Authentic presidential leadership: Americans know it when they see it
This week, the Biden administration was grilled on its recent diplomatic overtures towards Qatar, a Persian Gulf country that is home to a longterm political exile and the political leader of the militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh. Members of the U.S. Senate questioned the State Department on its outreach to the country, which has been accused of supporting terrorism. Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the contacts, saying that the Biden administration would urge Qatar to address regional security threats through diplomacy, not by supporting militant groups. Blinken also noted that the U.S. has longstanding counterterrorism agreements with Qatar that would remain in place regardless of any diplomatic outreach.
