To its foes, Qatar's deal-making with armed groups is reckless grandstanding that helps destabilize the Middle East.
To its friends, the network of Islamist contacts Doha has built in the process may prove crucial to mediating peace in regional hotspots, including in Syria.
On one thing both supporters and detractors agree: no state has made more of an effort to open channels of communication with militants among Syrian rebels.
Qatar has for years played the role of the Middle East peace broker, using its gas riches and wide-ranging political ties in a policy of international self-promotion to free hostages and secure peace agreements from Sudan to Somalia.
As Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiya explained it on Thursday in a speech ahead of National Day: "Diplomacy is a tool we use to empower people and spread security... while taking care not to interfere in the internal affairs of other states."