The government of Qatar has hired one of the War on Terror's legal heavyweights to advise the country on international counter-terrorism finance laws. John Ashcroft, the former U.S. senator and the U.S. attorney general under President George W. Bush, has been tapped to guide Qatar amid a diplomatic crisis, according to public filings with the Department of Justice. The big-name hire comes after Qatar was ostracized by a host of Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the Untied Arab Emirates. The deal was first reported this weekend by Bloomberg after Ashcroft's law firm issued a public filing to the Justice Department. According to the public filing, issued June 9, Ashcroft will take the lead on the case.

Source: CNN June 11, 2017 22:41 UTC