A Republican lawmaker pushed back at the Department of Defense’s dismissal of his concerns over a high-ranking official who formerly worked for the Qatari Embassy in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin dated Oct. 12.
Yousra Fazili, who now serves as chief of staff to Pentagon comptroller Mike McCord, previously worked for the Qatari ambassador to the U.S., Republican Michigan Rep. Jack Bergman said in the letter. Bergman doubled down on his efforts to get the Pentagon to explain its vetting of Fazili for her possible connections to Qatar, the Persian Gulf state which is considered a strategic U.S. ally but is known to fund and harbor leaders of the Hamas terrorist group that recently perpetrated brutal attacks on Israel.
Bergman first probed Fazili’s allegiances in an Aug. 17 letter to the Pentagon, Politico reported. The response from Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs Rheanne Wirkkala did not address his concerns, Bergman wrote in the letter. (RELATED: Biden Admin Investigating Official Accused Of Being Iranian Spy After Previously Saying She Was ‘Properly Vetted’)
Fazili was director of strategic partnerships at the Qatari embassy for three years before joining the Pentagon, Politico reported, citing Fazili’s LinkedIn page. The page appears to have been taken down since. She “travelled with and advised the Ambassador on strategic philanthropic giving across the U.S. and Caribbean,” the page reportedly stated.
Fazili “served as a ‘strategic’ advisor to Meshal Al-Thani, the Qatari Ambassador to the U.S., for over three years, until not long before she rejoined the Pentagon in a senior staff position and then was promoted twice to her current role,” Bergman wrote in the October letter.
Wirkkala’s response did not justify the Pentagon’s rigorous vetting, Bergman said. Fazili had close relations with the Qatari ambassador during the same period when he targeted Americans “in an effort to silence Qatar’s critics,” he wrote.
“Ms. Fazili’s role as an important strategic advisor for any foreign Ambassador should, at a minimum, call into question her ability to maintain high-level security clearances, never mind to serve in one of the most sensitive staff positions at the Pentagon,” Bergman had written in the August letter, according to Politico. At the time, he asked for the Department of Defense’s file on Fazili and evidence the Pentagon had taken steps to guard against any undue influence Qatar might seek to exercise on the department through Fazili.
Wirkkala provided a brief response, saying the Pentagon vetted Fazili “in accordance with all appropriate laws and policies,” according to Politico.
Allies don’t harbor terrorists.https://t.co/s2MJKiGRYb
— Rep. Jack Bergman (@RepJackBergman) October 16, 2023
Qatar pegged the blame for the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks solely on Israel, and its state media characterizes Hamas as a “resistance” movement, even though the violence was largely perpetrated against civilians, Bergman wrote.
“There’s only one acceptable approach. Every single Hamas leader living in Doha needs to be arrested and all their assets frozen. Immediately,” Bergman said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “The U.S. must give an ultimatum to Doha: You can be an arsonist or a firefighter. You cannot be both.”
The Pentagon and the Qatari Embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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