A former U.S. education secretary has registered as a foreign agent to help support Qatarās education efforts.
William Bennett, who served under the Reagan administration from 1985-1988, has registered with the Department of Justice (DOJ) as the senior education advisor to the Embassy of Qatar. Bennett is tasked with defending American university branch campuses in Qatar and publicizing āthe fact that Qatari higher education efforts do not support radical Islamicist movements or positions.ā
āIn light of Dr. Bennettās extensive professional history dealing with education, the purpose of this engagement is to provide him with information relating to American universities offering curriculum in Qatar, to allow him to review and understand funding decisions made by the Qatari government relating to these schools, to promote Western understanding of the nature of these expenditures and the nature of the curriculum, and, most broadly, to promote economic and cultural understanding between Qatar and the United States,ā the registration paperwork reads.
Bennett started the new position around June 30 and will be compensated $30,000 a month by the Qatari government for seven months. His job duties will include ācommunications to U.S. political office holdersā as well as writing op-eds, conducting radio and TV interviews and working with Congress.
Bennett did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundationās requests for comment.
Many prominent universities, such as Georgetown and Northwestern, have had branch campuses in Qatar for years, enrolling hundreds of students. The schools host undergraduate programs exploring foreign service and communications.
American partnerships with Qatar have led to national securityconcerns, which eventually prompted the closure of Texas A&M Universityās Qatari campus due to āheightened instability in the Middle Eastā despite the school denying any security risk. Qatarās U.S. embassy hasĀ denied having any influence in American politics and education.
Qatar has also longĀ fundedĀ middle eastern studies programs at many major U.S. schools and universities, promptingĀ suspicionsĀ from Congress about itsĀ influenceĀ at the institutions especially asĀ anti-Israel protestsĀ flooded the country. QatarĀ reportedlyĀ has direct ties to Hamas, apparentlyĀ housing its leaders, The Times of Israel reported, citing Qatari government official Majed al-Ansari, andĀ sending millions of dollars to Gaza amid its war on Israel, according to CNN.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April requiring American universities to be more transparent about any foreign donations they accept in an effort to limit foreign influence in education. Many schools are now under investigation for allegedly failing to properly disclose their foreign donations.
The Trump administrationās probing has prompted several American universities to close their satellite campuses in foreign nations such as China.
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