QNA/Paris
Qatar’s battle against financing terrorism is long-standing, the country’s ambassador to France Sheikh Mishaal bin Hamad al-Thani has stressed, citing that the last initiative taken by Qatar is the issuance of a law that prohibits sending money to humanitarian organisations abroad suspected of financing terrorism as well as a law prohibiting the use of social communication network to finance suspicious activities.
In an interview published in a French weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Sheikh Mishaal said that Qatar has shut down the Madad Ahl Al Sham social network which was used to finance militant factions in Syria and, therefore, there is a determination to fight ISIS group and filling gaps that existed in the past.
The ambassador extended condolences to the French people and the families of the victims of the recent attack on Paris, stressing that Qatar is an ally of France in the fight against terrorism.
On the whereabouts of Abdul Rahman who was named by the US Treasury Department as a terrorist among other Qataris, whether he is in jail or on probation?, the ambassador said that if there is an official US document about involvement of this person and the United States presents a request on it, Qatar will take all concrete and necessary action to investigate the matter, stressing that Qatar would not allow individuals to move freely and finance terrorism.
In a reply to a question about Qatar’s position on Syria’s al-Nusra Front, the ambassador affirmed that al-Nusra Front is a terrorist organisation, stressing that Qatar does not support terrorist organisations.
On allegations that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are financing Ahrar ash-Sham, Jaish al-Fatah (Army of Conquest) and they are fighting in some cases, along with Syria’s al-Nusra Front, the Qatari diplomat noted that Ahrar al-Sham is an organisation composed of Syrian fighters aimed at ousting of Assad and establishment of a democratic government.
On whether Qatar was part of a US-led coalition against ISIS group through military means, Sheikh Mishaal said that the command of the US-led coalition is existing inside Qatar’s territories and that Qatar has military capabilities and could join the coalition if requested.
With regard to the Syrian opposition support, the Ambassador said that Qatar offers political and logistical support to the Syrian opposition in order to be able to defend itself within the framework of what was determined by the Friends of Syria Group.
