsible for financial intelligence in relation to terrorism, said the two states were "permissive jurisdictions for terrorist financing".
Stephen Barclay, the Conservative MP for North-East Cambridgeshire, has called for transparency in Britain's relations with Qatar and the Gulf.
"I welcome the fact that the Prime Minister is meeting with the Emir," he told the Telegraph. "As part of these discussions it is essential that the issue of financing Sunni tribes in Syria and Iraq is raised."
He added: "I hope the Prime Minister will then give further details to Parliament. It remains unclear whether money is still flowing from Qatari nationals. There is clear evidence that Qatari nationals have been instrumental in the financing of Sunni terror groups and the Prime Minister should not avoid tackling this issue head on with the Emir."
The BBC's Frank Gardner said the Qatari officials conceded that some Syrian fighters had switched allegiance during the war, and that a number of groups that had initially been regarded as moderate had later gone on to join Islamist militia.
But in his only broadcast last month the Emir insisted: "We don’t fund extremists."
-
Saudi Arabia could become an AI focal pointUnder the Radar A state-backed AI project hopes to rival China and the United States
-
What you need to know about last-minute travelThe Week Recommends You can book an awesome trip with a moment’s notice
-
Codeword: October 29, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
