Iran sees an opportunity to wear down the GCC through Qatar, but it’s difficult to say who is playing whom, Dov S. Zakheim, who held various Department of Defense positions, told the moderator of Qatar Global Security and Stability Conference held today in London.

Qatar has always been a dilemma. Before the Qataris joined us against Saddam they used to go hunting with him. They talk to everyone and play on all sides, and that is fine up to a certain point, but when Qatar sides with Iran, a country that seeks to hegemonize the entire region, it is playing with fire. And when Qatar funds Nusra Front, which is a threat to Egypt, and Hamas, which is a threat to Israel, things start to get complicated and we start reaching a breaking point, Zakheim said.   

The contradictions in Qatari foreign policy are astounding, for example, Qatar recently hired a lobbyist to lobby Jewish Americans to support Qatar, and in the same breath, it colludes with groups who oppose the existence of Jews.  

Doha continues supporting terrorists in the region, and by doing so it continues to push the US towards withdrawing Al-Udaid military base from Qatar, he added.