Photo:Swiss hostage Sylvia Eberhardt after she release in March 2013

AIJES : The Qatari 20 million  ransom that paid in March 2013 to al-Qaeda in Yemen  to  release of 36-year-old Swiss hostage Sylvia Eberhardt was criticized by the European press at the time of the involvement of senior members of Qatar's ruling family in its oil-rich country in supporting one of the most brutal terrorist groups, "As well as support for al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood and extremist Islamic groups in Libya, Syria and Iraq.
"Qatar is the main sponsor of radical Islamic groups in the Middle East," the Telegraph newspaper commented.
David David Cohen, deputy director of counterterrorism at the US Treasury Department, said in an interview: "Only countries classified by the United States as state sponsors of terrorism provide more funds to extremist groups than ransom, but ransom remains the main source of funding for al Qaeda-linked groups In Yemen and North Africa and an important source of such groups in Syria and Iraq. "  

 Qatar involved directly  into the negotiating line with al-Qaeda for the release of a Swiss hostage. They sent a Qatari delegation which entered Yemen via Sanaa airport as a delegation of Qatari businessmen accompanied by a Qatari diplomatic person and without any coordination with the Yemeni side. They paid   sum of $ 20 million, including $ 15 million for the al-Qaeda  and $ 5 million for Yemeni tribal Sheiks  related to the Terrorists .

On the same day, the Qatari delegation returned to Sana'a airport to leave for Doha with the Qatari ambassador and the Swiss hostage who released after the ransom was paid . The Qtari ambassador was identified the Swiss hostage as his advisor.
 However, the Qatari delegation  were prevented from leaving Yemen  by Yemen official at Sana’a  airport while The Qatari ambassador attacked the security officials  and the  staff at Sana’a  airport .  Finally after high security orders that issued  by Yemeni authorities who belonged at that time to Muslims brotherhood ( Islah islamic Party) to  allow the Qatari delegation, the ambassador and the  Swiss hostage, while the Qatari delegation was all members of the Qatari Intelligence and not businessmen, official sources said .

When the delegation arrived in Doha, the process was dealt with. It was a great victory for Doha and a humanitarian achievement. It was a direct financing operation for a terrorist organization. This operation opened the doors of kidnappings in Yemen in order to obtain money from Qatar.