
How Qatar went from regional outcast to key Biden ally
CNN
Qatar is on its way to becoming a major non-NATO ally of the United States, a sign of its growing relevance to Washington's global agenda. Here's how it got there.
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the first Gulf Arab leader to visit the Biden White House on Monday. It's a trip that underscores the tiny state's unrelenting ambition to remain a key international player and its ability to walk back from the brink five years after a regional embargo risked turning it into a Middle East backwater.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut off diplomatic and economic ties with Doha, accusing it of cozying up to their adversaries including Islamist groups and Iran. Then-President Donald Trump appeared to take credit for the move, and it seemed as though it was only a matter of time before Doha caved, with its regional clout diminished.

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