Don't Look a Gift Jet in the Mouth

Don't Look a Gift Jet in the Mouth:

The Covert Side of Qatari Influence

Qatar's influence extends far beyond diplomatic lobbying and high-profile gifts. This presentation by Max Lesser and Ari Ben Am covers three original investigations into Qatar-aligned influence operations, including a previously unexposed network of news outlets and advocacy campaigns, a purportedly independent fact-checking platform, and a network of inauthentic watchdog organizations targeting Qatar's critics. Through digital infrastructure analysis, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and personnel investigations, we uncover the commercial contractors and organizational relationships behind these operations. Together, these cases reveal how Qatar-aligned actors use covert and grey-zone tactics in their information warfare campaigns targeting audiences in Europe, the Middle East, and around the world.