On March 7, the podcaster Tucker Carlson released an interview with Qatar's prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. It was a complete and fully conscious whitewashing of the regime's transgressions in recent years. Two weeks later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the Qataris for helping to facilitate the release of Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann, whom the Taliban had held hostage for two and a half years. "We extend our deepest appreciation to the State of Qatar, whose steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in securing George's release," the statement read. "Qatar has consistently proven to be a reliable partner and trusted mediator, facilitating complex negotiations."

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Turkey's History of Hamas SupportBy Jonathan Schanzer

Thousands of people rallied at Istanbul's iconic Galata Bridge on New Year's Day 2025 in support of the Palestinian cause and to protest Israel. Bilal Erdogan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son, was among its speakers. Bilal spoke of the "martyrs" of Palestine, including Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7, 2023, slaughter of 1,200 Israelis. This is, by now, barely newsworthy given Ankara's long track record of pro-Hamas rhetoric. But the son of Turkey's strongman leader caught the attention of international observers when he stated, "we are here for ... Al-Aqsa Mosque, for Jerusalem."¹

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Thousands of people rallied at Istanbul's iconic Galata Bridge on New Year's Day 2025 in support of the Palestinian cause and to protest Israel. Bilal Erdogan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son, was among its speakers. Bilal spoke of the "martyrs" of Palestine, including Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7, 2023, slaughter of 1,200 Israelis. This is, by now, barely newsworthy given Ankara's long track record of pro-Hamas rhetoric. But the son of Turkey's strongman leader caught the attention of international observers when he stated, "we are here for ... Al-Aqsa Mosque, for Jerusalem."Daily Sabah (Turkey), January 1, 2025. (https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/massive-pro-palestine-rally-brings-together-thousands-in-istanbul/news)">¹

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking forgiveness.

Last week, he asked President Trump to re-admit Turkey to the fifth generation stealth F-35 fighter jet program, from which it was booted in 2019 after acquiring a Russian air defense system that poses a significant cyber threat to NATO.

But Trump would be ill-advised to accede to Erdogan's request.

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A showdown may be brewing in the Middle East. Judging from the rhetoric of both Hamas and Israel, the ceasefire in Gaza is likely to collapse. Should war return, there is a high likelihood that the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen will also get back into the action. If past is prologue, the Houthis will fire ballistic missiles at Israel, while simultaneously targeting U.S. warships and international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.

With conflict looming, the Trump administration must begin to consider its options. This is a White House that says it wants to avoid war. One non-kinetic option is to put pressure on the Sultanate of Oman to shutter its Houthi headquarters.

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