thedrifter
05-02-03, 06:34 AM
May 01, 2003
Qatar welcomes U.S. shift
By Rawya Rageh
Associated Press
DOHA, Qatar — The decision by the United States to move its troops from Saudi Arabia to Qatar is being viewed in this Gulf country as a way to improve its security and enhance its relations with Washington — despite some lingering resentment about stationing any U.S. forces in the Arab world.
The presence of American forces in Saudi Arabia — the land of Islam’s birth and its holiest shrines — had long been a source of outrage in the Muslim world, and was cited by Osama bin Laden as one of the reasons for his campaign against America.
But such sentiments don’t appear to be shared in neighboring Qatar, where government officials, commentators and many other Qataris have largely welcomed Washington’s decision to move its air operations center from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base to Qatar’s high-tech al-Udeid facility.
“U.S. presence in the region is very important,” said Hassan al-Ansari, head of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University. “The region is dangerous and we cannot leave it like that.”
“I don’t think that Gulf countries could maintain their own security,” he added. “Collectively in the past we failed to do it and I don’t think we are capable now, so why play with our future?”
Qatar has been a close U.S. ally in the region since the last Gulf War. In addition to al-Udeid, from where the United States flew air operations during the latest Iraq war, Qatar hosts the U.S. Central Command’s Gulf outpost at a sprawling base about 12 miles from the capital Doha.
The Qatari government has allowed the U.S. military to stockpile tanks and other combat equipment at Camp As Sayliyah since August 2000, and about 3,000 coalition troops are currently there.
U.S. officials announced Monday that most of the 5,000 American troops in Saudi Arabia would leave by the end of the summer and that its air operations base would move to al-Udeid, which boasts the longest runway in the region.
U.S. officials said the Saudi withdrawal — the first major shift in the American military presence in the Persian Gulf now that combat in Iraq is over — was made possible because U.S. aircraft no longer have to patrol the southern no-fly zone over Iraq.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry, the only entity allowed to speak on behalf of the government about the shift of the troops, declined to comment.
But analysts, including al-Ansari at the government-run university, said it was in Qatar’s interest to have the Americans here. The move is in line with the “strong relationship” Qatar and the United States share, and the Qatari government and people “look at things in real and practical terms,” he said.
Ahmed Ali, editor-in-chief of the independent daily Al-Watan, concurred. Gulf countries realize that American presence “is important for preserving security,” he said.
“Qatar, as the smallest country in the region, has the right to take the security measures needed in a certain period of time,” he said, “especially that the people consent it.”
He said there was widespread consensus among the Qatari people on the decisions taken by the country’s leadership, citing the example of the high voter turnout in a constitutional referendum this week, which the emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, called for.
“I run a widely read paper and I have not received one letter that opposed American military presence in Qatar,” he said, adding that he doesn’t believe sentiments would change with the troop movement.
“Let’s be realistic,” Ali said. “All countries of the region have some sort of (American) military presence and everyone is satisfied about it.”
But Mohammed al-Musfir, a political scientist, said an increase of U.S. forces in Qatar would do nothing for the country’s security, and said the American presence in the Gulf was “not in the interest of anyone but Israel.”
“Their (U.S. forces) presence is not going to achieve stability and security in the region for any Arab regime at all,” he said, adding that such a presence would be viewed as occupation even if it is sanctioned by the government.
“People of the Gulf were very happy to be liberated from the British occupation and its misdoing,” he said, referring to Britain’s departure from the region in the 1970s. “They are not ready to fall under any other occupation whether by force or willingly.”
Al-Ansari ruled out concerns that the Qatari government or the people would fear a heavier U.S. military presence in the country because “there is an understanding that it is in the interest of the country.”
He echoed fears that the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait could repeat, saying American troops would guarantee safety for Qatar from possible aggression, although he declined to say which neighboring country might pose a threat. Saudi Arabia and Iran are often cited privately as potential threats.
“Our presence and territorial integrity is at stake,” he said. “We will not wait until what happened in 1990 happens again. We have to take pre-emptive measures.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
Sempers,
Roger
Qatar welcomes U.S. shift
By Rawya Rageh
Associated Press
DOHA, Qatar — The decision by the United States to move its troops from Saudi Arabia to Qatar is being viewed in this Gulf country as a way to improve its security and enhance its relations with Washington — despite some lingering resentment about stationing any U.S. forces in the Arab world.
The presence of American forces in Saudi Arabia — the land of Islam’s birth and its holiest shrines — had long been a source of outrage in the Muslim world, and was cited by Osama bin Laden as one of the reasons for his campaign against America.
But such sentiments don’t appear to be shared in neighboring Qatar, where government officials, commentators and many other Qataris have largely welcomed Washington’s decision to move its air operations center from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base to Qatar’s high-tech al-Udeid facility.
“U.S. presence in the region is very important,” said Hassan al-Ansari, head of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University. “The region is dangerous and we cannot leave it like that.”
“I don’t think that Gulf countries could maintain their own security,” he added. “Collectively in the past we failed to do it and I don’t think we are capable now, so why play with our future?”
Qatar has been a close U.S. ally in the region since the last Gulf War. In addition to al-Udeid, from where the United States flew air operations during the latest Iraq war, Qatar hosts the U.S. Central Command’s Gulf outpost at a sprawling base about 12 miles from the capital Doha.
The Qatari government has allowed the U.S. military to stockpile tanks and other combat equipment at Camp As Sayliyah since August 2000, and about 3,000 coalition troops are currently there.
U.S. officials announced Monday that most of the 5,000 American troops in Saudi Arabia would leave by the end of the summer and that its air operations base would move to al-Udeid, which boasts the longest runway in the region.
U.S. officials said the Saudi withdrawal — the first major shift in the American military presence in the Persian Gulf now that combat in Iraq is over — was made possible because U.S. aircraft no longer have to patrol the southern no-fly zone over Iraq.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry, the only entity allowed to speak on behalf of the government about the shift of the troops, declined to comment.
But analysts, including al-Ansari at the government-run university, said it was in Qatar’s interest to have the Americans here. The move is in line with the “strong relationship” Qatar and the United States share, and the Qatari government and people “look at things in real and practical terms,” he said.
Ahmed Ali, editor-in-chief of the independent daily Al-Watan, concurred. Gulf countries realize that American presence “is important for preserving security,” he said.
“Qatar, as the smallest country in the region, has the right to take the security measures needed in a certain period of time,” he said, “especially that the people consent it.”
He said there was widespread consensus among the Qatari people on the decisions taken by the country’s leadership, citing the example of the high voter turnout in a constitutional referendum this week, which the emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, called for.
“I run a widely read paper and I have not received one letter that opposed American military presence in Qatar,” he said, adding that he doesn’t believe sentiments would change with the troop movement.
“Let’s be realistic,” Ali said. “All countries of the region have some sort of (American) military presence and everyone is satisfied about it.”
But Mohammed al-Musfir, a political scientist, said an increase of U.S. forces in Qatar would do nothing for the country’s security, and said the American presence in the Gulf was “not in the interest of anyone but Israel.”
“Their (U.S. forces) presence is not going to achieve stability and security in the region for any Arab regime at all,” he said, adding that such a presence would be viewed as occupation even if it is sanctioned by the government.
“People of the Gulf were very happy to be liberated from the British occupation and its misdoing,” he said, referring to Britain’s departure from the region in the 1970s. “They are not ready to fall under any other occupation whether by force or willingly.”
Al-Ansari ruled out concerns that the Qatari government or the people would fear a heavier U.S. military presence in the country because “there is an understanding that it is in the interest of the country.”
He echoed fears that the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait could repeat, saying American troops would guarantee safety for Qatar from possible aggression, although he declined to say which neighboring country might pose a threat. Saudi Arabia and Iran are often cited privately as potential threats.
“Our presence and territorial integrity is at stake,” he said. “We will not wait until what happened in 1990 happens again. We have to take pre-emptive measures.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
Sempers,
Roger