Trump gave Qatar a security guarantee and isn’t explaining why

With the stroke of his pen last week, President Donald Trump offered the tiny Gulf nation of Qatar a prize many nations have sought but few have been given: a security guarantee pledging US help if it comes under attack.

The agreement was made with little fanfare, no Senate approval and very little explanation. A week later, the White House still hasn’t explained in detail how it came about or what exactly it commits the US to doing, though Trump and other officials have suggested Qatar’s role in helping mediate talks to end the Gaza conflict played a role.

Trump has sought to keep Qatar on side and helping push his plan for a resolution in Gaza in the weeks after Israel – another US ally – infuriated the Gulf state and surprised the US with an airstrike against Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital of Doha on Sept. 9

The agreement has to be seen “against the backdrop of these unprecedented strikes that Israel undertook on Doha, the role that the administration has leaned on Qatar to play in terms of as a mediator between Israel and Hamas,” said Mona Yacoubian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Even so, it is a remarkable moment in keeping with Trump’s second-term pattern of ramming through major policy changes via executive order rather than seeking congressional approval on issues ranging from spending to plans to rename the Department of Defense, which would normally require the administration work through Congress.

The US has historically been reluctant to enter such pacts, though it now has defense alliances of varying strength with several dozen countries. The NATO alliance, its biggest such treaty, was signed into law in 1949 after World War II. It also has agreements with several South American nations, Australia and New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.

Trump’s approach allows him to move fast. But it also weakens the iron-clad nature of the guarantee for Qatar, a longtime ally that hosts thousands of US troops at the Al Udeid airbase. Any presidential successor to Trump can simply revoke the order and nullify the deal, something that would be impossible if it were a Senate treaty.

A White House official declined to discuss the deal in detail or explain how it came about. The official said Trump’s push to get Arab buy-in for his peace plan is an achievement in itself and that Qatar has been a key player in negotiations and offering feedback on the plan.

Trump was nonchalant when asked Monday if he would seek Senate approval for the move.

“I wouldn’t mind if they did, if they want me, they’d let me know,” Trump said. “Qatar has been very, very helpful to us in this process. And I think you’ll find that, I think maybe the most influential, the very influential, very strong with Hamas, they’re very strong.”

Unlike formal treaties that undergo Senate scrutiny, this executive order was enacted unilaterally and exists in a gray area of presidential authority.

The order says the US “shall take all lawful and appropriate measures – including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military – to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar,” if needed.

The text of the order doesn’t fully spell out its own justification, saying only that Qatar faces “continuing threats” of foreign aggression, while praising the country for its role as a “steadfast ally in pursuit of peace,” as well as for its work to mediate global conflicts.

Ali Al-Ansari, the media attache at Qatar’s embassy in Washington, said his country has already been attacked by Iran because of its relationship with Washington. The president’s order “reflects the closeness of Qatar-US relations and the commitment Qatar has made to this partnership,” he said.

“For over 20 years, Qatar has hosted thousands of US service members at Al Udeid Air Base, and our two countries have worked closely together to achieve a wide range of shared security goals,” Al-Ansari added.

Some of the president’s critics argue that the agreement also raises at least the appearance of a conflict of interest, even though no such thing has been proven.

Qatar gifted Trump a luxury Boeing Co. 747 jumbo jet valued around $400 million. The nation’s sovereign wealth fund then pledged to invest $500 billion in American infrastructure and businesses. And the Trump Organization, which is run by Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric, also struck a lucrative deal for a luxury golf resort in Qatar.

Trump “stands to benefit from actions that the government of Qatar is taking, and he’s making specific decisions that affect Qatar and that are beneficial to Qatar,” said Noah Bookbinder, the president of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a nonprofit advocacy group in Washington. “We don’t know that he’s being influenced in his decision making, but there’s plenty of reasons to think that he might be.”

The White House didn’t address claims of potential conflicts of interest when asked to comment.

Al-Ansari, the Qatari embassy spokesman, said the transfer of the jet was a “direct engagement” between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the Pentagon. He added that “safeguards are in place to prevent any conflict of interest across all areas of the Qatar–US partnership.”