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'Billion dollar ransom': Did Qatar pay record sum? (and to al-Nusra and Iranian general?)
Amazing that the Washington Post story on this at the end of April seemed to pass us all by here on DU.
The BBC points out it has received audio from an enemy of Qatar, so it all needs to be taken in the context of countries (or factions) trying to make others look bad. But it pertains to the ongoing Qatar v. other Gulf states fight, and to the fighting in Syria, and the position of Iran in the region.
On the morning of 16 December 2015 Qatar's ruling family got bad news: 28 members of a royal hunting party had been kidnapped in Iraq.
...
In one version of events, they would pay more than a billion dollars to free the men. The money would go to groups and individuals labelled "terrorists" by the US: Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, which killed American troops with roadside bombs; General Qasem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force and personally subject to US and EU sanctions; and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once known as al-Nusra Front, when it was an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
In another version of events - Qatar's own - no money was paid to "terrorists", only to the Iraqi state.
...
Months passed. Then in November 2016, a new element entered the negotiations. Gen Soleimani wanted Qatar to help implement the so-called "four towns agreement" in Syria.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-44660369
...
In one version of events, they would pay more than a billion dollars to free the men. The money would go to groups and individuals labelled "terrorists" by the US: Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, which killed American troops with roadside bombs; General Qasem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force and personally subject to US and EU sanctions; and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once known as al-Nusra Front, when it was an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
In another version of events - Qatar's own - no money was paid to "terrorists", only to the Iraqi state.
...
Months passed. Then in November 2016, a new element entered the negotiations. Gen Soleimani wanted Qatar to help implement the so-called "four towns agreement" in Syria.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-44660369